Mustangs come up short at Dakota Ridge

By Neil H. Devlin, Mullen Sports Information Director
Eagles win 4-3.
LITTLETON – It was one of those good high-school baseball games, a tight, well-played matchup despite it being in late March, under threatening skies and cool conditions, and on grass that remained dormant.

But it was also one of those good high-school baseball games that left Mullen wondering what could have been. Missed opportunities, failure to execute and the inability to make a deciding play led to a one-run loss.

The Mustangs finally got to their second game on the season on Friday and it resulted in a 4-3 setback to host Dakota Ridge of Jefferson County in Class 5A nonleague.

Now 1-1, the Mustangs recently had their scrimmage against Horizon postponed as well as another matchup delayed, not to mention assorted practices negated by the recent blizzard.

But they also missed their chance to steal one before they leave next week for Phoenix and out-of-state competition over spring break.
“We had more than enough chances,” Mustangs had coach Nick Arcuri said. “We never got the hit when we needed it.”

They also didn’t execute a couple of pitches, getting burned on a two-run home run in the first inning and a run-scoring double in the third by the Eagles’ Ryan Stohr, as well as a difference-making double in the sixth by Mason Sauter.

At the plate, Mullen overcame a couple of oddities against the 3-1 Eagles – the Mustangs put their first six balls in play to shortstop, four grounders and two popups, and moved past a fourth inning in which they hit three consecutive fly balls to right field.

Along the way, they overcame two deficits. A double in the third by Cameron Brickley and an outfield error produced one run; singles by Trevor Moore, Brickley and Jadin Tafoya in addition to a groundout by Alek Elges produced another; and a double by Jack Vitry and a single by Brennen Nolte actually tied the game at 3 in the sixth.

However, Dakota’s Ridge’s final run was aided by a hanging pitch. Add in the Mustangs’ failure to keep the Dakota Ridge leadoff hitter off base early as well as leaving the bases loaded with scoring just one run in the fifth didn’t help.

“We’re not good enough to give runs away,” Arcuri said.    

Mullen will be in Arizona next week for three games against Oregon teams, return for a road game in Fort Collins against Fossil Ridge on Saturday, March 30, then will open Centennial league play on Tuesday, April 2, against Cherry Creek at home.

“(The Eagles) were ranked, so we’re fine,” Arcuri said. “I’m pleased. The kids competed and that’s all we can ask for.”
 
DAKOTA RIDGE 4, MULLEN 3
Mullen 001 011 0  --  3  6  2
Dakota Ridge 201 001 x  --  4  6  1
Mullen – Naha lf 3-0-0-0, Tafoya ph 1-0-1-0, Elges 2b 4-0-0-1, Stanford cf 3-0-0-0, Malloy 1b 3-0-0-0, Vitry ss 3-1-1-0, Nolte c 3-0-1-1, Moore 3b 3-1-1-0, Brickley rf 3-1-2-0, Perri dh 2-0-0-0, Miller p 0-0-0-0, Reynolds p 0-0-0-0, Mayoral p 0-0-0-0. Totals 28-3-6-2.
Dakota Ridge – Akerfelds 3b 1-2-1-0, Overlie lf 3-0-0-0, Stohr 1b 3-1-2-3, Biffinger c 3-0-0-0, Sansburn ss 3-0-0-0, Diaz dh-p 2-1-1-0, Meyers p 0-0-0-0, Sauter cf 3-0-2-1, Parker rf 3-0-0-0, Fox 2b 3-0-0-0. Totals 24-4-6-4.
E – Sauter, Vitry 2. LOB – Mullen 7, Dakota Ridge 5. SB – Akerfelds 3.
2B – Brickley, Stohr, Vitry, Sauter. HR – Stohr, one on in 1st.
Batteries – Miller, Reynolds (5), Mayoral (6) and Nolte; Meyers, Diaz (6) and Biffinger.W – Diaz. L – Reynolds. T – 1:44.
Back