By Sean Star
Reporter-Herald Sports Writer
POSTED: 05/27/2017 03:12:06 PM MDT
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Thompson Valley's ? (21) pitches against Valor Christian Saturday morning May 27, 2017 at Metro State's Regency Athletic Complex during the 2017 CHSAA Baseball State Championships Final Four in Denver. Thompson Valley lost the game, 8-5. (Michael Brian/For the Reporter-Herald)
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Thompson Valley's Matt Berg runs up the first-base line as Valor Christian catcher Noah Kuzma fields a short chopper Saturday at Metro State. Valor Christian scored three runs in the top of the seventh in an 8-5 victory to advance to the 4A state title game against Evergreen. (
Michael Brian/ For the Reporter-Herald)
DENVER — Jay Denning has been part of the Thompson Valley baseball program for a long time. First as a player, then as an assistant coach, and for the past decade, as the head coach.
Throughout his nearly two decades with the team, he had never seen anything like the run his Eagles made this year.
"It was nothing short of magic," he said. "Nothing like it. Indescribable feeling. Every level that we took a step up was just icing on the cake."
After going 0-3 against crosstown rivals, finishing fourth in the Northern Conference, 16th in the RPI and having to open on the road in districts against the top-ranked team in 4A, the Eagles fought and clawed all the way to the final day of the season.
After winning four possible elimination games (dating back to district play), Thompson Valley's improbable run came to an end Saturday with an 8-5 loss to Valor Christian in what amounted to a state semifinal matchup.
Valor advanced to face Evergreen in the state championship game, which was postponed to Sunday, while TVHS ended the season with an 18-8 record and the deepest playoff run in team history.
"What we were able to accomplish was not only great for our kids, and great for our program, but also good for Thompson Valley," Denning said following a long and emotional talk with his team. "It was nice to see our kids get some recognition for doing something really good and playing so well. That's one of the things I'm most proud of, people were talking about Thompson Valley."
As they have since the postseason began a couple weeks ago when they knocked out previously undefeated Denver North, TVHS embraced the moment Saturday against the defending state champs. Their first three batters of the day — Cameron Nellor, Austin Sobraske and Mike Berg — each came around to score in the bottom of the first, highlighted by a two-run double by Berg for an early 3-0 lead. Following a two-run homer by Noah Kuzma in the third, Valor tied the game at 3 on groundout by Brady Buehler in the fourth.
Thompson Valley reliever Aidan Schultz delivers a pitch against Valor Christian in the seventh inning Saturday at Metro State in Denver. (
Michael Brian Michael Brian / For the Reporter-Herald)
"Coming out and scoring three runs in the first inning definitely gives you a lot of momentum," said Matt Berg, who helped gun down a runner at the plate to keep Valor off the board in the first. "A couple things could've gone either way in that game, and it sort of decided the ending outcome. But I'm super proud of how these guys battled throughout this entire season and in this game especially. Couldn't ask for more."
After leaving the bases loaded in the fourth, the Thompson Valley bats stayed persistent and regained the lead in the fifth on run-scoring singles by Matt Berg and Adrian Juarez — just six outs away from extending their season one final time.
Thompson Valley shortstop Austin Sobraske scoops up a grounder on Saturday in Denver. (
Michael Brian / For the Reporter-Herald)
TVHS starter Jake Hewson battled his way through six-plus innings, allowing seven runs on eight hits with three strikeouts. But in the end, the deep and potent Valor lineup was too much as they scored five runs in the final two frames to complete the comeback.
VCHS tied it at 5-all in the sixth when catcher Mike Berg's attempt to throw behind a runner at first got away, scoring the second of two runs in the frame. Then in the seventh, after Aidan Schultz relieved Hewson with two on and none out, first baseman Joel Pierce singled home Austin Howell for what proved to be the winning run. A two-run single three batters later by Jonathan Boulaphinh stretched the cushion to three.
"Those guys can swing the bat very well. There's nothing I can do to prevent that," Hewson said. "I did the best I could to try to get around what they could do, and unfortunately they came out with it.
"Knowing that not only me, but everybody on my team, left it all on the field, it's bittersweet. It's very bittersweet."
Thompson Valley pounded the stuffing out of the ball all spring, but their bats went silent at the most inopportune time. Valor starter Josh Danyliw was vulnerable early but finished strong by retiring six of the final seven batters he faced, four of which grounded out to the shortstop. The only exception was Mike Berg, who doubled to lead off the seventh for his third hit of the day and his seventh in eight at-bats over the weekend.
As Hewson said, the aftermath was bittersweet. Losing at this point of the season is always emotional, and that certainly was the case for Denning's group, but there was also a sense of accomplishment, a realization that the team squeezed every possible ounce out of the season it could.
"We know we've had a great season altogether. We made a great run at the playoffs," Matt Berg said. "My senior season I've had so much fun playing with these guys. They're incredible, and honestly I couldn't think of better team all together. They're just a great group of guys. It's been so much fun playing with them.
"The coaches always said just keep battling. Our motto this year was 'not dead, can't quit.' So I think in a lot of games we might not have been ranked as high as the other team, or might've gone out a little flat, but we were always able to battle and come out on top in a majority of those games."
Everything Thompson Valley aimed to be this season was confirmed by the team that ended their season. Valor coach Brian Bonn said he had been keeping tabs on TVHS throughout the playoffs and was nervous as soon as he saw Saturday's draw.
"We knew we were going to have our hands full today. We had confidence in our pitcher that he was gonna throw a ton of strikes. But man, did Thompson Valley impress us," Bonn said. "We knew that Northern League doesn't get enough respect, and Thompson Valley proved why they don't get enough respect. We definitely had to prove we could beat one of the best teams in the state today."