The Boulder High Varsity Baseball team pulled off a dramatic comeback on Tuesday evening, walking off Brighton 4–3 in the bottom of the seventh inning at Scott Carpenter Park.
Trailing 3–2 with two outs in the final frame, Finn Torvik came through in the clutch, delivering a two-run double to right center that scored the tying and winning runs, sending the Panthers into celebration.
A Back-and-Forth Finish
The Panthers opened the scoring in the bottom of the fourth inning, when Daniel Melvin lifted a sacrifice fly to bring home the game's first run.
Daniel Melvin
Brighton answered in the top of the sixth. Hesston Edens singled to center field to tie it at 1–1, setting the stage for a tense final inning.
In the top of the seventh, Brighton seemed to take control. The Bulldogs scored twice, first on an Austin Sickler double to right and then on Austin Waltemath's line drive down the right field line, making it 3–1.
But Boulder refused to go away. In the bottom of the seventh, a Brighton error brought in a run to make it 3–2. Then with runners in scoring position, Torvik stepped to the plate and roped a double to the gap, completing the comeback.
Strong Pitching Sets the Tone
Connor Bagnall got the start for Boulder and pitched well, allowing just one run on four hits over 5.2 innings. He struck out five and walked four. Nick Dubofsky came on in relief and helped close the door on Brighton's offense in the final inning.
Brighton starter Sickler was also effective, giving up eight hits and four runs (all unearned) over six innings, striking out eight.
Maks Matheson
Offensive Highlights
-
Finn Torvik finished 1-for-3 with 2 RBIs, including the walk-off double.
-
Maks Matheson, batting leadoff, went 2-for-4 to lead Boulder in hits.
-
Daniel Melvin added an RBI with his fourth-inning sac fly.
Defensively, the Panthers turned a key double play to stall a Brighton rally in the middle innings.
Brighton was led by Waltemath, who went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Edens and Sickler also drove in one run apiece.
Final Score:
Boulder 4 – Brighton 3
Next Up:
Boulder Varsity travels to take on Mountain Range on Thursday at Mountain Range. First pitch is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.
