COLORADO SPRINGS – From top to bottom, the Golden lineup is dangerous.

There’s not a standout player for which other teams can game plan. Instead, there’s a cohesive lineup that grinds out at-bats, wears out opponents pitchers and stresses out defenses.

When Luca Casali laced a 2-RBI triple to straight away center field as part of a big fourth inning, two-out rally in Golden’s 13-6 win Class 4A baseball second-round win against Falcon at UCCS on Friday afternoon, it typified the Demons’ offensive attack.

The inning began with a single, but a lineout to right field and a fielder’s choice saw two quick outs. Then the floodgates opened for Golden (24-3). The team that Golden coach Jackie McBroom said “was one of the best hitting teams he’s ever coached” sent 10 hitters to the plate in an inning that blew the game wide open.

“I saw a high and outside pitch and was able to keep my hands up and not get under it,” Casali said. “I kept it on a line. Out of the box I was thinking I had a triple.”

Caycen Mead had an RBI double, Gunnar Hetrick an RBI single, Casali’s triple sailed into the batter’s eye in center field and Jaydon Stroup’s clutch, two out 2-RBI single gave the Demons a commanding 7-0 lead.

“That’s the most fun we have had all year,” Casali said. “Especially the bottom of our lineup. We scored two out runs, had two out hits. That was huge today, I loved it. When the bottom of the lineup gets the guys going, that’s huge.”

The Demons No. 6 through No. 9 hitters combined for four hits, four runs and three RBIs.

“I’ve had a lot of really good teams,” McBroom said. “But I said before the season started, this could be one of the best hitting teams one through nine. We all swing the bats and have good approaches at the plate. They are all aggressive, confident, believe in themselves and have a plan when they get in the box.

“We’ve had some teams with super stars where those guys can carry us and we expect them to win games for us. This team trusts in each other, they all believe they can contribute.”

While the Demons’ offense was busy racking up runs, starting pitcher Taden Svendsen had it on cruise control. The senior lefty kept the Falcons (20-4-1) hitless through four innings. Svendsen picked up the win as he went six innings, scattered eight hits, gave up five runs, struck out four and walked one.

“I was able to paint my spots perfectly,” Svendsen said. “I got a lot of ground balls. Everyone did their part and made plays. I was getting the ball in on their hands.”

Golden tacked on two runs in the top of the fifth on an RBI double by Liam Leffert and an RBI single from Mead. Hitting out of the No. 7 spot in the lineup, Mead was 2-for-2 with two runs scored, an RBI single, RBI double and a walk.

The Falcons did all their damage in the bottom of the fifth when it sent nine batters to the plate. RBI singles by Carter Cox, David Ada and Jaxon Schleper set up a two-out, two-RBI double by Aaron Jaquez that cut the Demons lead to 9-5.

“They can stick it,” Svendsen said. “You’ve got to be a pitcher against them because you aren’t going to blow it by them no matter how fast your fastball is. If you spot up and keep them off balance with offspeed stuff and sneak a fastball in you’re golden.”

Golden followed up the Falcon rally with a four-run frame in its half of the sixth inning. Brody McBroom – who was 3-for-5 with two runs and an RBI – knocked in a run with a single.

No. 3 seed Golden punched its ticket to Saturday’s and faces No. 4 seed Windsor at 2 p.m. at Erdle Field on the campus of the Air Force Academy. A win would get them back in the state title game.

A rivalry win over the Falcons has the Demons one win away from a berth in the state title game.

“Two years ago we played for the state title and Flacon beat us by one at their place,” McBroom said. “So we have a little bit of a rivalry. Last year in this exact game, we played them and they beat us (9-1). We know they are good. They know we are good. It’s a little bit of a rivalry and we know it’ll be a dog fight every time we play them.”

(Marcus Hill/The Gazette)

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Falcon 6, Durango 5

Aaron Jaquez had the go-ahead double in the bottom of the sixth as the Falcons rallied from a 5-0 deficit. The senior left fielder was 2-for-3 with two doubles, a walk and two runs scored.

Ethan Gentz hit a 3-run home run as the Falcons plated four in the bottom of the third.

Durango out hit Falcon 11-5 and Austin Romero was 2-for-2 with two runs scored for the Demons.

Golden 7, Cheyenne Mountain 4

Senior righty Sawyer Brinkman tossed 6 ⅔ innings scattered six hits, gave up four runs, struck out nine and walked one. Jaydon Stroup was 2-for-4 with a triple, two runs scored and an RBI and Gunnar Hetrick was 2-for-3 with an RBI double

The Red-Tailed Hawk rallied for four runs in the top of the seventh before freshman lefty Austin Bittner came in to pick up the save.