LONGMONT — Every player dreams of the walk-off home run. Sophomore No. 9 hitter Teagan Kramer got his Saturday, although it was one of those really weird dreams.
The Silver Creek right fielder belted a shot to the wall in right, over the head of Greeley West’s Travis Belfiore, who went down after twisting his knee in the dirt. Belfiore lay on the ground, and Kramer motored home for a three-run home run to clinch a 10-0 Class 4A District 6 five-inning victory for the host Raptors.
“I had no idea what was going on. I just saw my coach waving me and I was going,” Kramer said. “I didn’t think he’d be on the ground like that.”
Kramer’s homer capped a wild fifth inning in which the seventh-seeded Raptors (16-5) cranked out seven runs and the No. 21 Spartans (11-10) mentally imploded. The Raptors earned two walks, had five singles and got on via an error before Kramer’s shot, and Spartans coach Brian Holmes was ejected for cursing at the first-base umpire after a few close calls didn’t go their way.
“I know better than to say that,” Holmes said. “Especially when he’s got rabbit ears and he’s going to hear me saying that.”
The game, however, probably turned in the bottom of the third when Silver Creek shortstop Eric VanDyke and center fielder Scott Hoyt hit back-to-back solo homers to left field, effectively chasing Spartans starter Ryland Smith.
The home runs, which both traveled well over 350 feet, gave the Raptors, who beat the Spartans 3-2 in the regular season, a 3-0 lead.
“It was huge,” Hoyt said. “I think it was the turning point of the game. We kept a level head throughout the game, and we just played like we always do.”
Hoyt, a junior, was 3-for-3 and drove in two runs.
Raptors pitcher Tyler Gibbons faced just 18 batters and allowed only three singles and one walk.
The Raptors advance to the double-elimination state championship series.
Greeley West 000 00 — 0 3 4
Silver Creek 012 07 — 10 8 1
Greeley West — Morgan cf 1-0-0-0, Belfiore rf 2-0-0-0, Hawkins 1b-rp 2-0-1-0, English cr 0-0-0-0, Garza 3b 1-0-0-0, Smith sp-1b 2-0-0-0, Mendibles 2b 2-0-0-0, Bitolas dh 2-0-1-0, Hernandez c 0-0-0-0, Alvarez ss 1-0-0-0, Delafuente ph 1-0-0-0, Fisher lf 2-0-1-0. Totals 16-0-3-0.
Silver Creek — Johnson 2b 2-1-0-0, VanDyke ss 3-2-1-1, Hoyt cf 3-1-3-2, Poulsen 3b 1-0-0-0, Gibbons p 3-0-1-0, Steward cr 0-2-0-0, Villani lf 2-1-0-0, Dow 1b 3-1-1-1, Pollard c 3-0-1-1, Schram cr 0-1-0-0, Kramer rf 3-1-1-3. Totals 23-10-8-8.
E — Hawkins 2, Smith, Mendibles, VanDyke. LOB — Greeley West 3, Silver Creek 3. DP — Silver Creek 1. SB — Morgan, Hoyt. Picked off — Morgan, Hoyt. GIDP — Mendibles. SAC — Villani. HR — VanDyke (solo in third), Hoyt (solo in third), Kramer (three-run, inside the park, in fifth).
Batteries — Smith, Hawkins (3) and Hernandez; Gibbons and Pollard. W— Gibbons (6-0). L — Smith. HBP — Garza (by Gibbons in fourth), Poulsen (by Smith in third). WP — Gibbons. T — 1:34.
GREELEY WEST 5, EVERGREEN 1
Greeley West 000 030 2 — 5 10 2
Evergreen 000 001 0 — 1 4 1
Seier and Hernandez; Coffer, Garbus (5), C. Murphy (6), Aramovich (7) and E. Murphy. W — Seier. L — Coffer. Highlights — Belfiore, GW, 2-for-4, 2 RBIs; Hawkins, GW, 2-for-4, RBI, 2B; Smith, GW, 2-for-4, RBI; Jones, E, 2-for-4, 2B.
SILVER CREEK 10, VALOR CHRISTIAN 0
Valor Christian 000 000 — 0 1 6
Silver Creek 110 116 — 10 9 0
Toscano, Palser (6) and Henderson; Hoyt and Pollard. W — Hoyt. L — Toscano. Highlights — Van Dyke, SC, 2-for-4, 2 SBs; Dow, SC, 2-for-2, 2 RBIs; Gibbons, SC, 2-for-4, 2 RBIs.
