GHS baseball eliminated by Pumas

The seven seniors on the GHS baseball team have battled together on the diamond since they were 8 years old. The first round of the playoffs on May 17 proved to be the boys’ final stand.

It was a game in which timely hitting and defensive errors stole the limelight. But still, Head Coach Tom Percival said the seniors' character off the diamond, and their dedication in the classroom and weight room will stand as a testament for the future of GHS baseball.

“These seniors were good kids. They led by example, worked hard and were good students,” Percival said. “I’ve done this long enough now, and it still never gets easier [for seniors to graduate.] This was a special group.”

The Cowboys took on the Peak to Peak Pumas of Lafayette in the opening round. The Pumas entered the matchup with a 13-10 overall record, and 8-6 in the stout, 3A Metro League. But the Cowboys also weathered a challenging schedule in the 3A Western Slope League, and approached the matchup with confidence and determination.

“Going into it, I felt we were pretty even teams, and we’d have a good shot if we played well,” Percival said. “The bottom line is, they got hits when they needed to, and made a few more defensive plays.”

The Gunnison boys opened at the plate, but slow offensive starts — the boys’ achilles heel this season — returned to haunt them. Marshall Spann and Grady Buckhanan reached first base on consecutive infield singles, but the Cowboys couldn’t capitalize.

Talon Kibler began the defensive campaign from the mound. The senior righthander forced weak contact from the first two batters, but the Pumas earned a walk and back-to-back singles to drive home two runs and take an early advantage.

Down by two, the Cowboys kickstarted their offense by manufacturing runs in the third. Ethan Pierce reached first by advancing on a dropped third strike, and immediately stole second. Kibler hustled to first on an infield single, and Pierce reached home on an error. The Cowboys’ small ball paid off, and halved the Pumas’ lead.

Peak to Peak returned to the plate with a fury, and cashed in on singles to right field. A pair of stolen bases put runners in scoring position, and the Pumas drove home two more. The score stood 4-1 heading into the fourth.

The Cowboys strung together disciplined at-bats, and consistently made solid contact, but couldn’t find a gap in the Puma defense, especially with runners aboard. Peak to Peak drove home three more runs in the fifth. Rylee Berry and Spann each singled in the sixth, but the Pumas six-run lead proved insurmountable. The ballgame ended 7-1 for the Front Range side.

“The chemistry we had on this team was unlike anything,” Kibler said. “We’ve been close friends forever, and I think that’s what helped the seniors bond with the younger guys. There’s nothing you can do to prepare yourself for playing your last game with the guys you’ve played with your whole life.”

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