Colorado Game of the Day: Denver North defeats Pueblo East 13-1

DENVER – Given his ability to generate bat speed with his length and athleticism, and how he hit the ball during the fall, Seth Lucero and his coaches had expected more of a power surge his senior year.

Well, the wait for that particular development is now over.

Playing at home on Wednesday, the Denver North 2019 shortstop launched two home runs over the fence to help the Vikings get a 13-1 win over visiting Pueblo East. Lucero’s second homer – his second of the season – was a three-run bomb that walked it off, run-rule style, in the bottom of the sixth inning.

“It feels like I’m getting back in my groove,” Lucero said. “My stroke felt really good today. In the fall season, I hit a few but this season I’ve kind of struggled a little bit with the power. I’ve still been hitting line drives and everything but today was a good time to really get a few out there.”

Lucero hitting home runs Nos. 1 and 2 ties him for the team lead with fellow 2019 Tito DelValle, who has hit a pair of long balls in 2019 and leads the Vikings in RBIs. In total on Wednesday, Lucero went 3-for-4 at the plate with two homers and a double, stole a base, scored three runs and drove in four.

A 6-foot-1, 170-pound hitter and pitcher, Lucero said he hopes to make a college decision by the end of the school year. He is still considering and several options, with Otero Junior College, Northeastern Junior College and Trinidad State Junior College currently at the top of his list.

If Lucero can keep up the power while continuing to bat over .300, it would be a good sign that Denver North will continue its thus-far successful season. Beating Pueblo East (6-13) on Wednesday was another good indicator, as the Eagles had won the previous four meetings between the clubs.

“We have a history with Pueblo East,” Lucero said. “They’re always a good ball club and I want to say they got us the last four times, so we wanted this one.”

Wednesday’s game was the second in a string of four games in as many days for the Vikings. Since losing their first three games in April, the Denver North boys have won five in a row.

“We hit a three-game skid there earlier but then we figured a lot of things out and now the boys are finding their own way,” Vikings head coach Ernesto Marquez said. “We drew out a plan as a coaching staff and so far these boys are executing it. I feel really good about it.

“We’ve had a lot of success these last three years so these seniors have only seen rainbows and butterflies while they’ve been here. They’ve always had other guys carrying them and now it’s their turn carry each other and their teammates. It’s good to see them developing that leadership.”

Denver North returns to Denver Prep League play when the Vikings host Kennedy (3-14, 1-12) on Thursday. Pueblo East is back in South Central League action at home against Pueblo Central (13-5, 3-3) on Saturday.

Denver North 13, Pueblo East 1

At Denver North H.S.

Pueblo East (6-13) 010 000 0 – 1 4 5

Denver North (10-4) 250 033 0 – 13 11 2

W – Rivera. L – Secora.

Pueblo East hitting (ab-r-h-rbi) – Velasco 1-0-0-0, Ada 1-0-0-0, Miller 3-0-1-0, Smith 3-0-1-0, Montelongo 3-0-0-0, Duran 1-1-1-0, Rubio 2-0-0-0, Johnson 2-0-1-0, Lucero 1-0-0-0, Solano 1-0-0-0, Herring 2-0-0-0, Aragon 0-0-0-0, Secora 0-0-0-0. Totals 20-1-4-0. 2B – Duran, Miller. SB – Johnson.

Denver North hitting (ab-r-h-rbi) – Delvalle 3-1-1-0, Lucero 4-3-3-4, Rivera 3-2-1-0, Ortiz 1-3-0-0, Sanchez 3-1-2-1, Gurrola 2-1-2-1, Castillo 2-0-1-2, Lira 3-0-0-0, Shary, Fribiman 4-2-1-0, Faltbar 0-0-0-0. Totals 26-13-11-8. 2B – Lucero, Fribiman. HR – Lucero 2. SB – Lucero.

Pueblo East pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) – Secora 0.2-1-2-2-2-0, Miller 4-7-8-3-5-4, Herring 0-1-0-0-2-0, Solano 0.1-2-3-3-1-0.