HIGHLANDS RANCH — Travis Orwig said he had a good feeling getting off the bus on Wednesday.
The senior left-hander wasn’t imagining things — he went on to toss a one-hitter as Ponderosa whipped host Highlands Ranch 11-0 in six innings in the Class 5A Continental League at Falcon Field.
The Mustangs improved to 8-3 overall, 3-0 in league. Highlands Ranch, also 8-3, dipped to 1-2 in league.
Orwig was in command. He struck out 10 Falcons, walked only three and permitted just a harmless single to open the bottom of the fourth inning.
Mixing his fastball, curveball, changeup and slider, he was around the plate all game. Plus, the Mustangs belted three home runs, notably a three-run job in the first inning by Brandon Mikulka off Falcons starter and loser Ryan Burr.
“That was huge,” Orwig said. “I felt good throwing in the bullpen before the game, then that homer made me want to go out and put up a zero.”
He would put up six of them in a row, something Mustangs coach Jarod Nicholson has come to expect. Orwig is 4-1.
“He was in command, he has good stuff and he has really come around,” Nicholson said. “He’s a guy we really on, especially in big games.”
Orwig was in trouble only once, as he faced second and third with one out in the third, but fanned the top two Falcons in the order.
“He was around the plate all game and when you do that you’re going to be successful,” Nicholson said.
Ponderosa’s Brandon Kimbrel put the game out of reach late with consecutive big shots — his two-run homer made it made it 5-0 in the fifth, then he ripped a three-run homer during a six-run sixth.
Highlands Ranch not only was quiet at the plate, but used three pitchers and was guilty of five errors. The Falcons have dropped two Continental games in a row in what should be another ultra-competitive finish later this month.
“This is one we want to forget,” coach John Cackowski said. “(Orwig) is really tough, it’s hard to pick up the ball out of his hand he just went out there, competed and beat us.”
Ponderosa 300 026 — 11 9 0
Highlands Ranch 000 000 — 0 1 5
Ponderosa — May lf 2-1-0-0, Maynard c 4-1-1-1, Johnson cf 3-3-2-1, Kimbrel c 3-3-2-5, Mikulka 1b 3-2-1-3, Gibbons 3-0-2-1, Steinemann dh 3-0-0-0, Griffin 3b 2-0-0-0, Biggins ph 1-0-0-0, Murray ph 1-0-0-0, Feldhaus 2b 2-0-0-0, Crane ph 0-1-0-0, Burr p 0-0-0-0. Totals 27-11-7-11.
Highlands Ranch — Martinez 3b-p 2-0-0-0, Audino ss 3-0-0-0, Gauthier c 3-0-1-0, Anttila rf-p-1b 2-0-0-0, Cerullo 1b-3b 2-0-0-0, Brown cf 2-0-0-0, McFadden lf 1-0-0-0, Butler 2b 2-0-0-0, Mann dh 1-0-0-0, Burr p 0-0-0-0. Totals 18-0-1-0.
E — Burr, Butler, Martinez, McFadden, Mann. DP — Ponderosa. LOB — Ponderosa 6, Highlands Ranch 3. SB — May, Gauthier. 2B — Gibbons. 3B — Gibbons. HR — Mikulka, two on in first; KImbrel, one on in fifth, two on in sixth.
Batteries — Orwig and Kimbrel; Burr, Anttila (4), Martinez (6) and Gauthier.W — Orwig (4-1). L — Burr (4-1). T — 1:47.
Neil H. Devlin: 303-954-1714 or ndevlin@denverpost.com
