(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
CASTLE ROCK — Douglas County baseball coach Craig Gienger thinks that the Continental League is the best baseball league in the state.
Bar none.
He started league play by winning five straight games before dropping his last two, so he might know what he’s talking about.
He said humbly after his Huskies dropped Wednesday’s game to Regis Jesuit 4-3.
“On any given day out here, with anyone there are no gimmies in our league,” Gienger said. “Everybody has talent and they’re all well-coached.”
It just turned out that the Raiders (11-4 overall, 5-2 Continental) were also timely hitters. They were able to put Huskies (11-5, 5-2) pitcher Lucas Degarmo to work early, getting his pitch count into the 30’s in the first inning.
Jimmy Holinger’s single to lead off the game led to the game’s first run as he scored on a Michael Baer single.
“I’m the leadoff hitter so I have to get on any way I can get on and score,” Holinger said. “Our guys moved me over and Michael hit me in.”
That was just in the first inning. Those two would also play crucial roles late in the game.
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
The Huskies though, would briefly take the lead in the second inning as an Adam Taylor triple scored Jack Lisowy and Tim Wink. The ball was overthrown at third and Taylor bolted for home, but got a cleat stuck in the dirt and was tagged out.
If Regis Jesuit was timely, Douglas County was showing to be unlucky.
The Raiders retook the lead in the top of the third as Baer drove in Brodie Marino for his second RBI of the game. Austin Chouinard grounded out to second on the next play, but Geno Macias was able to score on the play.
Crobin Geisendorff scored in the bottom of the third as Reggie Williams put one off the raised chainlink fence in right field.
Both teams had lost handedly earlier in the week, but this was shaping up to be a Continental League slugfest.
“Usually if we (only) have a one-run lead, they’re always tough games,” Holinger said. “We knew we had to play through seven innings.”
The Raiders hit pay dirt in the fourth, however. Tyler Gayle worked the count full before drawing a walk with one out. Connor Cunningham struck out, so with two down, it was Holinger coming to the plate.
He ripped a double down the left field line and Gayle was able to round the bases and score to give Regis a 4-3 lead.
Geisendorff led off the Douglas County half of the fifth with a double, but Brett Johnson was called out for leaning into a pitch and a couple of fly balls ended any hopes of a rally.
The Huskies had one last chance in the seventh.
Regis Jesuit brought in Baer to close out the game, clinging to that one-run lead.
Geisendorff walked to start the inning and was sacrificed over by Johnson. The tying run stood 180 feet away with one out and Murphy Gienger at the plate.
But Baer wasn’t phased.
“I know when to bear down and keep my mind calm and not be wild,” he said.
The Huskies did give him a little bit of help though. A miscommunication between coach and player saw Geisendorff break for third during Gienger’s at-bat. He was thrown out.
Gienger walked and Williams flew out to left field to end the game, giving the Raiders a win they knew they needed coming in.
“Coming into the week with Heritage, Douglas County and Legend, if you can take two out of three or even split the first two, you’re in good shape,” Raiders coach Matt Darr said. “At this point we’re 9-0 in two-run games or less. There’s a lot of confidence if we can get to the late innings with Baer on the mound.”
Regis Jesuit will wrap-up a tough week of play with a home game against Legend on Thursday. Douglas County will stay at home and host Highlands Ranch on Friday.