Colst come out flat in loss to Grizz

by Bobby Abplanalp
Wyoming Sports.org

The highs and lows of the Laramie Colts season continued Monday night at Cowboy Field with a 9-2 loss to the Cheyenne Grizzlies in Mountain Collegiate Baseball League (MCBL) action.

The loss comes one night after the Colts beat the Grizzlies on the road in an 18-15 slug fest. Laramie had an opportunity to pull into a virtual first-place tie with Cheyenne with a win, but the Grizzlies had other plans and pulled away in the third inning for the win. The Grizzlies remain in first-place with a 9-6 record, while Laramie falls to 8-9.

Laramie's troubles began in the top of the third with one throwing error.

Cheyenne first baseman Michael Surina grounded to Laramie shortstop Tyler Park for what appeared to be the final out of the inning. But Park's throw to first base was out of Casey Martin’s reach and Surina was safe, scoring John Hattabaugh to give the Grizzlies a lead in which they would never relinquish. Before the Colts could get out of the inning, they trailed 4-0.

“The whole thing starts in the third inning,” Colts coach Ryan Goodwin said. “We get lazy on two balls and make a couple errors. It’s very frustrating.”

Laramie would get on the board from a dropped fly ball hit by Martin that scored left fielder Tyler Kipke to make it 4-1. But that was as close as the Colts would get. Martin crossed home plate in the sixth inning off of a sacrifice fly by center fielder Josh Warren to make the score 7-2, but Cheyenne quickly stopped the threat to end the inning. Cheyenne would add two more runs for the final margin.

“There is an old saying that there is three facets to the game; you hit, you pitch, and you play defense. If you do two of the three well, then you’re typically going to win,” Goodwin said. “I felt we were terrible in all three, to be honest with you.”

Despite the long slugfest the night before, Goodwin and Martin thought they would be ready to go on Monday, mentally and physically.

“It (fatigue) shouldn’t have been (a factor),” Goodwin said. “If it is, then we’re in deep trouble, because starting Thursday, we have 10 games in eight days. I think part of it is we got guys that need to grow up; they come ready to play one day, then the next day they don’t.”

“There was just a lot of mental errors’ going on,” Martin said. “That’s just not an excuse for the way we’re playing right now.”

Consistency has been all too much of a problem for the Colts this year, which is something the Grizzlies have been better at.

“They come out and play hard every day and swing the bats well, and they always have pitchers come out and throw strikes,” Martin said. “That’s what you got to do to win games.”

“They’re (Cheyenne) the most consistent,” added Goodwin. “I think Cheyenne is a well-rounded team. They’re not an explosive team, but every single hitter makes you battle if you’re pitching and their pitchers come at you and throw strikes.”

Laramie and Greeley will make up an earlier rainout on Wednesday at 6:35 p.m. at Cowboy Field, before the Colts host the Grizzlies again Thursday at 1 p.m.