Dakota Ridge baseball walks it off against Green Mountain

LITTLETON — Dakota Ridge senior Mitchell Lee knew he might have just one pitch to deliver the game-winning, walk-off hit Saturday at Dakota Ridge High School.

Tied 4-4 in the bottom of the seventh inning against Green Mountain, junior Matt Larmore was hit-by-pitch to lead off the inning. Lee stepped up to the plate and attacked the first pitch he saw from Green Mountain senior Demetreus Padilla. 

“I knew I would get at least one pitch,” Lee said. “See what I would get and if I could hammer it.”

Lee ripped an RBI double, driving in Lamore to give the Eagles a 5-4 walk-off victory in the Class 4A/3A Jeffco League game. 

Dakota Ridge coach Jeff Legault had told assistant coach Shane Fugita to tell Lee to be prepared to bunt to get Larmore in scoring position. Junior Braden Johnson — batter right after Lee — had already hit a pair of doubles and drove in two runs for the Eagles, but Lee became the instant hero taking care of business himself. 

“Seeing him (Padilla) earlier in the week was nice. I got an idea of what we would see,” Lee said of facing Padilla with the game on the line. “It was nice to be aware of what he would throw.”

Dakota Ridge (7-10, 2-1 in league) defeated Green Mountain 8-4 in a non-league game Monday where Padilla pitched four innings.

“To beat Green Mountain twice in one week is a huge confidence boost. That’s a really good team,” Legault said. “Simon (Lunsford) is really good. We came out on his early getting those two runs in the first inning. That was huge.”

Green Mountain senior Simon Lunsford got the start on the mound for the Rams (10-6-1, 1-2). The Colorado Mesa University baseball commit gave up two runs in the first inning as the Eagles took the early lead.

Johnson drove in the first run with an RBI double with two outs. Lee was able to scramble home on a wild pitch to give Dakota Ridge a 2-0 lead.

Green Mountain got a run back in the top of the second inning. The Rams cashed in a lead-off double by Lunsford when junior Corbin Wade had an RBI fly out to center field to make it a 2-1 game.

Dakota Ridge grabbed the 2-run lead back in the bottom of the fourth inning when senior Sam Wieber’s ground ball scored Johnson to give the Eagles a 3-1 lead. Johnson’s second double of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning put Dakota Ridge up 4-1.

However, Green Mountain battled back with a pair of runs in the sixth inning with RBIs by senior Levi Behm and Orlando King to cut the lead to 4-3.

“It was the same thing on Thursday,” Green Mountain coach Cory Miller said referencing the 9-7 loss to Conifer in 9 innings. “We come storming back and impose our will like we should, but then we relax again. That is what we have been this year. If we figure that out we can make a run.”

Green Mountain was down to its final out in the top of the seventh inning, but a fielding error allowed senior Demetreus Padilla to reach base. Senior DJ Villalovas ripped an RBI double in the gap to tie the game at 4-4.

“They make it difficult at times, but for five innings we played really well,” Legault said. “We made some mental mistakes and those have cost us in the past. They stuck with it and over came them.”

Johnson actually relieved Dakota Ridge’s starting pitcher Jo Jo Calderon, who pitched a strong six and 2/3 innings. Johnson struck out Green Mountain senior Hudson Burke to keep the game tied. 

“He (Calderon) has really turned into our guy this year,” Legault said. “He throws strikes and gets the job done.”

Lee getting it done with the walk-off double down the left field line helped keep Dakota Ridge’s postseason hopes alive. The Eagles started the season 0-7. They have battled back to have a shot to make the 32-team playoff field. Dakota Ridge is currently 38th in the CHSAA Seeding & Selection Index.

“Trying to,” Legault said about the Eagles climbing up in the seeding index having won 6 of 8 games. “Just have to keep winning. That is all we can do.”

Dakota Ridge has three league games next week with road games at Conifer and D’Evelyn before returning home against Standley Lake on May 3.

“Our record doesn’t show how good of a team we are,” Lee said. “I wouldn’t count us out. We come out here and grind every day. With baseball, you never know what can happen.”

Green Mountain had a 6-game winning streak before dropping 3 of 4 games this week, including the two league losses to Conifer and Dakota Ridge.

“If we come out with our backs against the wall we are going to be tough to beat,” said Miller about his senior-laded squad that is currently 26th in the seeding index. “But until that happens…”

The Rams face Standley Lake, Littleton and Pomona this coming week.