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Hop helps 3A/5A jump in front in All-Star baseball game
Things started off bleak for Jake Dittman, Sam Schultz and the rest of the 3A/5A All-Stars.
Dittman, from Doherty and Schultz of Manitou Springs were among the players selected for the 50th anniversary of the Colorado Springs City/Suburban All-Star Classic, a showcase for area seniors, that this year went to the 3A/5A squad 11-7 over the 4A at Spurgeon Field.
The 4A jumped ahead by a pair of runs in the first after back-to-back RBI doubles from Palmer Ridge teammates Ty Barkell and Malacai Colebank, and the advantage grew to 4-0 after a long two-run home run for Barkell in the third.
That changed in the top of the fifth inning.
Liberty’s Marcus Simon singled and Pine Creek’s Tyler Meng walked before Palmer’s Chris Spohn hit what looked to be a double-play grounder to second. Instead, the ball caught the lip of the grass at the edge of the infield and hopped into the outfield.
Then the wheels started to come off for the 4A squad.
Two stolen bases, two walks, two passed balls and a wild pitch later, the 3A/5A squad led 5-4.
“This squad is pretty good and didn’t flinch at all,” Eagles coach Glenn Millhauser said. “I think that the better team tonight won.
“That little lip right in front of second base was our best friend tonight.”
Barkell continued to keep the 4A squad in the game, as he hit another ball over the fence behind the center-field wall in the fifth.
“It was a good game and good players on both sides,” said Barkell, who went 4-for-4 and scored four runs. “That last at-bat, I was just trying to hit one hard. When I try to hit home runs, it doesn’t happen.
“I saw the ball really well and I feel like I left my mark on the 50th anniversary game.”
While Barkell couldn’t miss, Dittman helped make sure that nobody else could hit.
He came on in the fourth inning and struck out six, with his only mistake coming on Barkell’s homer.
“Coach Millhauser knew we had the talent to come back and just have fun,” Dittman said.
“This game isn’t something that can take us to the championship, but we didn’t want to lose it either.
“It was just an honor to play in this game.”
