Pardon Keeton Krause for being late to the dog pile.
The Mountain View second baseman dislocated his left shoulder Saturday while diving for a ball in the Mountain Lions’ 1-0, nine-inning win in the Class 4A state championship game and had to watch the final out from the dugout at All City Field.
But that episode was only a small part of the reason why the ninth was ultra-eventful for the junior. Krause scored the only run in the intense-and-rapid pitchers’ duel, and it happened on a bizarre play. After singling with one out in the top of the ninth, Krause stole second, then moved to third when the ball was thrown into center. After the throw from center ricocheted off his helmet and into the dugout, he was awarded home.
His jilted gait to the dog pile wasn’t nearly as quick as his trip around the bases.
“The win is kind of covering up the pain for me,” Krause said.
The play made a tough-luck loser of Broomfield pitcher Noah Coleman, who was lights out in throwing all nine. Coleman retired 20 consecutive batters in one stretch and forced the Mountain Lions (24-2) into a 3-for-30 performance at the plate. Problem was, Mountain View starter Nick Miller matched zeroes with Coleman, fanning 12 hitters while working into the eighth.
Derek Neeper got the final six outs to earn the win for Mountain View, striking out Dan Geubelle with a wicked curve to end it.
“I’m still shaking, man,” Neeper said. “It was tense all game long. That kid Coleman pitched his butt off.”
With the first five innings flying by in less than an hour, both coaches got the feeling a fluky play was going to be needed to decided this one.
“It was a typical Broomfield-Mountain View game,” said Broomfield coach Garren Estes, noting the teams have played three one-run games this season. “Around the eighth inning you’re thinking it’s such a great game and it sucks someone is going to have to lose.”
After watching Broomfield move runners to second and third with one out in the bottom of the seventh – and Miller escaping the jam — Mountain Lions coach Brian Smela realized how precarious the situation was. That’s why he didn’t hesitate to send Krause when he reached in the ninth.
“I told him if he got on he was going because we had to force the issue,” Smela said. “I didn’t expect that to happen, but we had to get something going.”
The title was the second for Mountain View, which also won in 2002 and finished runner-up in 2003 and last season.
Dan Geubelle had three of the four hits for Broomfield’s (the Eagles beat Rock Canyon 7-1 in the early game to advance to the championship) while Krause went 2-for-4 for Mountain View. It’s doubtful he’ll be remembered for his hitting line, though.
“That’s probably the hardest I’ve ever run in my lifetime,” Krause said.
Mountain View 000 000 001 – 1 3 0
Broomfield 000 000 000 – 0 4 2
Mountain View (ab-r-h-rbi) – Hlushak rf 4-0-0-0, Krause 2b 4-1-2-0, Beemer 2b 0-0-0-0, Miller p-1b 4-0-0-0, Neeper 3b-p 4-0-0-0, Baeckel ss 3-0-1-0, Josh c 3-0-0-0, Jones dh 2-0-0-0, Baumann lf 3-0-0-0, Ryan cf 3-0-0-0, Netzel 1b-3b 0-0-0-0. Totals 30-1-3-0.
Broomfield – Klauck ss 4-0-0-0, Coleman p 3-0-0-0, E. Lockwood 1b 4-0-0-0, Clark dh 4-0-1-0, McKinney pr 0-0-0-0, Geubelle cf 4-0-3-0, Underberg lf 4-0-0-0, McClaskey 2b 3-0-0-0, Leonard c 1-0-0-0, Fukushima cr 0-0-0-0, Lane lf 1-0-0-0, Goberis 3b 0-0-0-0. Totals 28-0-4-0.
E – Leonard, Geubelle. DP – Mountain View 1. LOB – Mountain View 3, Broomfield 6. 2B – Geubelle. SB – Krause. SAC – Lane 2.
Batteries – Miller, Neeper (8) and Josh; Coleman and Leonard. W – Neeper (W 10-1). L – Coleman (6-4). T – 2:04.
