HIGHLANDS RANCH — The Montrose baseball team’s victory over Valor Christian on Friday couldn’t really be called vindication.
The better term would be validation.
The Indians, behind a yeoman’s effort on the mound by staff ace Tyrus Lopez, held off the Eagles 2-1.
It was at a similar point last season when Valor Christian knocked Montrose from the unbeaten ranks with a 4-3 win. Lopez was on the mound for that one as well. As a result, from the first pitch Friday, “I was amped up,” the senior righthander said. “I’ve never been so pumped up for a game.”
His work on the mound showed as he retired the first seven batters he faced, three by strikeout.
The Indians broke open a pitchers’ duel with a run in the top of the third, using small ball as Josue Perez reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second and scored on an error.
The Eagles tied it with their only run in the fourth in similar fashion when Justin Falls reached on a throwing error, stole second and scored on Marco Castilla’s ground-ball single to right.
Lopez, who bats cleanup for the Indians, had a chance to help his cause in the sixth but lined out to short on the hardest hit ball of the day with a runner in scoring position. Indians catcher Jake Bradburn immediately followed, however, with a bounder up the middle to score Josh Robertson.
“Jake’s base hit – that was senior leadership,” Montrose coach Landon Wareham said.
From there, it was up to Lopez, who improved to 3-0 with the victory. He retired six of the last seven batters, including the final four by strikeout as finished with 11 punch-outs.
“He missed lots of bats today,” Wareham said of Lopez’s two-hit performance against a team that was unbeaten entering the game.
With the victory over a quality opponent, “It gives this team confidence,” Lopez said.
The 5-0 Indians will need it when they play Mead and Thompson Valley to close out their Front Range road trip on Saturday.
“We’ve got our work cut out for us,” Wareham said.
But he and Lopez would both agree, they relish the challenge.