LAKEWOOD — Late Saturday night, Matt Wollenzin didn’t give Green Mountain much of a chance in its Class 5A District 4 championship game with Smoky Hill. The Rams had fallen behind by three runs in the top of the 14th inning when the game was suspended because of darkness at All-Star Park.
He woke up Sunday morning with a new outlook, and by early Sunday afternoon he had his team in the eight-team, double-elimination state tournament that begins Friday.
Wollenzin, who sent the game into extra innings with a two-run homer in the seventh inning Saturday, won it 9-7 on Sunday with a one-out, walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the 14th.
After Green Mountain (18-3) opened the inning with a single and three walks to score a run, Steve Poe struck out on a full count to bring up Wollenzin, who banged his 10th homer of the season.
“I came in with a totally different mind-set than I had on it last night,” Wollenzin said. “But after a night of sleep to think it through, I knew we worked hard enough all year to earn something like this. . . . It’s something we’re all going to remember forever.”
Smoky Hill led 7-4 in the top of the 14th after runs scored by Steven Cox, Zach Johnson and Jordan Carlson late Saturday. But the Buffaloes were retired after two batters Sunday to set up the Rams’ heroics.
“I can’t fault the effort,” said Smoky Hill coach Scott Henry. “They’ve been working so hard since November, and they’ve done such a great job. I just feel so bad for our kids. We had 100 other plays we could’ve done something differently.”
The Buffaloes finished 12-9.
GREEN MOUNTAIN 9, SMOKY HILL 7
Smoky Hill 002 200 000 000 03 — 7 12 2
Gr. Mtn. 002 000 200 000 05 — 9 13 2
W — Corrick. L — Johnson. Highlights — Williams, SH, 3-for-6; Sparacio, SH, 2-for-6, 2 doubles; Wollenzin, GM, 2-for-4, 2 HRs, 6 RBIs; Baldini, GM, 2-for-7, 3 runs scored.
Widefield 15, Castle View 4
It took until the seventh inning, but Widefield finally broke out the bats. And not a moment too soon for the Gladiators.
Widefield, the Class 4A tournament’s 25th seed, sent 17 batters to the plate and scored 13 runs in rallying for a victory in the District 2 championship game. The Gladiators trailed 4-2 entering the inning, but 15 of the first 16 batters reached base in helping to send Widefield (14-7) to this week’s state tournament.
Before the seventh inning, Widefield managed just five hits off Castle View pitchers Jason Yarnell and Nate Story. Three of those hits came in a two-run fifth inning that tied the game. The Sabercats (10-11) reclaimed the lead with Yarnell’s RBI double and a bases-loaded walk for Story in the bottom of the inning. But nothing could prepare Castle View for what happened two innings later.
Widefield slugger Evan Kenebrew, who homered four times and drove in 12 runs Saturday in a 16-12 victory over Golden, doubled and smashed a grand slam in the seventh inning Sunday.
WIDEFIELD 15, CASTLE VIEW 4
Widefield 000 020 (13) — 15 16 2
Castle View 000 220 0 — 4 9 2
Clemens, Schoon (5) and Martinez; Yarnell, N. Story (5), Koons (7), N. Story (7), Null (7) and B. Story. W — Schoon. L — N. Story. HR — Kenebrew, W, grand slam in seventh. Highlights — Cruz, W, 4-for-5; Kenebrew, W, 2-for-3, 5 RBIs; Carlson, W, 3-for-3, 3 runs scored; Ferris, CV, 2-for-4; Yarnell, CV, 2-for-4.
