Windsor baseball loses in in 4A regional title game, while two 5A regionals are postponed
WINDSOR — After taking care of business in the opening game, ending it early on a 10-run mercy rule, Windsor High School’s baseball team ran into a buzz saw Saturday afternoon in the title game of a Class 4A regional.
Lutheran, the No. 9 seed in the 32-team playoff bracket, scored five runs in the top of the first inning and never let up, rolling to an 11-5 victory over the No. 8 Wizards on Windsor’s home field.
“I’ll tell you what, that’s the best team we’ve played all year,” veteran Windsor coach Brad Deal said. “They pitch it, they play defense, they swing it. We’ve scrimmaged some big 5A schools, too, and they’re better than them.”
Five of Lutheran’s first six batters scored runs — four off solid hits — to set the tone right off the bat in the regional title game. Pitchers Eli Morgan and Jake Field finished it, never letting the Wizards gain the upper hand.
As a result, Lutheran (14-9-1) is moving on to the double-elimination state tournament that begins next weekend Colorado Springs.
Windsor (18-7) is done, thrilled to have earned the right to host a regional as one of the top eight seeds but disappointed it couldn’t go further.
“We tried, but I guess it is what it is,” senior outfielder Chase Thomas said. “After that 5-0 start, staying up and believing was probably the hardest part for us. We tried a couple innings, but it just wasn’t enough.”
Windsor was the only one of three local teams participating in regional tournaments to reach a title game Saturday. Fossil Ridge and Wellington both lost their opening games, while regional tournaments involving Rocky Mountain and Fort Collins were postponed to Sunday and Monday, respectively.
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Thomas had the game’s two biggest hits, a triple off Morgan in the bottom of the third that led to the Wizards’ first run and a three-run homer off Field in the fifth. But Windsor wasn’t able to build much off either one, scoring its only other run when Lutheran’s right fielder misplayed a deep fly ball in the third, bringing Tyson Shade across the plate to cut the Lutheran lead to 5-2.
Windsor cut the gap to 10-5 on Thomas’ home run over the left field fence in the fifth, but was limited to just one hit the rest of the way.
Morgan struck out eight Wizards and allowed just three hits in the first four innings, and Field was solid over the final three, facing the minimum six batters in the final two frames.
“We just needed to battle back a little bit, and their pitcher was good and we couldn’t figure out how to battle back,” Deal said.
Jeff Maisano led Lutheran at the plate, driving in three runs on two hits.
Windsor’s Ethan Fillinger pitched a one-hit shutout in the Wizards’ first game of the day, a 10-0, five-inning win over Rifle. Fillinger struck out 11 batters, walked four and had two hits at the plate, including a two-run homer. Shade also had two hits, driving in two runs.
That win made the loss in the title game with a state tournament berth on the line a little bit more bearable for the Wizards, who had just four seniors on their roster.
“I think it was a great season,” Thomas said. “We did more than most people thought we would, and a lot of guys showed who they can be next year.”
Lutheran also won its opening game Saturday 10-0 in five innings, beating No. 25 seed Mead.
Fossil Ridge shut out in Class 5A regional
Fossil Ridge was limited to just three hits in its opening game of a Class 5A regional at Rock Canyon in Highlands Ranch, losing 6-0 to No. 21 seed Douglas County. Fossil Ridge (17-7) was the No. 12 seed.
Douglas County pitcher Hunter Gotschall struck out 10 batters and walked three for the complete-game victory, according to MaxPreps.com. Gotschall also hit a home run for the Huskies, who broke open a tight game by scoring four runs in the top of the seventh and final inning. Zach Blatter drove in four runs on four hits for Douglas County.
Brek Benedict, Easton Miller and Jensen Planansky had one hit apiece for Fossil Ridge, which lost for just the second time in 10 games.
Rock Canyon, the No. 5 seed, beat Douglas County 10-0 for the regional title to advance to the eight-team state tournament that begins next weekend.
Fort Collins, Rocky Mountain 5A regionals postponed
Wet field conditions led to the postponement of Class 5A regionals involving Fort Collins and Rocky Mountain.
Rocky Mountain (18-5), the No. 10 seed, will play No. 23 seed Chatfield (12-10) at 1 p.m. Sunday at Legacy in Broomfield, with the winner taking on either No. 7 seed Legacy (17-5) or No. 26 Ponderosa (10-13) for the regional title at 4 p.m.
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Fort Collins (12-11), the No. 24 seed, will play No. 9 seed Pine Creek (20-3) at 10 a.m. Monday in the opening game of a regional at Legend in Aurora. The winner will face either No. 8 Legend (17-6) or No. 25 Cherokee Trail (12-11) for the regional title at 3 p.m.
Wellington drops first game in 3A regional
Wellington made it to the Class 3A regionals in the program’s first year, despite playing at the varsity level with only freshman and sophomores. But the Eagles’ first playoff appearance ended in six innings Saturday with an 11-1 loss to No. 4 seed and host Coal Ridge in New Castle.
Coal Ridge pitcher Brandon Short, a senior, struck out 12 batters and walked one.
Tanner Gray scored Wellington's only run in the top of the fifth inning. The game ended by mercy rule in the bottom of the sixth, when Coal Ridge scored to take a 10-run lead.
Wellington, the No. 29 seed in the 32-team playoff bracket, finished 10-16 overall.
Reporter Kelly Lyell covers education, breaking news, some sports and other topics of interest for the Coloradoan. Contact him at kellylyell@coloradoan.com, twitter.com/KellyLyell or facebook.com/KellyLyell.news.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Windsor baseball drops regional final; Fossil Ridge, Wellington fall
