Epic rally not enough against Wray
It was exactly why runners leading off from third base always do so in foul ground.
And it wasn’t that he wanted to make himself a target, but after arriving at the hot corner thanks to a wild pitch dealt to teammate Gabe Archuleta, Ignacio’s Joe Atencio also realized a ball hit anywhere – in fair territory – near him likely would do something which had, one inning earlier, seemed improbable. If not impossible.
Unwilling to take an oh-fer Saturday, May 17, in the CHSAA Class 2A State Baseball Tournament, Round-of-32 opener, Archuleta then got a pitch from Wray reliever Zolten Custer – called upon after fellow freshman Broderick Kite allowed the first six Bobcats batting in the top of the seventh inning to reach base and score, prior to then walking Atencio – that he could rip.
And ripped it threateningly close to Atencio … as well as WHS’ Jeremiah Perry.
“I was scared for a minute,” Atencio, a freshman, admitted afterwards. “I didn’t know if third base was going to catch it or not, but it was good to see because I was the tying run.”
Sure enough, Archuleta’s hit paralleled the line tightly enough to be in play, dipped under Perry’s glove, and rolled from an artificial infield into a natural-grass outfield while granting Atencio safe passage to home plate – completing 17th-seeded IHS’ comeback from a 9-2 deficit and evening the score at 9-all.
“Our leadoff hitter just started a mess, and everybody just kept going and going. We just kept battling and ended up taking the lead,” Atencio continued, alluding to the fact that after Archuleta dove into second base with the game-tying double (and expressed his enthusiasm by uppercut-punching the air), he then scored via a single to right by Stoney White Thunder, who’d activated the carousel by walking against Kite.
Senior Cole Wagner then flew out to left for the inning’s second out, but junior Ambrose Valdez then hammered a triple to center, plating White Thunder for the designated visitors’ ninth run in the seventh, and incredible 11th overall. Eager to keep the offense in gear, junior Sonny Flores then cracked a liner towards left-center, but it was snatched down by WHS shortstop Grady Godsey – keeping the deficit the 16th-seeded Eagles now faced at just two runs, 11-9.
And just like that, all Wray’s damage done against Ignacio starting pitcher Valdez (no-decision; 2+ IP, 5 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K) and initial fireman White Thunder (3 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 0 HB, 2 K) appeared to have been repaired.
“We always start slow,” White Thunder had said in a previous interview. “But after we see a couple pitches, the confidence goes up and up; we start raking and we’re good after that.”
The Eagles, however, were actually in prime position to mount a counterstrike, even with their No. 9 hitter leading off.
Filling that hole in head coach Brett Vlasin’s order was starting pitcher (and closing catcher) Carson Rockwell, who’d given up only two runs in his four frames of work, and who’d already walked once and singled twice in his own support. Facing, ironically, Archuleta – beginning his second inning on the mound – he then singled again.
Junior catalyst Gage Waitman then followed, having already rapped four singles. He drew a walk, pressuring Vlasin into quickly pondering some strategy with his squad’s odds now much improved.
“I was trying to think how we could move those runners up,” he said afterwards, “without giving up an out.”
Fortunately, the solution presented itself when Archuleta bean-balled sophomore Gabe Kechter, filling the bags. Junior Brodie Riggleman then poked a grounder back through the box, and on the aforementioned infield it had just enough speed to beat IHS shortstop Valdez’s dive and trickle into centerfield. Running for himself for the first time all game, Rockwell (3-3, BB, RBI; courtesy runner Hudson Rockwell went 0-for-0 and scored twice, alternate Kace Chamberlain was 0-0 and stranded once at third) scored easily with Waitman (4-4, BB, 2 R, 3 RBI) right behind – retying the contest at 11-all.
Kite (2+ IP, 3 H, 7 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 4 K) then stepped into the on-deck circle, aware WHS’ fate might again rest in his hands.
“He’s been dual-sporting track, so he hasn’t been at practice a little,” Rockwell (ND; 4 IP, 8 H, BB, 5 K) noted. “Dual-sporting is tough on him, but he’s really clicked…put in some good effort this season.”
And ultimately, he could rest easy; Godsey (2-5, R, RBI) beat him to the bat. Fighting off some middle-in heat, the freshman flared an opposite-field single into shallow right-center and Kechter cruised across home plate – completing a two-hour, 39-minute epic and ending the Bobcats’ 2025 season at neutral Forge Christian High School.
“Just had to go up with confidence and put the ball in play like we know we can,” Kechter said. “You see a (hard-throwing) pitcher like that and want to knock it out of the park, but I feel we did a good job of keeping our weight back, waiting a little bit to drive the ball.”
“We knew we were still in control, though we might have had a bad inning,” said Godsey. “To get bases loaded with zero outs, that kind of sparked us, I feel. And, obviously, the people in front of me did their jobs and I felt comfortable out there.”
Custer (IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 0 HB) earned the win, while Archuleta (IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, HB, K), who’d retired three of the four Eagles he’d faced in the bottom of the sixth, took the loss as Ignacio finished 15-6 overall.
Valdez ended up 3-for-4 with a walk and a run. William Mendoza-Lechuga went 2-4 with a run and two batted in; White Thunder went 2-4 with a double, walk, two runs and one RBI; Flores went 2-5 with a run and a ribbie. Wagner ended up 2-5 with two singles, reached base via a Perry error and scored one run, and Archuleta finished 1-5.
“It was crazy – that’s about it. But it happened,” said senior leftfielder Easton Smith (1-2, BB, ERR, 2 R). “They played good … had a couple good innings in the beginning, and we had a couple good innings towards the end of it. And it means a lot, just to know that I can play with some of these guys that I’ve known for a long time.”
“I think we needed to speed up our swings just a little sooner, but overall, it was a great game,” senior rightfielder Tanner Smith (0-1, BB, 2 sac-bunt, 2 RBI) said. “I think everybody kind of locked in and gave it their best effort towards the end.”
“It’s going to be a big motivator,” said Atencio (1-3, BB, R, RBI). “Hopefully next year we can get further and play harder … as a team overall.”
AFTERMATH: Pit against top-seeded FCHS in the afternoon finale, Wray generated little offensively and lost 10-1. Hosting the four-team Region I action, the Fury – which had just blanked No. 32 Denver Manual 10-0 in six innings – improved to 21-4 overall while the Eagles dropped to 12-12 (and MHS to 13-9).