LAKEWOOD — The path was a little easier this time around, but Cherry Creek are back-to-back 5A baseball state champions.
The Bruins and their fresh pitching staff held down Regis Jesuit during the first game Saturday to win 8-1 and raise the championship trophy at All-Star Park.
“When you have Wyatt Rudden on the bump, he’s been nails for us for almost three years,” Cherry Creek coach Joe Smith said of the University of Michigan commit. “Even as a sophomore, he was ready to go. It was especially true today as a senior.”
Rudden went five innings and struck out eight batters while allowing three hits and six walks. Max Goldberg threw a hitless sixth inning with two strikeouts and Anthony Graziano closed things out in the seventh.
Regis Jesuit, meanwhile, threw three sophomores and one junior who have combined for just 20% of the team’s innings pitched this season. After winning two games yesterday with their more experienced arms, the Raiders fell off with nine hits, five walks and two hit batters.
Rudden said he felt comfortable once he stepped onto the field.
“I wouldn’t say I got too much sleep last night,” Rudden said. “I was tossing and turning a little bit. But I knew when I got on the field, I was going to be ready. I just had to do my thing.”
On offense, Creek built up their lead on a mix of hits, walks, aggressive baserunning and wild pitches. To open the bottom of the second, Sean Goldy poked a 3-1 fastball into right field for a single and immediately stole second. Back-to-back walks loaded the bases and the Bruins grounded into a 4-6-3 double play that allowed Goldy to score the first run of the game. A wild pitch made it 2-0.
Regis got one run back in the top of the third on a wild pitch, but Creek bounced back with its most sustained rally of the game. Mason Scott singled through the left side to stretch the lead, then a ground-rule double from Lucas Schultz tacked on another. Tyce Smith had a deep sacrifice fly to secure the 5-1 lead and cap the rally.
After a scoreless fourth, Regis loaded the bases on a single and two walks. Two relievers were up in the bullpen and the coaches stood on the edge of the dugout, but Rudden struck out a pinch hitter, then coaxed a grounder to second base to escape unscathed. Creek tacked on two more in the bottom half via a two-run single from Tyce Smith, then one more in the seventh on a wild pitch.
“We did not want to play two games,” Tyce Smith said. “We wanted it to be over in seven innings and that’s what we were able to do.”
And who knows better about the dangers of a championship doubleheader than the Bruins? Last year, the Bruins came from the consolation bracket to defeat Regis twice on the final Saturday of the season.
Joe Smith said it was a tough week of practice between graduated seniors and no school, but he credits the senior leaders for helping the team stay focused and ultimately come out on top.
“The seniors were focused and they had that goal in mind to get out of here in seven innings,” the coach said. “They did not want to let it go to two games and they accomplished that goal.”
(Eric Brown/ebrownfoto.com)
