WESTMINSTER — said he had a pleasant, stress-free day at school Tuesday. He enjoyed lunch with a good friend and they even talked about their love lives.
“I always want to be happy, and that attitude carried over to the baseball field,” said Lee, a Legacy senior.
It certainly did.
Lee homered and drove in four runs — including the game-winner in the sixth inning — as Legacy won a crucial one, 6-5 over Mountain Range at Mustang Ballpark.
The teams were among five that entered Tuesday tied for second place with two games to play in what has turned out to be a wacky, tight Class 5A Front Range League. And one of the five may not make next week’s districts.
Legacy, which moved to No. 7 in The Denver Post 5A coaches poll at the start of the week, improved to 14-4 overall and 7-3 in league play. The Lightning will end the regular season at home Thursday against Greeley West. Mountain Range (12-6, 6-4) will play at Fort Collins.
Lee gave Legacy the lead in the second inning with a two-run homer, was credited with an RBI in the fourth off an error from a scorching grounder to third base that wasn’t handled and knocked home the Lightning’s sixth and decisive run on a single to right field in the sixth.
His homer was the first of his injury-plagued varsity career.
“It was a good time to have it,” said Lee, who also was sharp fielding at third base.
The Lightning pounded out 12 hits. had three (including a double) and had two (including a two-run homer in the fourth). , the third of three Lightning pitchers, handled the seventh to earn a save.
“It was really important for us,” said . “You always try to play your best baseball late.”
Mountain Range’s was hit by pitches twice but also homered twice, the second a two-run shot that tied the score in the fifth inning. However, the Mustangs managed only six other hits.
said he couldn’t complain, “When we compete like that, I can live with it,” he said.
Neil H. Devlin: 303-954-1714 or ndevlin@denverpost.com
Legacy: 020 121 0 — 6 12 1
Mountain Range: 010 040 0 — 5 8 1
Legacy: Clapper cf-p 3-1-1-0, Bollig 2b 4-1-2-2, Overboe 1b 4-0-0-0, Bublitz lf 4-1-2-0, Wells dh 3-0-1-0, Kozanecki cr-p 0-0-0-0, Long rf 3-1-3-0, Baum cr 0-1-0-0, Lee 3b 4-1-2-4, Farrell ss 2-0-0-0, Collison c 3-0-1-0, Wessel cr 0-0-0-0, Osbment p 0-0-0-0. Totals: 30-6-12-6.
Mountain Range: Newton 2b-ss 4-1-2-0, Walker c 4-1-1-0, Cyrus ss-p 4-1-1-2, Fox 3b 2-2-2-4, Draper 1b 3-0-0-0, Meltz p-rf 3-0-0-0, Wamsley rf-cf-2b 3-0-0-0, Pelster lf 2-0-0-0, Maestas ph 1-0-1-0, Adams cf-p 3-0-1-0. Totals: 29-5-8-5.
E: Farrell, Fox.
DP: Mountain Range.
LOB: Legacy 8, Mountain Range 6.
Sac: Long, Draper, Farrell.
SB: Wamsley.
2B: Clapper, Newton, Long.
HR: Lee, one on in second; Fox (2), solo in second and one on in fifth; Bollig, one on in fifth.
Batteries: Osbment, Kozanecki (5), Clapper (7) and Collison; Meltz, Adams (6), Cyrus (7) and Walker.
W: Kozanecki. L: Meltz. S: Clapper.
Time: 2:08.
