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Demons swept by Tigers in league matchup

Mike Vidakovich
sports@postindependent.com
Glenwood second baseman Tyler Boyd attempts to take a Summit runner during Saturday's doubleheader in Glenwood.
Chelsea Self / Post Independent |

The Glenwood Springs Demons and the Summit Tigers came into Saturday’s baseball double-header at the Glenwood Middle School field tied for first place atop the Western Slope League with identical 3-0 conference marks. The Tigers headed home to Frisco in sole possession of the league lead as they swept past the Demons by a score of 1-0 in the opening game, and 5-2 in the windy afternoon’s closer.

In the first game, Glenwood could never come up with a solution for talented Summit pitcher Andrew Shaw. The lanky left-hander recorded 15 strikeouts on the afternoon while keeping the Demons off the scoreboard. Shaw also did his part at the plate, as he drove in Summit’s only run of the contest with a double in the top half of the fourth inning that scored Turner McDonald for the Tiger lead that would never be threatened.

In the second game of the day, Summit put a period on the end of the double-header sentence, as they jumped on Glenwood senior pitcher Stephen Romero for two runs in the first and second inning to mount a quick 4-0 lead.



Glenwood got their first run of the day in their portion of the fourth inning as Jake Brown hit a single to shallow center field. Senior Brandon Benzel then belted a double to left field. When a walk to Glenwood’s Peyton Hagemann loaded up the bases, the home team looked to be in business. Brown scored on a fielder’s choice grounder by Tanner Korn, but Chano Gonzalez was fanned by Summit pitcher Sam Hull and Tyler Boyd’s rocket shot to left field was cradled in the glove of a waiting Tiger, thus ending Glenwood’s hopes of a big inning.

The Demons mounted another strong threat in the 5th inning facing Summit relief pitcher Will Heuck. Leading off, Romero reached first base on a throwing error by Tiger shortstop Blake Olson. Glenwood’s Cooper Cornelius then drew a walk, which brought Tristen Howe to the plate with the Demons within striking distance at 4-1. Unfortunately for the red and white, what followed is a baseball rarity, and it ended up putting an end to not only the inning, but Glenwood’s hope of a split of the afternoon affair.



Howe made solid contact with the ball, but the Summit infield was able to turn the double play at second and first base. Running ahead of the action taking place, Romero turned a bit too hard rounding third base, and ended up being caught in the middle of nowhere. Summit catcher Brian Hessler threw out Romero as he tried to scramble back to third, and the Tigers had pulled off a triple play.

“That certainly was a momentum swing right there,” Glenwood Head Coach Eric Nieslanik said. “We were just a little over-aggressive on the bases.”

Summit added an insurance run in the sixth inning, and Glenwood was able to pick up another tally of their own in the seventh as Boyd singled to score Gonzalez to account for the second game’s final score.

Glenwood (4-5 overall, 3-2 WSL) will try to rebound from Saturday’s sweep with a non-conference game this coming Wednesday at Denver Christian. Coach Nieslanik has no doubt his resilient crew will bounce back quickly.

“We’re just going to try and keep finding a way. We are right in the middle of these games against good teams. We just have to find a way to come through,” Nieslanik said. “We’re competing. I think we can compete with anyone.”

Following Wednesday’s game in Denver, Glenwood’s next WSL matchup will be a double-header next Saturday, April 15 when the Demons will travel to Rifle to take on the Bears.


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