Brady powers 'Stangs to league crown

By Neil H. Devlin, Mullen Sports Information Director
Senior infielder Andrew Brady blasts 3 home runs, Trevor Moore adds a grand slam and Henry Stewart a 3-run shot as Mullen ties for Centennial Championship; regular-season finale on Saturday, then 5A regionals.
 
Andrew Brady continues to assault opposing pitching and Mullen sits atop the Centennial League for a second consecutive season.

Brady ripped three home runs on Thursday as the Mustangs outslugged host Arapahoe 15-9 to tie with Cherokee Trail for the league title. According to Mustangs head coach Phil Stanford, the tie is broken with Mullen sweeping the next-best finisher, Grandview. It was employed because league champions earn automatic bids into next week’s Class 5A regionals, but the Mustangs, who are 17-5 overall, are well within the top 32 that qualify.

“I’m really proud of this team,” Stanford said, noting Arapahoe would be a tough finishing team, “but our guys knew what they wanted.”

In particular, Brady knew what he wanted – fastballs, and he got them. He was 4-for-4 with four runs scored, five driven in and three home runs. He also singled and was hit by a pitch, but, in order, went solo homer, two-run job and a three-run blast.

He has seven homers on the season and a slugging percentage of 1.083, both fifth among big schools.

“Yeah,” said Brady, a Colorado School of Mines signee, “I knew the pitcher for the first two. He’s really good and I was just waiting for his fastball. They both got out quick. There was a slower pitcher on the third one, but I just sat back on it and it blew out.”

It also gives Brady a whopping 25 extra-base hits for 2022.

“I’m finding the gaps,” he said.

Trevor Moore ripped a grand slam and Henry Stewart a three-run shot as the Mustangs upped their season total to 17.

Arapahoe got to three Mustangs pitchers for nine runs, but, as Stanford said, “we answered back.”

Mullen will finish its regular season on Saturday against Mountain Range in Westminster, first pitch at 11 a.m.

Pairings for regionals are to be set by the middle of next week.
 
MULLEN 15, ARAPAHOE 9

Mullen  101 306  4 – 15

Arapahoe  301 113 0  --  9

Mullen – Hurley 4-0-1-1, A. Brady 4-4-4-5, Trujillo 0-2-0-0, Krza 3-0-1-0, H. Stewart 4-3-2-3, MacKenzie 4-4-3-1, Moore 5-1-1-5, Marsh 2-0-0-0, R. Brady 2-0-0-0, T. Stewart 5-0-2-0, Gamueda 4-1-0-0. Totals 37-15-14-15.

E – Moore, T. Stewart, Gamueda. LOB – 7. SB – Gamueda 3, Riley-Combs. BB – Hurley, H. Stewart, MacKenzie, Gamueda. 2B – Hurley, MacKenzie. HR – A. Brady 3, H. Stewart, Moore.

Pitching – H. Stewart 1,1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 3 K; T. Stewart (W) 3.2 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 6 K; Moore 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K. WP – H. Stewart 2. HBP – A. Brady, Krza.  
 
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