Rye ended the baseball season off perfectly.
The Thunderbolts finished with a 25-0 mark, took down the defending state champion, , avenged semifinal losses from the past three years, no longer have to deal with CHSAA’s weather delays, oh — and are now nationally renowned baseball magicians.
Rye advanced to the Class 2A state championship game 9-8 over Hotchkiss on Saturday at Runyon Sports Complex with one epic rally, but more importantly, this sneaky “hidden-ball trick” play:
Rye pitcher Luis Ortiz “throws” the ball to second base for a pick off, sending his teammates in a scramble to retrieve the “wild throw.” Little does Hotchkiss pinch runner Colton Deluzio (on second base) know, it’s all in his head. Deluzio was tagged en route to third by Ortiz, ball in glove, for the last out in the game.
This was on May 23, 2015.
