Colts rebound to beat Grays

by Bobby Abplanalp
Wyoming Sports.org

Short term memory proved to be the key Friday night for the Laramie Colts, as they rebounded from Thursday’s loss to the Greeley to come back and beat the Grays 15-10 at Cowboy Field.

Laramie, 17-17, inched closer to Greeley, 15-13, in the Mountain Collegiate Baseball League standings. Going into Friday's game, the Grays were tied for first place with the Cheyenne Grizzlies.

Much like their last game, this one was a contest of runs and momentum, with the Colts outlasting the Grays this time.

Both teams got off to a good start, with Greeley scoring the first run of the game off of an RBI single by catcher Nick Stepanovich that sent designated hitter Chris O’Dowd home for a 1-0 lead.

The Colts would respond with an RBI sacrifice fly from third baseman Eric DeJong that scored catcher Jesse Tierney to even things up 1-1 after one inning.

The Grays would retake the lead in the top of the second inning when a wild pitch by Colts starter Kolt Browder got away from Tierney and Greeley short stop Josh Leo scampered home for a 2-1 lead.

However, Laramie would answer in the bottom of the second with three runs off of four hits on Grays starting pitcher Jaden Dillon. Colts center fielder Josh Warren had a two-run single in the inning that sent teammates Lee Orr and Jonathon Olla home and Laramie took a 4-2 lead into the third inning.

The Colts did not stop there, as Olla had an RBI double and shortstop Eric Krznaric hit an RBI sacrifice fly sending first baseman Casey Martin home to increase their lead to 6-2 after three innings.

Now it was time for the Grays to respond, and that they did, with a five-run sixth inning, as O’Dowd hit an RBI single that scored two runs; second baseman Nick Huckaby drilled a double that hit the left field line that sent two more runs in, and left fielder Darron Lattomus scored off a wild pitch thrown by Colts pitcher Ryan Forrest to take a 7-6 lead going into the bottom of the sixth.

The Colts had blown a nine-run lead against the Grays the day before, but this time Laramie would respond.

Martin would hit a two-out double that scored Warren and third baseman Keith Towne to retake the lead. Grays pitcher Josh Lupa walked the next two batters to load the bases for second baseman Tyler Kipke, and he blasted a grand-slam home run over the right field wall for a 12-7 Colts lead after the sixth inning.

“Well, I had already seen two curve balls and he was only throwing a curve ball and a fast ball,” Kipke said of Lupa’s pitching. “It was a full count and I was looking for a fast ball and he left the curve ball up and I was just trying to put a good swing on it and I hit it pretty well.”

“That was an unbelievable hit right there,” Colts manager Ryan Goodwin said of Kipke’s grand slam.” “That kind of took the wind out of their sales against one of their best relievers.”

Laramie would add some more breathing room in the eighth when pinch hitter Brock Guetzke recorded an RBI walk that scored DeJong, and Tierney got his second hit with a two-run single single to increase the Colts lead to 15-7.

Greeley would try and rally in the top of the ninth inning when Leo hit a two-run double, and he would score off of a ground out by right fielder Kyle Eck. That would be as close as the Grays would get and the Colts would hang on for the win.

Browder got the win, allowing four hits and striking our four batters in four innings.

“Kolt Browder had some tendinitis issues and he gave us what he could for four (innings),” Goodwin said. “We got about as much as we could expect from him.”

The Colts will take a day off for the All-Star break and return home Sunday to begin the second half of the season against the rival Fort Collins Foxes at Cowboy Field, beginning at 6:35 p.m.
However, some of the Colts will be busy Saturday representing the Wyoming team in the Wyoming vs. Colorado MCBL All-Star game.

Among the Colts participating in the event are Tierney (catcher), Martin (first base), Towne (first base), DeJong (third base), Eric Cain (short stop), Olla and Warren (outfield), and Kyle Roliard, Alex Alemann, Tyler Park, Travis Lites, and Marco Mejia or Guetzke (pitching).