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Summit baseball cruises through week 2, winning 4 out of 6 games

Susan Gilmore
sgilmore@summitdaily.com

After going 1-4 to start the season last week, the Summit Extreme Black Diamonds rebounded in a big way. The team traveled to Grand Junction on Tuesday to take on one of the league’s top teams, the Rocky Mountain Oysters. Summit wasted no time, jumping out to an early 3-0 lead in the first inning, but a quick response by the Oysters tied things up again in the second inning. Grand Junction then took the lead in the fourth, making it a 3-4 game, but that was all Summit would allow. A productive sixth inning reversed fortunes again and Summit added one more run in the seventh inning just for good measure, winning the first game of the doubleheader 6-4.

The Black Diamonds weren’t done making their point though, and the second game of the doubleheader was even better. Though they fell behind early, trailing 2-1 after the first, the bats kept a steady rush of runs going throughout the game. The pitchers also settled into a nice groove, including Summit High grad Andrew Shaw, with the team only allowing three runs total. A five-run seventh inning secured the Black Diamonds’ victory by the largest margin of the season so far, ending at 11-3.

GAME 1



1 2 3 4 5 6 7 FINAL

SUMMIT 3 0 0 0 2 0 1 6



GJ 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 4

GAME 2

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 FINAL

SUMMIT 1 2 1 2 0 0 5 11

GJ 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 3

June 15 at Steamboat storm

Making the trek to Steamboat Springs, the Black Diamonds split a doubleheader with the Storm on Thursday, June 15. Runs were hard to come by in the day’s first game with Summit shortstop Andrew Ryals and corner infielder Tyler Erne having the team’s only two RBIs. Pitcher Damien Balboa kept things close for most of the game, pitching five innings, with three strikeouts and the only big hiccup coming in the third inning when the Storm put three runs on the board. That inning was enough to secure victory for the Storm, and the Black Diamonds fell 2-5 in the first game.

The team and their bats responded in the second game. The Black Diamonds jumped out to an early lead, scoring three in the first inning and setting the tone for the game. Runs came early and often, taking all of the pressure off Summit’s pitchers, who turned in a great line, keeping the Storm scoreless until the seventh inning. Pitcher Ben Wiley had a great game and week, adding one win and a save to his season’s stats. The Storm’s two runs in the seventh were far too little, too late and Summit left with a 10-2 win.

GAME 1

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 FINAL

SUMMIT 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 2

SS 0 1 3 0 0 1 X 5

GAME 2

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 FINAL

SUMMIT 3 0 0 3 2 0 2 10

SS 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2

June 17 against rangely roughnecks

The first home win of the season always feels great. When it comes in decisive fashion, it’s even better. Things started out a little scary for the home team, as starting pitcher Daniel Gunnerson struggled with command in the first inning. A walk to start the game was quickly followed by a double play, but another walk then led to a two-run home run to give the Roughnecks the lead. Another walk and single made it look like the team could be headed for a long inning, but Gunnerson kept his composure and weathered the storm, finishing the inning with only two runs allowed. Gunnerson is 2-0 as a starter this season, after just graduating high school last semester.

After the troubles in the first, the Black Diamonds took over, answering in the bottom half of the first with their own two-run homer. Catcher Nick Henry knocked the cover off the ball, hitting two home runs in the game, and by the end of the second inning Summit had a commanding lead at 9-2. Gunnerson was relieved by fellow Coeur D’Alene High School grad Thomas Robinson, and the two never relinquished Summit’s lead. The Roughnecks only threatened Robinson in the fifth inning when they again hit a home run, to bring the game to 11-7.

In the home half of the sixth, Andrew Ryals — who had a great week at the plate ­­— walked to start the inning and proceeded to steal second. A hard shot to left field was enough to bring Ryals home, and give Summit one more run to finish the game with a 12-7 victory.

A change in wind unfortunately led to a change in momentum for the home team in the second game of the doubleheader. Coach Garrett Rieck had planned to use local talent to pitch, but a last-minute scheduling conflict left the Black Diamonds short-handed. The Roughnecks jumped out to an early lead as the wind turned would-be flyballs into home run shots, and the Black Diamonds were forced to put position players on the mound to try and push through. The result was a rough 21-2 loss for the home team.

Even with the tough loss, a productive week moved the Black Diamonds from a 1-4 record to 5-6 headed into next week’s action.

GAME 1

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 FINAL

RR 2 0 1 1 3 0 0 7

SUMMIT 2 7 2 0 0 1 X 12

GAME 2

Line score unavailable at press time, final 21-2.


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