DENVER | Brandon Handler watched from the Coors Field dugout as Eaglecrest neared another competitive, but frustrating, defeat.
The Raptors trailed Brighton by one run in the bottom of the seventh inning of a non-league game when Handler got the late call from coach Tory Humphrey to grab a bat.
Just as he’d finished a few swings in the on-deck circle, Handler came to the plate in a tie game and delivered a game-winning single to right field, plating pinch runner Anthony Karmazyn to give Eaglecrest a walk-off 2-1 victory on the Colorado Rockies’ home field.
For one day, Humphrey’s team did everything the right way and none of the things that had plagued it in a number of close losses in Centennial League play.
“Maybe if we played at Coors Field every game, we’d be in the playoffs,” joked Humphrey, whose team improved to 5-13 on the season.
Senior first baseman Andrew Willard went 2-for-3 and drove in the tying run with a single and the Raptors outhit the Bulldogs 5-3 in a pitching duel between Eaglecrest senior right-hander Braxton Lorenzini and Brighton lefty Rodney Morales.
Lorenzini pitched seven innings for his first victory of the season, scattering three hits with two strikeouts and a walk.
The Raptors close the regular season with a Centennial League contest at Grandview on Tuesday.
Reach Sports Editor Courtney Oakes at sports@aurorasentinel.com or 303-750-7555
EAGLECREST 2, BRIGHTON 1
Score by innings (r-h-e):
Brighton 000 100 0 — 1 3 0
Eaglecrest 000 000 2 — 2 5 0
BRIGHTON (ab-r-h-rbi)
Rick Lane 2b 3-1-1-0, Rodney Morales p 2-0-0-0, Ty Archuleta cf 3-0-1-1, James Smith 3b 3-0-0-0, Caden Pratt 1b 2-0-0-0, Cameron Martinez pr 0-0-0-0, TJ Egloff rf 2-0-0-0, Conner Reynolds ss 2-0-0-0, Andrew Brazzell pr 0-0-0-0, Tanner Pepin lf 1-0-0-0. Totals 20-1-3-1. Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so): Rodney Morales (L, 7-5-1-1-2-7).
EAGLECREST (ab-r-h-rbi)
Justin Rogers 3b 3-0-0-0, Jake Lorenzini ss 3-0-0-0, Wyatt Peton rf 3-0-1-0, Clayton Johnson lf 3-0-0-0, Braxton Lorenzini p 2-0-0-0, Jaden Faust ph 0-1-0-0, Aidan Laurini c 2-0-1-0, Anthony Karmazyn pr 0-1-0-0, Andrew Willard 1b 3-0-2-1, Todd Jones 2b 1-0-0-0, Tyler Work 2b 0-0-0-0, Brandon Handler ph 1-0-1-1, TJ Dorsey cf 1-0-0-0, Holden Turner ph 1-0-0-0. Totals 23-2-5-2. Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so): Braxton Lorenzini (W, 7-3-2-2-1-2).
2B — Eaglecrest: Wyatt Peton.
