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PBR Colorado Game of the Day 4-27-19: Grandview Defeats Mullen 17-2

April 29, 2019
Neil Devlin
Denver Metro Senior Writer

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Watch out for Grandview. The Wolves have won five games in a row, endured a challenging beginning against a demanding schedule and seem to have grabbed momentum as the end of the regular season draws near.

“We had a tough, tough first-half schedule,” head coach Scott Henry said after the Wolves erupted for 11 runs in the sixth inning on Saturday in blowing out host Mullen 17-2 in Centennial League play at Bill Swift Field. “The Florida (trip and teams) were tough, our nonleague was tough … I think we’ve kind of weathered that storm a bit. Now, we’re making plays, getting some base hits and getting some calls we weren’t getting.”

Grandview, in bidding to rejoin the Prep Baseball Report-Colorado Power 25, has levelled its overall record at 8-8 and is 7-2 in league. Its two league hits were against Cherry Creek and wrapped around a loss to Regis Jesuit of th powerful Continental League.

And its turnaround has been fairly complete, starting with a victory over what had been a very hot Smoky Hill, and riding consistent pitching. On Saturday, senior Josh Hojnowski was on his game. In improving to 4-3, the 6-foot-4, 200-pound right-hander moved beyond plunking the first Mustangs hitter.

“Yeah,” he said, shaking his head, “it was tough to overcome that, but my team was great in the field and that really helped me.”

It must have – he didn’t allow a hit until the fifth inning and was touched for the two runs by pinch-hitters after leading 17-0.

“It really helped pitching with the lead,” he said.

Hojnowksi mainly used his fastball and curveball, he said, as his changeup wasn’t sharp. He allowed five hits, walked none and struck out one.

Said Henry: “Josh is kind of our developmental kid. He came up level by-level until last year, when he really came on. And last summer he took off. He throws strikes and he has the same arm slot on all of his pitches, it’s tough on hitters.”

Offensively, the Wolves pounded out 16 hits against three Mustangs pitchers and walked eight times. Amari Smith (Regis University) doubled for Grandview, Nolan Biaggi and Isaac Smith tripled, and Peter Goldy had a solo home run to lead off the second for the game’s first run. Smith had three hits and four runs batted in, and Goldy had three hits and two RBIs as well as a sacrifice fly.

Mullen head coach Nick Arcuri was angry with his team’s showing – the Mustangs, now 9-7, 3-5 after dropping four-of-five games, inexplicably showed poor effort, he said.

The Wolves are looking at a four-game week, beginning with a matchup against ThunderRidge in non-league at Coors Field on Monday before hosting Mullen on Tuesday in Aurora. A Thursday-Saturday home-and-away with Eaglecrest in league is to follow, but Henry is aware there are expected weather problems and additional opportunity to interrupt his team’s roll in what alreqady has been a spring laced with delays and postponements.

“We just want to keep it going,” he said.

 

GRANDVIEW 17, MULLEN 2 6 inn.

Grandview 014 10(11)  – 17  16  2

Mullen 000 002  –  2  5  2

Grandview – Chapman ss 4-1-2-1, Bouschele ph 1-0-0-0, I. Smith rf 5-3-3-4, Castonguay c 3-1-1-0, Hamilton cr-ph 0-2-0-0, Goldy 3b 3-3-3-2, Martinez rf 3-1-1-2, Biaggi ph 1-2-1-2, Bollefer dh 3-0-0-1, A. Smith 2b 4-1-2-3, Vernikoff 1b 3-0-0-1,  Dieck cr-ph 1-1-1-1, Lippold 2b 3-1-1-0, Woolums cr 0-1-0-0, Hojnowski p 0-0-0-0. Totals 34-17-16-17.

Mullen – Loya 3b 2-0-0-0, Elges 2b 1-0-0-0, Aragon ph 1-0-1-0, Vitry ss 2-0-0-0, Golenzer ph 1-1-0-0, Malloy c 2-0-0-0, Brickley ph 1-1-1-1, Stanford cf-p 2-0-0-0, Nolte dh 2-0-0-0, J. Tafoya ph 1-0-1-0, Perri 1b 3-0-0-0, Naha lf-cf 2-0-0-0, Brady rf 2-0-1-0, Bradley lf 0-0-0-0, Miller p 0-0-0-0, Reynolds p 0-0-0-0. Totals 23-2-5-2.

E – Chapman 2, Vitry 2. LOB – Grandview 11, Mullen 4. SAC – Chapman. SB – Lippold. CS -- Vernikoff.

2B – Brady, A. Smith. 3B – Biaggi, I. Smith. HR – Goldy, solo in 2nd.

Batteries – Hojnowski and Castonguay; Miller, Stanford (4), Reynolds (6) and Malloy. W – Hojnowksi (4-3). L – Miller (2-2). HBP – Loya (By Hojnowksi). WP – Miller. SF – Goldy.