US AIR FORCE ACADEMY – Caycen Mead adjusted his stance and hasn’t stopped hitting.
The sophomore catcher was the catalyst at the bottom of the Golden order that moved runners over, kept innings alive, wore out opposing pitchers and helped propel the Demons to a wild 12-11 win against Windsor in a Class 4A semifinal baseball game at Erdle Field on the campus of the Air Force Academy.
With a wider stance where he didn’t “load as much” and his hands traveled on more of a direct path to the ball, Mead went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs.
“I changed something in my stance because I was struggling getting hits in the spring season,” Mead said. “I was flying open. I’m trying to put the ball on the ground more. I am just flicking my hands at the ball more and the baseball gods have rewarded me.”
Golden had an answer for every Windsor rally in a game that featured five lead changes, a 30-minute lightning delay and seven hit batters. The Demons locked up a spot in the state championship game at 10 a.m. next Saturday at Air Force.
Trailing 10-5, the Demons exploded with a six run rally in the fifth inning where they sent 12 batters to the plate.
Mead, Gunnar Hetrick, Dylan Paulson and Jaydon Stroup all had RBI singles until Brady McBroom delivered the big blow with a two-out, two RBI double that gave the Demons a 12-10 lead they would not relinquish.
When the Demons turn over their lineup, Mead said the dugout comes alive and everyone wants to keep the good vibes going.
“It’s euphoria,” Mead said. “You’re sitting there floating above yourself, out of breath, you know you have to do whatever you possibly can to get a hit and get the guy on base over. We want to do whatever we can to get those runs we desperately need. We want to get back into the dugout and celebrate.”
In the top half of the fourth inning, Windsor had its own big inning when it sent 10 batters to the dish.
Teegan Cole was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored on Ethan Fillinger’s RBI double. Two batters later, Izaak Haro was also hit by a pitch and scored on Chris Valerio’s RBI single. Jeremiah Calderon added an RBI single as well as the Wizards sent 10 batters to the plate and took a 10-5 lead.
As Golden coach Jackie McBroom exhaled he noted the Demons have a habit of falling behind but knowing they are always in the game given the potency of their offense.
“We have to make things exciting or they wouldn’t give me the gray,” said McBroom as he scratched the salt-and-peppered stubble on his chin. “It wouldn’t be fun I guess if it wasn’t exciting.”
Austin Bittner picked up the win giving up three hits in 1 2/3 innings of relief and closer Brody McBroom notched the save in his first appearance of the tournament. While every team is scrambling for pitching, the big, sidewinding righty who usually plays third base and hits fifth in the Demons’ lineup was fresh and ready to throw in his first appearance.
He gave up a run – for only the second time all season – but had as clean of a two-inning stint as any pitcher that took the mound.
“They’re a good hitting team,” Brody McBroom said. “I couldn’t give them base runners because that gives them runs. I wanted to go right at them, believe in my stuff and my defense behind me.”
Golden is one win away from its first state title since 2003.
“We just gotta go win one,” said Jackie McBroom about the Demons pursuit of their second state crown. “They’ve got to go win however many. Depending on where they start.”
One thing is for certain, it won’t be dull and Jackie McBroom might add a few more gray whiskers on his chin.
No. 5 Palisade 7, No. 2 Falcon 3
Dylon Larson set the tone from the lead off spot with a game-opening triple. The Bulldogs also got first inning three baggers from Hunter Howard and Tobyn Trottier as part of their five-run first inning at Erdle Field on the campus of the Air Force Academy.
Howard was 3-for-4 with two runs, two triples and an RBI. Danyel Ishida-Farmer got the win for the Bulldogs as he went six innings, gave up eight hits, three runs, struck out seven and walked three.
The Bulldogs will play Cheyenne Mountain next Saturday at 10 am. The Red-Tailed Hawk knocked out top seeded Pueblo County 14-2 at UCCS on Saturday. The top two seeds didn’t make it out of the first weekend in the 4A state tournament.
No. 5 Palisade 14, No. 8 Severance 0, 5 inn.
The Bulldogs sent 15 batters to the plate as they turned the over in an 11-run first inning to put the game away early.
Howard was 2-for-4 with a triple, two runs scored and four RBIs. Kian Kinslow was 2-for-3 with three runs, a double and two RBIs, Tobyn Trottier was 1-for-2 with two runs and a three run home run.
