The Manitou Springs baseball team is showing some good fight in it, as evidenced by a 6-3 win over Lamar on April 28 and even an eight-inning 8-6 loss to St. Mary’s on Tuesday, May 3, at UCHealth Park, home of the Rocky Mountain Vibes.
Both Lamar and St. Mary’s are regarded as top teams in the state, so for the Mustangs (13-4-1 overall, 6-0 Tri-Peaks West) to come away with a win and a close loss says a lot about the kind of baseball this team is playing right now.
“I think we’re playing really good baseball,” coach Brandon DeMatto said. “Our kids are gelling well and we have a tough end of the road here. St. Mary’s is a heck of a team, Lamar is a great team. We’re doing a lot of good things.”
The Mustangs fell in a quick hole against St. Mary’s as the Pirates put up two quick runs in the first inning. But the Mustangs found a way to battle. Ethan Boren went 2-for-4 at the plate, including a triple in the bottom of the eighth. Hayden Martinez and Raymond McCaskey each scored a pair of runs despite going a combined 1-for-7 at the plate.
The big moment for Manitou came in the bottom of the seventh. Down two, DeMatto brought in Christian Cashdollar to pinch-hit for Tate Christian. The senior ripped a 2-RBI single to tie the game and send it to extra innings. Although the Mustangs eventually lost, it was that kind of call that represents the overall belief that DeMatto has in his entire team.
“We’re a deep, talented team,” Cashdollar said. “We have guys on the bench that can do stuff just as well as the rest of the lineup. We’ll fight through the whole game.”
The loss to St. Mary’s doesn’t hurt the Mustangs in terms of league standings. A double-header sweep over Florence last weekend put the Mustangs at 6-0 in league play, meaning the upcoming double-header against Buena Vista will decide the league title.
The first game begins at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 7, at Manitou.