GREELEY — Thirty-one runs, 25 hits and a very un-Eaton-like three errors in just 10 innings. Just another day at the ballpark for the Reds.
Class 3A’s perennial juggernaut flexed its muscle Friday at the University of Northern Colorado’s Jackson Field and remained unbeaten through the first day of the double-elimination tournament after a 13-3 victory over Faith Christian.
The Reds (22-0) will play Holy Family, a team they beat 5-2 at Coors Field last month, today at 3 p.m. back at Jackson for the right to be the only 3-0 team heading to next week’s Final 4.
“The first game was great, we did a lot of things really well,” said senior Tyler Wallace of the Reds’ 18-0 thumping of Gunnison to start the day. “We made three errors, and that is really uncharacteristic of us, and it felt like seven or eight when we were out there, so we can definitely improve.”
Eaton took advantage of Faith Christian coach Gino Carbajal’s decision to start freshman Ben Rice, who had all of one inning of varsity experience this season, and save arms for elimination play Saturday.
After walking the first two batters he faced and watching the first run come in via an error, Rice gave up an RBI single to Reds catcher Bennett Pickar and then a two-RBI triple to opposing pitcher Logan Hall. Before he knew it, it was 4-0 and there were still no outs.
“I hesitated a little bit putting him out there, because I didn’t want to destroy his psyche,” Carbajal said. “He told me, ‘I’ll be OK.’ I was proud of him; he did a good job.”
The Eagles (18-5), who will play the winner of the 10 a.m. Valley/Lamar game at 12:30 today in the consolation bracket at Jackson Field, battled back in the top of the third with three runs off Hall, including an RBI single by Pierce Johnson.
Faith had its chances throughout but never came up with the timely hit and stranded 10 runners.
Eaton started the fifth inning with three straight hits. A double by Sterling Monfort drove in two runs. After driving Rice from the game, Seth Jackson reached on Derek LePore’s error that put runners at second and third for Wallace, who was taking notes against reliever Antonio Masciotro.
“He only threw one curveball to Jackson, so I figured I would look for a fastball,” he said.
The first offering, a belt-high fastball from Masciotro, was crushed into the wind over the left-field fence for a walkoff mercy-rule home run.
Pickar and Hall each had two hits for Eaton, and Alex Buchmann had two hits for the Eagles, who upended Manitou Springs 12-5 in their opener.
Faith Christian 003 00 — 3 7 4
Eaton 500 26 — 13 9 3
Faith Christian — Smith 2b 2-0-0-0, Buchmann c 3-0-2-0, Wolf cr 0-0-0-0, Carbajal ss 1-1-0-0, Johnson 1b 3-1-2-1, Mochal dh 3-1-0-0, Rice p 0-0-0-0, Masciotro p 0-0-0-0, LePore rf 2-0-1-0, Beasley cf 2-0-1-0, Pott 3b 3-0-0-0, Is. Henry lf 3-0-1-0. Totals 22-3-7-1.Eaton — Geisick rf 2-3-1-1, Jackson 2b 3-2-0-0, Wallace ss 4-2-1-5, Pickar c 3-0-2-2, Estreich cr 0-1-0-0, Hall p 3-1-2-2, Hager lf 0-0-0-0, Jones dh 3-1-1-1, Anderson 3b 3-1-1-0, Monfort 1b 2-1-1-2, Ruff cf 2-1-0-0. Totals 25-13-9-13.E — Carbajal 2, Pott, LePore; Anderson, Hall, Pickar. LOB — Faith Christian 10; Eaton 4. SAC — LePore, Beasley, Carbajal. 2B — Monfort. 3B — Hall. HR — Wallace, two on on fifth. DP — Faith Christian 1; Eaton 0.
Batteries — Rice, Masciotro (5) and Buchmann; Hall and Pickar. W — Hall (5-0). L — Rice (0-1). WP — Hall 2; Rice 1. Time 1:37.
Jon E. Yunt: 303-954-1354 or jyunt@denverpost.com
