To many people the Brighton Youth Baseball Complex is an "oasis on the prairie." The lush green fields and majestic lights were funded three years ago by the Baseball Tomorrow Fund and the Colorado Rockies, with the promise of night games for little leaguers across the state.
To the Green Mountain Rams, however, those same bright lights -- and the darkness that followed when they shut off at exactly 9:30 p.m. last Wednesday light -- will forever be a reminder of an opposing coach refusing to give in to common sense. Instead of conceding an 11-2 ballgame with two-outs at the bottom of the sixth inning, the coach of the Brighton Bulldogs chose to use the official "Rules" of baseball to suspend the game and give his team the slimmest chance at a win.
It all began when the Rams took the field at 7:45 p.m., with lead off batter Austin "Jonesy" Jones hitting a hot single off the opposing Brighton pitcher. Next, Arley Anderson grounded out. Alex Haussmann threaded the needle and drove Jones home. Wyatt Featherston hit a single, and sent Haussmann around the bases. Trevvor Willson and Jake Staley both drew walks. A single by Catcher Joe Anderson drove them home. The inning ended with the Rams scoring 5
runs.
Staley took the mound for the Rams and began a masterful pitching effort that baffled the Brighton batters. One after another, the players struck out or hit balls fielded by the pitcher. Only two runners made it home over the five and one-third innings played. In fact, for a three-inning period, it was literally a one-man show-- Jake Staley -- for the Rams. Quipped his father Coach Scott Staley: "He's giving the rest of the team a night off."
Once he settled down, the Brighton ace also had a great game, as he held the Rams to one more run in the second through fifth inning. In the sixth inning, though, the teams bats came alive and they added another five runs, bringing the score to 11-2.
As Staley came to the mound to finish the game, he struck out the first two batters he faced. The next batter was hit by the pitcher, and stole second and third base. When Staley faced the seventh batter in the Bulldog's linup, the lights went out and the team was in the dark -- quite literally.
The Bulldog's refused to call the game. It will pick up at a later date, with the Bulldogs down 11-2, a runner on third base, and two outs.
To the Green Mountain Rams, however, those same bright lights -- and the darkness that followed when they shut off at exactly 9:30 p.m. last Wednesday light -- will forever be a reminder of an opposing coach refusing to give in to common sense. Instead of conceding an 11-2 ballgame with two-outs at the bottom of the sixth inning, the coach of the Brighton Bulldogs chose to use the official "Rules" of baseball to suspend the game and give his team the slimmest chance at a win.
It all began when the Rams took the field at 7:45 p.m., with lead off batter Austin "Jonesy" Jones hitting a hot single off the opposing Brighton pitcher. Next, Arley Anderson grounded out. Alex Haussmann threaded the needle and drove Jones home. Wyatt Featherston hit a single, and sent Haussmann around the bases. Trevvor Willson and Jake Staley both drew walks. A single by Catcher Joe Anderson drove them home. The inning ended with the Rams scoring 5
runs.Staley took the mound for the Rams and began a masterful pitching effort that baffled the Brighton batters. One after another, the players struck out or hit balls fielded by the pitcher. Only two runners made it home over the five and one-third innings played. In fact, for a three-inning period, it was literally a one-man show-- Jake Staley -- for the Rams. Quipped his father Coach Scott Staley: "He's giving the rest of the team a night off."
Once he settled down, the Brighton ace also had a great game, as he held the Rams to one more run in the second through fifth inning. In the sixth inning, though, the teams bats came alive and they added another five runs, bringing the score to 11-2.
As Staley came to the mound to finish the game, he struck out the first two batters he faced. The next batter was hit by the pitcher, and stole second and third base. When Staley faced the seventh batter in the Bulldog's linup, the lights went out and the team was in the dark -- quite literally.
The Bulldog's refused to call the game. It will pick up at a later date, with the Bulldogs down 11-2, a runner on third base, and two outs.
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