(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
COLORADO SPRINGS — There was genuine concern over whether or not St. Mary’s and Lamar would even get their Saturday double header in.
Weather in Colorado Springs had left the field at the Grace Center nearly unplayable but both teams nearly got both games played before a rain/snow mixed suspended play.
Lamar (11-1 overall, 5-0 3A Tri-Peaks League), ranked No. 2 in Class 3A, cruised to a 10-0 win in game one, but struggled a bit in the second game just as No. 10 St. Mary’s (9-4, 5-1) started hitting the ball around the yard.
“This young ball club is finally starting to come of age,” Pirates coach Bill Percy said. “We’ve been waiting for that all year long. They’ve had some bad innings here and there. But this is the first time we’re showing we can hang with the big boys.”
Percy might not have said so after the first game of the day. Lamar started the game with three straight hits and scored four runs in the first inning. It tacked on three more in both the second and third innings to jump to a 10-0 lead before the Pirates knew what hit them.
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
Once they built the lead, Lamar pitcher Darin Cook found his groove on the mound, striking out five straight hitters from the second to the fourth innings. When it was all said and done, Lamar came away with an important Tri-Peaks League win.
“It was very important for us because St. Mary’s is a good quality team,” Cook said. “We had a lot depending on these two games, so it was important to at least get one win.”
At the start of the second game, it appeared that it would be a carbon copy of the first. Lamar jumped out to a 2-0 lead thanks to a two-run home run from Brent Crampton.
But the bats for St. Mary’s woke up in their half of the first inning as a run of three straight base hits plated three runs for the Pirates. Lamar came back in the second to score four and regain the lead, but St. Mary’s responded with two of their own to lock the teams in a competitive 6-5 ballgame.
“It’s really hard to stay locked in especially when you’re playing two games and we struggled with that today,” Crampton said.
Lamar once again seized firm control of the game in the top of the fourth as Jake Specht launched a two-run home run to make it a 8-5 game.
The score would hold until the bottom of the sixth. Pitcher Dalton Chandler walked in a run to cut the Lamar lead to two with the bases still loaded.
That’s when Hayden Smith hit a ground ball to third baseman Mario Morales who got the forced out at second. Second baseman Kaleb Hansen got the throw to first off, but Smith was called safe by the umpires. In the ruckus, the tying run came across the plate.
“I don’t know what the (heck) happened on that play over at first base,” Lamar coach Dave Fassiotto said. “I thought he got him.”
Lamar got out of the inning and in the top of the seventh got a much-needed base runner as Colby Salisbury legged out an infield single. He moved up on a wild pitch, but that’s when the rain picked up forcing the game to be suspended until Tuesday.
A day that had looked promising for Lamar after a 10-0 had suddenly turned more serious with seeding in the state tournament on the line.
“I want to try and stay in that two-hole as much as possible,” Fassiotto said. “I want to be on the opposite side as Eaton. I’ve been on the same side as them before and it’s never really worked out for us.”
The final inning of the game will be played at 4 p.m. Tuesday.
Coaches from Lamar and St. Mary’s discuss suspending play during Saturday’s double header. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)