By John Cackowski
State Director

Aurora - On the first day back from the official end of spring break, two of the top 5A schools met in a non-league game as Regis Jesuit Raiders hosted the defending 5A state champions Cherokee Trail Cougars. 

On the mound for the Jesuits was senior right handed pitcher and Texas Christian commit Caleb Sloan, who matched up against senior right hander and Metropolitan State commit Eric Cox. In a game that started out as a pitching duel, the Raiders would end up pulling out a 5-4 victory. 

The first 3 1/2 innings were pretty uneventful as both teams only had 2 hits each with nothing hit very hard. Fast forward to the bottom of the 4th and the Raiders would get all of the runs they would need to come away with the win. 

In that inning, Cox would walk junior catcher Brodie Marino, and when the Raiders would try to move courtesy runner senior Connor Cunningham over with a bunt, sophomore Geno Macias would be called out for offensive interference. With one out, senior 1B Michael Baer would single, senior OF Ryan Walsh would walk to load the bases, then Cox would hit junior OF Orlando Trujillo to bring in the games first run. After junior OF Tyler Gayle would ground out for to make the score 2-0, senior SS Jimmy Holinger would hit the big blow in the inning, a double to left driving in two more runs, and would eventually score himself on an error. 

That was all Sloan would need pitching 5.1 shutout innings striking out 4, and would give up 1 unearned run. 

In the 7th however the Cougars kept fighting. Similar to the last time the Cougars played against ThunderRidge, when the Cougars were down 5-2 in 7th in which junior Ryan Jones would hit a pinch-hit 2-run home run to bring the game to 5-4, but would fail to score another run, senior SS Michael Morris would hit a 3-run home run to bring the game to 5-4 against Regis, but that is also as far as the Cougars would get losing another heartbreaker on the year. 

Regis improves to 5-2 winning their 5th game in a row and next plays Smoky Hill at Regis tomorrow on 4-5-17. Cherokee Trail drops to 2-5 on the season after losing their 3rd game in a row by 2-runs or less. They next play on Thursday 4-6-17 in their home opener which also opens up Centennial League play against the Cherry Creek Bruins. 

Highlights:

Regis Jesuit
Caleb Sloan: 5.1 innings pitched, 3 hits, 1 unearned run, 4 ks
Jimmy Holinger: 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI, run scored
Michael Baer: 2-3

Cherokee Trail
Michael Morris: 2-4, HR, 3 RBI's
Eric Cox: 1-2, Run, 2 BB.