PUEBLO – Wow.
It’s the only word a few Severance baseball players uttered as the moment registered as they emerged from a dog pile near the mound at Rawlings Field.
The Silver Knights baseball team earned the Class 4A state title.
Severance defeated Golden 1-0 on June 3 to capture its first state title in school history, which spans just four years.
“This is unreal,” said Severance’s Augie Dominguez, who made the game-winning play at the plate. “I don’t have a word to describe this moment other than ‘Wow.’”
En route to the state title, the Silver Knights eliminated the top four seeds, including the No. 4-seeded Demons in the championship game.
Last year, Severance defeated Golden 9-4 in the postseason, a far cry from the one-run game between both teams in the title game.
The lone run came in the top of the second on a passed ball.
Severance’s Ty Adam stepped aside as he watched the ball bounce past Golden’s catcher and waved in Joe Tamburro, who slid home from third base to give Severance a 1-0 lead.
In their brief history, Severance had never finished a game 1-0.
With the change of venue — the game was moved from Colorado Springs’ UCHealth Park due to poor field conditions — coach Kevin Johnson knew to help keep his team’s focus on the now.
“I told them to just take deep breaths,” Johnson said. “Let that adrenaline get through your system and just be in the moment. Don’t make a future problem a now problem.”
The Silver Knights allowed just three hits through the next five innings, but also pushed no runs across the plate, leaving the score at 1-0 in the seventh.
The Silver Knights couldn’t get a run in the top of the seventh and the score remained 1-0.
Severance had to rely on its pitching and defense.
Golden opened the inning with a triple in the bottom of the inning.
“After that hit I knew I just needed to have confidence in myself,” said Mason Bright, who pitched a complete game for Severance. “I had to have confidence because I couldn’t get down on myself for giving up that hit.”
Bright retired the next batter with three consecutive swings to put one out on the board for the Demons.
Then, the Silver Knights emerged from chaos that earned them the championship.
“I threw a first-pitch curve ball and he hit it,” Bright said.
That hit, a pop fly, hung in the air and went to Brycen Farris, who caught the ball for the second out.
“As he makes that catch I’m thinking ‘hurry up,’” Bright said.
Farris threw the ball to Nolan Hertzke, who then fired a dart to Dominguez at the plate.
“My instincts kicked in and I did what I was supposed to do,” Dominguez said. “I lined up Nolan Hertzke and I knew Brycen was going to make a good cut off. I told Nolan to throw it to four and he did. He put it in my glove and we got him out.”
Severance’s 23-6 record marks its third consecutive year of improving its regular and postseason resumé.
The Silver Knights ended the year on a 12-game win streak and have not lost since April 29.
(Marcus Hill)
