Solid hitting and defense lead the Spartans over the top-ranked Mustangs.
by Marc Houghton
photo by Ryanne Mollo
The Spartan baseball team came away with a big win on Wednesday, beating the pre-season, number-one ranked Mustangs from Ralston Valley by a score of 9-2. This game was huge for TJ, and they proved that they can beat a top-notch opponent, something they will need to do if they are going to get another chance at a state championship.
Dylan Smith was the starting pitcher for the Spartans, and he showed again that he is their go-to man for big games. Smith held the dangerous Ralston Valley offense to only two runs on five hits. The defense had another solid performance as well; with only one error, they gave Smith the assurance he needed to pitch another great game.
On offense, the Spartans had an outstanding performance, with nine runs on eleven hits. Their power outmatched that of starting Mustangs pitcher Ryan Barban, as they took him deep three times in the game. Catcher Max Maloney, second baseman Brett Nathan, and center fielder Kian Jost all hit home runs, giving TJ a lead that Ralston Valley couldn’t make up. It was Nathan’s third homer this season, Jost’s second, and Maloney’s first. This TJ offense has really picked up the pace after a slow start in their first two games.
With this victory TJ moves their record to 4-1, and their rank to second in the Denver Post 4A rankings, behind the undefeated team from Niwot. The Spartans will carry some strong momentum from this big win into their game against Adams City at TJ on Thursday, March 20th.
