U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY – Taden Svendsen happily traded a strikeout for a trophy.

The senior lefty didn’t record a single punch out but he did give Golden exactly what it needed in a 5-1 Class 4A baseball championship game win against Cheyenne Mountain; stability on the mound.

Svendsen tossed 6 1/3 innings, scattered four hits and settled any frayed nerves that might have lingered from a game one loss on Saturday at Erdle Field on the campus of the United States Air Force Academy.

“I was just trying to stay focused and not let all the outside noise affect me,” Svendsen said. “I wanted to stay dialed with the catcher and the glove, I just wanted to be me and not try to do too much.

“If I’m painting my spots and being a pitcher and not a thrower I’m getting guys to roll over. It was amazing I didn’t have a single ‘K’ today. I’ve never had that before. But, I was just getting guys to roll over. Props to my infielders and outfielders for making a lot of plays. They had my back the whole time which was great.”

In the top of the first, Luca Casali doubled down the right field line and scored on Jaydon Stroup’s RBI single. The Red-Tailed Hawk tied the game 1-1 in the top of the third. Jansen Roberts doubled and scored on an error after Nate Glad’s single.

The Demons answered back in the bottom of the third. Casali led off with a sharply hit single. This time it was Cheyenne Mountain that made a fielding miscue when the replay throw was bobbled as Anthony Boucher’s lined shot split the left field gap. Casali came in from second base to score as Golden seized a 2-1 lead.

When Golden reeled off three insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth, Demon’s coach Jackie McBroom knew his team could relax and play its game.

“You can play a lot more comfortably with a four run lead than a 2-1 lead,” said McBroom who led the Demons to their second state title and first since 2003. “At 2-1 everyone is on egg shells. With a 5-1 lead we can make pitches and make plays.”

Being the undefeated team heaped into the tournament’s championship game gave Svendsen an extra jolt of confidence that was lacking the previous three seasons.

“It was great to have the wiggle room so we could spare a loss,” Svendsen said. “It makes life a lot easier.

That wiggle room came in handy after Cheyenne Mountain snapped Golden’s 20-game winning streak as it took the lead on Nate Glad’s two-RBI single in the top of the eighth of the first game. Glad was 1-for-4 with two runs.

After catching the first 5 1/3 innings, Glad took the 60 foot, 6 inch walk to the mound and picked up the win in 3 ⅔ innings of relief in which he held Golden scoreless, gave up two hits, struck out five and walked two.

Jansen Roberts was 1-for-3 with two runs scored and a triple and Charlie Scofield was 1-for-2 with an RBI sacrifice fly.

But, it was Golden that finally came out on top after an offseason and season of working to return to state.

“I think we were tired of getting here and not winning it,” McBroom said. “It’s something that motivated our guys all offseason.”