LITTLETON — Behind pitcher Taylor Dye and a modest lineup that’s showing some bang, Columbine took command of the Class 5A Jefferson County League on Tuesday with a 5-2 victory over upstart Lakewood.
At Frank DeAngelis Field, Columbine powered, scratched and clawed its way to a 4-0 mark in league, and is 8-5 overall after beginning 2-5. Veteran Rebels coach Chuck Gillman likes the progression, but he cautioned against what is evolving into a balanced big-school outlay at the top.
“We have a long ways to go,” he said.
And in a short time. Thanks to last week’s inclement weather, most action was postponed. In Columbine’s case, it will be at Chatfield on Wednesday, at Bear Creek on Thursday, then home on Saturday against Dakota Ridge to wrap up the regular season. In 2015, 5A Jeffco also will end with a league playoff of sorts that will not affect its state playoff pairings.
It’s OK with the Rebels, who rode the complete-game pitching of right-hander Dye. The strapping junior was touched for six hits, but he improved to 5-0 while weathering some trouble.
Staying calm, Dye said, has been key as has “our coaching and my catcher, Adrian (Trujillo).”
Mikey Griebel had three hits for Columbine and Jeremy Sonderby two.
Said coach Derrick Peterson of his Tigers (7-5, 3-1): “We didn’t play a bad baseball game; we just have to make that next step forward in our progression.”
Lakewood 000 100 1 — 2 7 2
Columbine 110 021 x — 5 9 0
Lakewood — Powell p 3-0-0-0, Garcia p 1-0-0-0, Schechter ss 3-1-1-0, Kehe cf 3-0-0-0, Collins 1b 3-0-3-1, Sanchez 3b 2-0-0-0, Klatke rf 3-0-0-0, Smith lf 2-1-1-0, O’Neill c 3-0-1-0, Hurlbert cr 0-0-0-0, Vessa 2b 3-0-0-1. Totals 26-2-6-2.
Columbine — Tait 3b 3-0-1-0, Trujillo c 1-0-0-1, Mallett cr 0-1-0-0, Gillman ss 4-1-1-0, Griebel cf 4-1-3-0, Anderson 2b 4-0-1-1, Sonderby 1b 4-1-2-0, Keaney dh 2-1-1-0, Dye p 0-0-0-0, Alva lf 2-0-0-0, Rimblas rf 2-0-0-0. Totals 26-5-9-2.
E — Powell, O’Neill. DP — Columbine. SB — Mallett, Gillman, Gribel, Smith. CS — Griebel 2. 2B — Collins, Griebel 2, Tait.
Batteries — Powell, Garcia (5) and O’Neill; Dye and Trujillo. W — Dye (5-0). L — Powell. WP — HBP —
Neil H. Devlin: ndevlin@denverpost.com or
