Krza, Stewart propel Mullen
Frosh Ben Krza provides the winning hit and junior Henry Stewart pitches a complete game as the Mustangs edge host Smoky Hill 1-0 for a 4th consecutive victory; team moves to 7-3.
AURORA – In the tightest game of the season, one that could have ended annoyingly, Mullen was looking for someone, anyone to do something good.
Ben Krza and Henry Stewart answered.
Krza provided the winning hit with two outs in the seventh inning and Stewart went the distance on the mound to lead the Mustangs to a much-needed and rousing 1-0 victory over Smoky Hill at Kevin Wolitzky Field in the always interesting Centennial League.
It was Mullen’s fourth consecutive victory, pushing it to 7-3 overall and in league, 1.5 games behind Centennial-leading Cherry Creek and a half-game back of Cherokee Trail. Smoky Hill is 2-10, 1-10, but certainly didn’t play like it.
The final score doesn’t lie – it was thisclose, each team had opportunities and it wasn’t decided until the end as Stewart stranded Buffaloes runners on second and third base as he capped it with his ninth strikeout.
“It makes an old man older,” Mustangs head coach Nick Arcuri said. “Great jobs by both Ben and Henry.”
Each team flirted with taking the lead, but neither could do it until the seventh, when Luca Maffoni reached base on a right-field error and was sacrificed to second base by Sage Hurley. After a strikeout, Krza, a freshman having a strong season, ripped his two-out single to left field to finally break the ice.
“Oh, man, I had been preparing,” the catcher said. “The first couple of at-bats were tough, (Buffs pitcher Aaron Elgersma) was keeping us off-balance and I had to make an adjustment, and I had to come through for our team.”
And while Stewart was pressed a bit, Acuri kept him in after a mound visit and the left-hander delivered.
“I felt really good, I felt comfortable,” said Stewart, who allowed just three hits and walked two. “We’re finally starting to hit the ball, not really today, but we got one run and it was enough. And the dugout came alive (late), which was really helpful.”
So was Mullen fielding that, despite two errors, made the necessary plays, including a sparkling one by Andrew Brady, who also had two of Mullen’s six hits, one a double. In the third and with a runner on first, Smoky attempted a sacrifice bunt that a diving Stewart nearly snared on the fly. It went off the tip of his glove as the Mustangs missed a chance for a double play, but Brady, coming in from third base, snagged it and threw to first for the out as he fell down.
“A great play by Andrew,” Stewart said.
Hurley, Colin MacKenzie and Maffoni also hit safely for Mullen.
Said Krza: “We’re starting to create some team chemistry and our team is playing for each other, just one common goal to win … it’s sort of heating up now.”
Mullen will begin four games in five days next week on Tuesday, June 1, when it will host Smoky Hill to complete the back-to-back, at the Mustangs’ Bill Swift Field, first pitch at 4:15 p.m.
MULLEN 1, SMOKY HILL 0
Mullen 000 000 1 -- 1 6 2
Smoky Hill 000 000 0 - 0 3 1
Mullen batting – Sage Hurley 2-0-1-0, Ben Hawes 2-0-0-0, Ben Krza 3-0-1-1, Andres Terrones-Garcia 1-0-0-0, Andrew Brady 2-0-2-0, Henry Stewart 3-0-0-0, Colin MacKenzie 3-0-1-0, Trevor Moore 3-0-0-0, Luca Maffoni 3-1-1-0, Owen Marsh 3-0-0-0. Totals 25-1-6-1.
E – Hurley, Moore. LOB – Mullen 6. BB – MacKenzie. HBP – Brady. 2B – Brady.
Pitching – Stewart (W) 7 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 9 Ks.
T – 1:54.
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