Cowboy baseball opens with two wins

The GHS baseball team galloped out of the starting gate last week, and won its opening games against Rye and Cedaredge.

Armed with a stout senior class, and a nearly-eight man pitching rotation, the Cowboys will aim to capitalize on their early momentum at a warm-weather tournament in Arizona on March 20-22. On the eve of the “Cactus League” spring training, the Cowboys sit with a 2-0 overall record, and will open their league campaign at Coal Ridge on April 5.

“We didn’t have a single error against Rye, which is unheard of this early in the season,” said Head Coach Tom Percival. “Then we started flat against Cedaredge, but found a way to get the win.”

The Rye Thunderbolts stood as the Cowboys’ opening-day test in an away game on March 8. The GHS seniors started hot at the plate despite an abbreviated spring preseason. Grady Buckhanan opened his account going 5-5 at the plate, and racked in two doubles and three RBIs. He crossed home five times, setting an impressive pace for what will be a vital season for the senior cleanup hitter.

Marshall Spann also trotted onto the diamond in flying form. The senior catcher knocked in three runs and scored twice. A pair of RBIs from Rylee Berry, and two hits from junior Nolan Frymore propelled the Cowboys past the Thunderbolts in a 14-1 barnburner.

Just three days later, GHS faced a familiar foe in the Cedaredge Bruins. This season, the Bruins reclassified from 3A to 2A, moving outside the Cowboy’s 3A Western Slope League. Still, the former league rivals posed a scrappy threat to the GHS early season.

In the first inning, a poke single from senior pitcher Talon Kibler wasn’t enough to get the offensive wheels turning. The Bruins took a 1-0 advantage, and then struck out the Cowboy lineup in the top of the second. Kibler earned two crucial strikeouts and forced a weak grounder to return to the dugout unscathed.

At the start of the third, Buckhanan and Kibler reached on a walk, while Cesar Marmolejo got on board with a hit-by-pitch. Buckhanan stole second, and crossed home after a pitch skidded into the backstop. The Cowboys tied the game 1-1, but again, stranded runners at the corners.

The Bruins took advantage with an immediate, three-bag shot to the centerfield wall in the bottom of the third. Hot off the leadoff triple, the Bruin baserunner flew too close to the sun, and GHS catcher Berry caught him stealing. The Cowboys then polished off the remaining batters, and the stalemate continued.

Frymore and Kibler crossed home after consecutive walks opened the fourth inning. The Cowboys took advantage of the Bruins mistakes on the mound, and the game stood 3-1 after a single to center field from Ethan Pierce.

Cedaredge rallied late in the game, and added a pair of runs in both the sixth and seventh. But the Cowboy offense clipped along, thanks to runs from Buckhanan and Marmolejo, and late singles from Pierce and junior Landon Miller. The GHS defense closed out the game, and secured a 7-5 victory over the former-league rivals.

The Cowboys will open their home schedule against Basalt in a doubleheader on April 12.

(Alex McCrindle can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or alex@gunnisontimes.com.)