Shadow Ridge’s long week ends in Blazer Spring Bash semifinals
The “week” for Shadow Ridge’s baseball team began March 20 with a home game against Palo Verde.
Since then, the Mustangs have played a three-game league series, gone to Utah for a tournament and returned to the valley for another tournament.
So it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that Shadow Ridge looked sluggish Wednesday. Playing in their 12th game in nine days, the Mustangs did not record a hit until the fourth inning and fell to Birmingham (California) 6-2 in the semifinals of the Blazer Spring Bash’s Centennial bracket at Centennial.
“I think some of the kids were a little tired today,” Shadow Ridge coach Frank Tousa said. “I’m tired, and I’m not playing. But the kids are, and they’ve battled pretty well for us, so I can’t complain.”
The Mustangs (10-9) gave up two runs in the top of the first and never recovered.
Starter Tyler Knight pirouetted in and out of trouble in the middle innings, but the dancing act could only last so long.
Knight escaped the second and third innings with the bases loaded and stranded eight runners through four innings, but a single, a bunt and a double plated two in the fifth. The next batter grounded out, but an error kept the inning alive and chased Knight.
“We had the one bad inning … and gave them four runs,” Tousa said. “Against good teams you can’t do that.”
Mat Datlof entered in the sixth and recorded the final six outs for the Mustangs, allowing two walks and no hits.
Kristian Saldana singled to open the sixth for Shadow Ridge, and Branson Tressler spoiled the shutout with an RBI triple. He scored on Tyler Black’s RBI groundout.
“These kids don’t quit,” Tousa said. “They battle for us.”
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Contact Justin Emerson at jeme
Box score:
Birmingham (Calif.) 6, Shadow Ridge 2
Baseball
— Seth Hoffman went 3-for-3 with a double, two runs and two RBIs as Cimarron-Memorial beat Chatsworth (California) 11-3 at Durango to move into the Steven Janvrin championship game of the Blazer Spring Bash.
— Rancho's Layton Walls singled home two runs with two outs in the bottom of the sixth to rally the Rams past Valor Christian (Colorado) 5-4 at Chula Vista, California, in the Lions Tournament.
— Erik Dulittle allowed one run on five hits in 6 1/3 innings to lead Spring Valley to a 5-1 home win over Foothill for the Grizzly Invitational title.
— Faith Lutheran's Josh Brown threw a five-inning no-hitter with 10 strikeouts in an 11-0 win over San Pedro (California) in the Blazer Spring Bash at Sierra Vista.
