LITTLETON — It kind of felt like a summer league baseball game Friday morning at Frank DeAngelis Field on the Columbine High School campus.
“It is a little weird. I’m usually playing summer ball by now,” Dakota Ridge senior Reese Randell said of playing the morning game on a weekday. “It’s fun. I’m happy we are playing in warm weather that’s a good thing.”
Columbine junior Zach Butler (10) slides into second base ahead of the tag by Dakota Ridge freshman Cade Collins on Friday morning at Frank DeAngelis Field. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
The rivalry game between Dakota Ridge (5-3, 3-0 in 5A Jeffco) and Columbine (5-5, 1-3) was actually a key Class 5A Jeffco League showdown in the middle of the conference schedule. The Eagles stayed undefeated in league play with a dominating 17-3 victory.
“It is so weird. Everything is so weird. The scores everywhere are weird,” Dakota Ridge coach Jeff Legault said after the 14-run victory over Columbine. “It’s just a weird year. We are trying to keep the guys focused and our guys are doing a good job of that. They have bought in.”
Dakota Ridge got an impressive start on the mound by junior Gavin Kaiser against the Rebels. Kaiser went five innings and gave just one unearned run to pick up his third victory this season.
“I felt pretty good coming into it,” Kaiser said after giving up just two hits in five innings. “I was throwing my fastball pretty well.”
Kaiser also got plenty of run support. Dakota Ridge senior Joey Cavallaro got things going with a lead-off single to start the game. He would eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by senior Logan Balfanz to get the scoring going.
The Eagles added four more runs in the top of the second inning that started with a solo home run from senior Reese Randall.
“He just hung me a slider and I put a good swing on it,” Randell said of his solo home run in the 4-run second inning for the Eagles. “It was a good swing and the ball went a long way.”
Dakota Ridge’s 6 through 9 hitters were extremely productive scoring nine of the Eagles’ 17 runs.
“It takes a lot of stress off me,” Kaiser said about the bottom half of the Eagles’ line-up producing during the 4-run second inning and 8-run seventh inning.
Randell actually ended the scoring for Dakota Ridge. He ripped an RBI single in the top of the seventh inning to cap off the offensive production.
Dakota Ridge junior Gavin Kaiser pitched a strong five innings giving up just two hits to pick up the win on the hill. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
“We’ve had our times when we’ve struggled,” Randell said about the backend of the Eagles’ line-up. “When 6 through 9 are hitting you are pretty much unbeatable. You need to have the bottom of your order hitting.”
Seniors Bennett Gregory, Brock Hoos, Randell and sophomore Josh Ezell did an outstanding job at the back half of the line-up.
“We are not a strong offensive team. We are more pitching and defense,” Legault said after the Eagles’ largest scoring output of the season. “To score that may runs … I was pleased with that.”
Freshman Cade Collins had a big game in the No. 2 hole. Dakota Ridge’s starting second baseman went 3-for-4 from the plate with 4 RBIs. He also made an outstanding play in the field chasing down a fly ball for the second out in the bottom of the seventh inning.
“He (Collins) is a special baseball player. He is really good and nothing fazes him,” Legault said of the freshman. “He is one of our best hitters and defenders. He is awesome.”
While during a normal season the high school season would just be wrapping up, during this COVID school year the baseball season doesn’t end until the state championship games scheduled for Saturday, June 26.
Dakota Ridge is scheduled for eight regular-season games between Saturday, May 29, and Friday, June 11. That’s eight games in 14 days. Legault believes his pitching staff, along with his team is up to the task.
“We’ve good four good starters and we have the right amount of breaks. We’ll see,” Legault said. “We are just trying to squeeze our way into the playoffs. Trying to find a way to that top 24.”
The top 24 teams in the RPI standings advance to regionals that are scheduled for Monday, June 14.
“We need to win the games we should win,” Randell said. “We are going to face some really good pitchers. We’ll face someone who throws 90 mph against Chatfield. Against Valor we’ll face a good pitcher no matter who they throw. We just have to go out there and play our game.”
Dakota Ridge is at No. 4-ranked Valor at 11 a.m. tomorrow (Saturday, May 29). The following Saturday (June 5) the Eagles host No. 1 Chatfield.
Dakota Ridge senior Reese Randell (13) is greeted at home plate by fellow senior Bennett Gregory after Randell’s solo home run in the second inning against rival Columbine. The Eagles cranked out 16 hits in their 17-3 road victory to stay undefeated in 5A Jeffco League play. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)