Air Academy unable to complete rally

AURORA - Air Academy's postseason inability to take an early lead and shutdown opponents caught up to the No. 3 seed Kadets in the second round of the 5A state baseball tournament.

After falling behind for the third playoff game in a row, the Kadets (21-2) couldn't muster a big enough rally in a 12-9 loss to No. 2 Rocky Mountain.

The Lobos (20-3) beat Air Academy in the state semifinals last season so the Kadets had been looking forward to a rematch. They'll have a tough time getting another shot at Rocky Mountain. The Kadets play the winner of the 10 a.m. elimination game between Grand Junction (19-4) and Cherry Creek (21-1) at 1:30 p.m. at Cherokee Trail High School.

Kadets starter Jared Brown fell behind 4-1 for a lead the Lobos never lost.

"Jared was throwing some really good stuff, but a couple walks really got us," Millhauser said.

Brown walked seven in six innings. Reliever Greg Volz allowed an Andy Burns solo home run that gave Rocky Mountain a 12-5 lead in the seventh. Lobos lefthander Marco Gonzales allowed eight runs on 10 hits and struck out 10.

"Lefties have been our Achilles' heel, we've really struggled a lot," said Millhauser.

Gonzales wouldn't finish the game.

Ron Burton walked to begin the seventh inning and scored on a Dexter Price home run, his second of the day.

Matt Fenlason also homered and drove in Brown.

Burns came in to get the last out, but allowed two hits and a walk to load the bases before a ground out ended the game.

"Oh my goodness, I couldn't believe that those guys wouldn't go away," Lobos coach Scott Bullock said. "We kept giving them chances and they kept coming back."

Earlier against Arapahoe, Burton hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the fourth to give the Kadets an 8-6 lead en route to a 16-6 first-round win over the Warriors (16-6).