Chamberlain deals gem for No. 5 Chatfield baseball in win over Ralston Valley
LAKEWOOD — Fittingly, the baseball found Chatfield senior Nick Chamberlain on the final out Wednesday afternoon as the Chargers hung on to down Ralston Valley 5-4.
The senior pitched six strong innings for the No. 5 ranked team in the CHSAANow.com Class 5A baseball state rankings against Jeffco League rival Ralston Valley at Keli McGregor Field at All Star Park in Lakewood. Chamberlain gave up just four hits and an unearned run to allow the Chargers to take a 5-1 lead going into the bottom of the seventh frame.
However, the Mustangs (13-5, 3-4 in league) rallied when junior Sean O’Dell took the mound to close the game for Chatfield.
“I didn’t know what to do,” said Chamberlain, who moved to shortstop for the seventh inning. “It was a little nerve-wracking after that home run.”
Ralston Valley senior Daniel Jurney ripped a two-out, three-run home run to cut Chatfield’s lead to 5-4. Senior Jacob Knipp then dropped in a single to bring the game-winning run to the plate, but Jordan Holloway hit a grounder to Chamberlain at shortstop. Chamberlain calmly fielded the ball and fired it to first base for the final out.
“He (Chamberlain) is a good athlete,” Chatfield coach Brandon Stone said. “He made the play when we needed it made. You can’t ask anything more from a player.”
After back-to-back conference losses last week to No. 3 Columbine and No. 6 Arvada West knocked Chatfield (16-2, 5-2) from it undefeated record, the Chargers needed to respond going into the final week of the regular season. They have.
Chatfield put up 20 runs in a 20-4 victory against Standley Lake on Monday. The Chargers can make it three-straight wins and clinch an top three finish in the competitive 5A Jeffco League going into the postseason that begins Saturday, May 10.
“I knew it was a huge game today,” Chamberlain said. “I knew my teammates needed me to come out and perform. I threw a lot of strikes and got them a lot of ground balls. It worked out for us.”
The Chargers’ big offensive inning came in the top of the second. Junior Kyle Winkler led off with a double to start the three-run inning. Senior Matthew Jarecki ripped a RBI single before O’Dell contributed a two-run single to give Chatfield a 3-0 lead.
Chamberlin and Winkler both scored in the top of the seventh inning to extend the Chargers’ lead to 5-1. Winkler finished 3-for-4 from the plate with a pair of doubles and two runs scored.
“It’s real big,” said Winkler of the victory. “This was a really good opponent. We really needed to get this win. Ralston Valley was ready for us. We got their best.”
Ralston Valley senior Jake Griffith took the loss on the mound. They lefty had to leave the game in the top of the second inning with an injury. Senior Mitch Robinson moved to shortstop to pitcher and after giving up the two-run double to O’Dell he was pretty solid pitching into the seventh inning.
“He (Robinson) was really sharp,” Ralston Valley coach Shane Freehling said of Robinson, who gave just four hits and struck out six. “He kept us in the ball game and gave us a chance to win.”
The Mustangs lone run before Jurney’s three-run home run came off an error in the bottom of the sixth inning. Knipp had a strong day at the plate going 2-for-3 with a run scored.
“It shows where you are at. We are even-steven with a team that was No. 1 in the state,” Freehling said. “That was a good baseball game. It was well-pitched and well-played.”
Ralston Valley has lost three of its last four games, but a win Saturday, May 3, against rival Pomona should assure the Mustangs one of the seven wild card spots for the playoffs.
“This team can get hot,” Freehling said. “If they get hot at the right time we are as dangerous as anybody.”
Chatfield closes out its regular season at home against Bear Creek at 11 a.m. Saturday.
“I don’t think our mentality has never wavered,” Stone said of his team’s losses last week. “I think we’ve come back to realize that everything is out in front of us, just like everybody else. We are trying to play every game tough, down to the wire, and see what happens come playoff time.”
