Thursday, July 3, 2008

Rams Take Second in County Championship

If there is one team that has gotten under the skin of the Green Mountain Rams, it's the Wheat Ridge Farmers. In their game of League play, the Rams didn't dominate the game like they had been all season long. That's why every member of the team was looking forward to today’s championship matchup.

But the first inning didn't go begin as planned. Leadoff hitter Jake Staley hit a grounder that was fielded by the short stop. Arley Anderson struck out, and Alex Haussmann mirrored Staley's grounder and was thrown out at first.

Pitcher Wyatt Featherston showed a fierce desire to hold the Farmer's batters at bay and set down three of the first four batters. The score after one inning: Rams 0, Farmers 0.

Featherston started out the second inning for the Rams by drawing a walk and scoring the first run of the game, off the bat of Trevor Willson. Austin Jones laced a double and scored when Ben McHugh smacked a line drive. McHugh was tagged out stealing third a few plays later.

In the second-half of the inning, Featherston struck out the next three batters keeping the score in the Rams favor, 3 to 0.

Ben Boyd started the third inning with a single up the middle. Jake Staley also singled and sent Boyd home. Arley Anderson drew a walk and stole second base. Alex Haussmann drilled a single up the third base line scoring both Boyd and Anderston. But, as Haussmann was taking his secondary lead toward third base, Wyatt Featherston smoked a steamer up the middle that was snagged in the air by the Farmer's second baseman. The Farmers completed the double-play when he tagged Haussmann before he scrambled back to the on base. Willson struck out to end the inning.

The Farmer's bats came to life in the bottom of the third inning when they tagged Featherston for two runs. It could have been worse. Boyd ended the inning on a beautiful catch in deep left field. Jones earned one run back for the Rams with his second hit of the game. He was sent home by Joe Anderson, who belted a single that nearly rolled to the back fence -- his best hit of the 2008 season. McHugh hit his second line drive, but the next three batters struck out before either Anderson or McHugh could get home.

Featherston continued to give it 100% effort in the bottom of the fourth and allowed only one run in. Outfielder Garrett Storm helped him out by raking in a high fly in center field. Score Rams 6, Farmers 3.

As the Rams took to the plate to begin the fifth inning, the team was growing in confidence. Arley Anderson drew another walk, as did Haussmann. Both scored off a scorcher by Featherston that sent him all the way to third base. Featherston was sent home by a Willson, who hit a single. But the next two batters struck out to end the rally.

Featherston began the bottom of the fifth for the Rams and tried his best to gut out another inning. But after one run scored and the bases were loaded, it was clear that he was out of gas. Colton Faubion took over the pitching job, but he couldn't stop the bleeding. The Farmers tallied five runs. Unfortunately, the Farmer’s pitchers could sense the momentum change and struck out the final three Rams' batters in order: McHugh, Fabion, and Storm.

In the bottom of the sixth, Faubion faced the top of the Farmer's order. The lead-off batter drew a walk, and scored off the bat of the next hitter. The Rams held him on base, but the next hitter also smacked a single and drove the winning run to third base. When the #4 batter drove the winning run home, the Rams watched their dreams of winning the title fade away.

"It's a tough loss, and I understand that you are disappointed," said the coaches after the game. "But I am proud of each and every one of you. You played that game to win, and we came up a bit short. But there are only two teams in the league left playing the game. You out to be proud that your are one of them."

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