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Roaring Fork splits with Hotchkiss, locks up playoff spot

Post Independent staff report
Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado

CARBONDALE, Colorado – Roaring Fork locked up a spot in the 3A baseball playoffs by splitting a Saturday doubleheader with visiting Hotchkiss.

The Rams struggled in the opener, squandering a 4-1 lead in a 6-4 loss. A five-run rally in the fifth inning lifted Hotchkiss to the win.

“We had one [bad] inning,” Roaring Fork coach Tim Nieslanik said. “That’s our nemesis. We lost focus for one inning and gave up five unearned runs.”



The Rams returned to the field to win a 17-11 shootout, getting a pair of home runs from Jake Strack-Loertscher in the process.

Oscar Beltran went 4-for-5 and pitched four late innings.



“He did a really good job,” Nieslanik said. “He only allowed one run.”

The Rams, now assured of a fourth-place finish in the 3A Western Slope League, improved to 12-6 overall and to 9-6 in league with Saturday’s results. Roaring Fork has a trip to the playoffs locked up as one of the top five teams in the 3A WSL.

Next up for the Rams is a Monday road date with Aspen. The 4 p.m. game will be played in El Jebel.

Hotchkiss moved to 15-4 overall and 12-4 in league with the split.


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