Sloppy finale
Cherokee Trail romps 15-5.
AURORA – Mullen is waiting for the Class 5A regional playoffs, but may have gotten an early taste of what they will be like on Tuesday.
Not that the Mustangs wanted it that way, but the taste was awfully bitter in a 15-5 regular-season-ending setback to host and what had been a struggling Cherokee Trial in the Centennial League. The Mustangs blew two leads, committed four errors in a rough fielding day, had to use three pitchers, walked eight, threw multiple wild pitches and gave up 15 runs while getting only eight outs.
“We let them get into our heads … bottom line,” Mullen head coach Nick Arcuri said. “And I just told them that that’s enough of the humility. They humbled you and you have to be better than that.”
The Cougars, who finished 5-18 overall and 4-10 in league, surprisingly made the Class 5A Championship Series a year ago, but have had trouble replacing their 13 seniors. Under second-year coach Steve Eaton, Cherokee Trail has dropped 17 of its past 20 games, but certainly rolled the Mustangs to cap 2019.
“That’s playoff baseball right there,” Arcuri said of the Cougars seeking some kind of satisfaction to their rough season. “This was (the Cougars’) playoff game.”
In dropping to 13-10, 6-8, Mullen started well enough, enjoying a three-run first inning, topped by Evan Malloy’s two-run double and a run-scoring single by Brennen Nolte. But all the Mustangs could follow with were an unearned run in the second and a sacrifice fly that broght in another score in the fourth by Alek Elges.
Meanwhile, the Cougars battered starter Matthew Tafoya and relievers Michael Stanford and Trevor Moore with a barrage that included stolen bases and bunts.
“But maybe we needed this,” Arcuri said. “That’s a possibility.”
It could be a jolt before playoff designations are released today. The seeding meeting is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m., Arcuri said, and he expects his team to be placed in the high 20s of the 32-team field.
“We have to be better,” he said of his team’s play.
Big-school regional rounds will be played on Satiurday at eight sites.
CHEROKEE TRAIL 15, MULLEN 5
Mullen 310 10 -- 5 7 4
Cherokee Trail 008 34 -- 15 11 3
Mullen – Loya lf 2-1-1-0, Elges 2b 2-1-1-1, Vitry ss 3-1-0-0, Malloy c 3-0-1-2, Bradley cr 0-1-0-0, Stanford cf-p 3-0-1-0, Nolte 1b 2-0-1-1, Brickley rf 2-0-1-0, Moore 3b-p 3-1-1-0, Perri dh 1-0-0-0, M. Tafoya p 0-0-0-0, Brady cf 0-0-0-0. Totals 21-5-7-4.
Cherokee Trail – Cox lf 4-1-2-2, Angulo 2b 2-2-1-1, Rush rf 3-1-2-1, Freels 1b 3-2-1-1, Berger dh 2-3-2-1, Muniz cf 2-2-1-2, Simpson 3b 3-1-2-1, Hardman cr 0-1-0-0, Sloan p 2-1-0-1, Sandoval cr 0-1-0-0, Hommes ph 0-0-0-0, Nelson c 2-0-0-2, Matos ss 0-0-0-0.Totals 22-15-11-11-12.
E – Sloan, Matos, Nolte 2, Angulo, Moore, Loya. DP – Cherokee Trail. LOB – Mullen 6, Cherojee trail 7. SAC – Nelson, Perri, Muniz. SB – Berger, Simpson 3, Sandoval. Caught stealing – Angulo.
2B – Nolte, Freels, Berger, Rush, Cox. 3B – Angulo.
Batteries – M. Tafoiya, Stanford (3), Moore (5) and Malloy; Sloan and Nelson. W –Sloan. L – M. Tafoya. WP – M. Tafoya 3. HBP – Simpson (by Stanford); Freels (by Stanford); Hommes (by Moore). SF – Elges, Nelson. T – 2:01.
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