COLORADO SPRINGS – Despite pitching as well as he was Saturday morning, Simla’s T.J. Eurich knew the opposing coaches weren’t going to intentionally walk him offensively, even to set up a potential inning-ending double play giving the designated “visitors” one last chance to rally.

Penned in atop the Cubs’ order, and inside the batter’s box after Jonathan Zimmerman flew out beginning the home half of the sixth against Dove Creek relief pitcher Cole Taber, Eurich smashed a demoralizing stand-up triple to deep left-center, then scored via a wild pitch to Wyatt Stanko – giving Eurich a chance to thank slugger Brayden Glover for his advice.

“I’d been struggling at the plate and I asked Brayden, ‘What should I do?’ He was like, ‘Just go up there and say you can!’” Eurich recalled. “And I went up, just swung and hit it. I was pretty stoked.”

“Pitched really good and he hit really good too,” said a grinning Glover – who’d receive his second intentional pass of the morning after Treven Kocerha flew to left for out number two. Stanko, however, had ended up drawing a conventional base-on-balls and then stole second base during Kocerha’s plate appearance.

Glover (a Western Colorado University Football commit) was put on out of respect, but more importantly to set up a game-extending force-out at any base. And with Dalton Hisle – who was 0-for-3 following Glover, 2-for-2 with a two-RBI double and a two-RBI triple – at the plate, it was the move to make.

Attempting to nab Stanko stealing third just moments later, DCHS catcher Taber DeJane’s errant throw missing third baseman Hunter Daves – previously the Bulldogs’ starting pitcher – unfortunately wasn’t, and Stanko (1-1, 2 BB, sacrifice bunt, 3 R) dashed home to sew up a 10-0 mercy-rule victory in the 2023 CHSAA Class 1A State Tournament’s opening Round of 16.

“Dove Creek … they beat us in the State Championship game for football – we needed to come out and play good,” said Eurich (W; 6 IP, BB, HB, 7 K), who allowed just two hits in earning a complete-game win. “And there’s some kids on our team that haven’t made it this far before. So I thought to myself, I’ve got to play for those guys – one of them’s my sister!”

The Cubs’ starting first baseman, senior Ryann Eurich ultimately preserved the shutout by diving forward to catch DeJane’s sinking two-out liner as DCHS’ Sheldon Gardner, aboard via an error on shortstop Stanko, motored toward second. Having scooped a DeJane grounder along the same baseline back in the Bulldogs’ second, as well as a Gardner knock ending the visitors’ first, the Northeastern Junior College Softball recruit totaled eight putouts.

“She did what she’s supposed to; it sure showed,” T.J. Eurich said. “I’m excited to watch her when she goes to NJC!”

Seeded 14th in the bracket and facing No. 3 Simla – hosting the relocated Region III Tournament – upon The Classical Academy’s Field of Dreams at Erickson Titans Sports Complex, Dove Creek totaled just two hits and six base runners in defeat. Five were stranded in scoring position at either second or third base – including Dustin Glover, running for Daves (L; 3+ IP, 4 H, 7 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 HB, 3 K) after Daves (1-3 batting) had singled with two out in the fourth.

Able to steal second with DeJane up, Glover was held up at third after getting an unconvincing jump off second when DeJane (1-3) tapped a single into shallow center.

“Even a kid that’s not superfast should score … on that ball,” said DCHS head coach Trent Daves, who raised the stop sign as Glover reached the hot corner – moments before Trevan Ivie struck out looking. “It wasn’t worth getting an out … but maybe we should have taken a chance.”

The Bulldogs’ last true opportunity came in the top of the fifth. With the Cubs leading 8-0, DCHS’ Liam Hassell led off drawing a walk, took second via a wild pitch to Audric Chadd, and then hurried to third when Chadd bounced back to the mound. Eurich, a sophomore righty, answered by fanning Taber – who he’d beaned in the head during DCHS’ third – at the top of Dove Creek’s order, and Stanko made a forward-diving catch of Aiden Chadd’s subsequent liner as Simla again escaped unscathed.

“There’s more work to be done,” admitted Brayden Glover, not yet knowing who Simla would face in the next round, with the regional title at stake. “We’ve got to go out there, just continue what we were doing … and be better at it.”

Plunked twice during the game, Kocerha ended up 0-1 with a sac-fly, two runs and one batted in, and T.J. Eurich finished 2-4 with two runs and as many RBI. Caston Cox (1-3), Teague Jones (0-3, FC) and Zimmerman (0-2, BB) each scored one run – all during the Cubs’ game-breaking four-run fourth.

Taber (2.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K) ended up 0-for-2, Aiden Chadd and Gardner each went 0-3 but each reached once via error, and Hassell finished 0-1 as Dove Creek finished the 2023 season standing 11-9 overall.

“Simla’s a good team, had a good pitcher, and their right fielder hit the ball well,” Trent Daves said. “It was up and down, all season, for us. We started off slow, then came on hot, and obviously it didn’t end too well for us. But … we’ll be back.”

Update: Able to win 10-0, Simla found themselves losing 10-0 later in the day to 6-seed Haxtun, with HHS looking for a stronger performance after barely eliminating No. 11 Wiley (14-7 overall) in the second Region III semifinal, 2 to 1.

The Fightin’ Bulldogs improved to 21-2; the Cubs slipped to a season-ending 14-6.