AURORA | The Regis Jesuit baseball team has found its stride since returning to play in Colorado and has now won four games in a row after a home victory over Fruita Monument Wednesday afternoon.
The Raiders — who went 2-2 as one of 16 teams in play at the USA National Invitational tournament in Cary, North Carolina — lost their first game back in the state to Continental League rival Mountain Vista, but have won every game since.
Coach Marr Darr’s Regis Jesuit team (which improved to 10-5 overall) got another outstanding pitching effort, this time from sophomore right-handed pitcher Michael Kroll, and put together back-to-back three-run rallies early in a 6-4 victory over the Wildcats, who played for the first time in 12 days.
Kroll scattered two hits and ceded only an unearned run in the opening frame to Fruita Monument, while he struck out four as he improved to 3-0 on the season and lowered his ERA to 0.67 in the process.
The Raiders touched Wildcats’ starter Josh Weaver for three runs in the second inning and also put up three in third when reliever Gavin Cardoza took the mound.
The first rally included the first of two RBI for senior Jace Filleman, as his base hit knocked in pinch runner Justin Steinbeck after he stole second and third bases. Filleman came in to score and junior Jacob Olson capped the inning with a solo home run, his second in as many games.
Filleman, senior Gavin Cronin and senior Isak Stevenson plated runs in the third inning to complete the offensive production for the Raiders, who saw Fruita Monument tally three runs of its own in the top of the seventh against the bullpen.
Sophomore Cade Filleman retired the only batter he faced to earn the save.
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@sentinelcolorado.com. Twitter/X: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
Regis Jesuit 6, Fruita Monument 4
Score by innings (r-h-e):
Fruita Mon. 100 000 3 — 4 4 3
Regis Jesuit 033 000 x — 6 7 1
WP — Regis Jesuit: Michael Kroll (5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K). Save — Regis Jesuit: Cade Filleman (1/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K). Regis Jesuit hitting: Isak Stevenson 2-2, RBI; Hudson Alpert 2-4; Gavin Cronin 1-2, 2 RBI; Jacob Olson 1-3, HR, RBI, run; Jace Filleman 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 runs; Chase Massey run, 2 SBs; Justin Steinbeck 3 SBs, 2 runs; Christian Lopez SB
