The Rye High School baseball team gave #5 ranked Peyton all they could handle but a disastrous 6th inning gave the visitors a 10-7 victory. Rye led the entire game until the 6th when they carried a 4-1 lead.
Aydin Swald started for the Thunderbolts and through five innings gave up three hits, one earned run, and struck out seven. But three relievers gave up six earned runs in the last two innings giving the visitors the victory. Branson Burbidge was credited with the loss.
Swald had a good night at the plate as well, scoring a pair of runs, and getting two hits including a double. Pierce Burris also scored twice and Branson Burbidge had two hits. Blake Walton drove in two runs and Will Hamler had a pair of stolen bases.
Hamler had 10 put outs and an assist in 11 chances in the field and Walton went 5-5 on defense. Swald had four put outs and two assists in six attempts. Rye had three errors while Peyton had half a dozen. On the 19th, Rye traveled to Limon to face the #1 ranked unbeaten Badgers. Limon chipped away in the first game, scoring 10 runs while Limon pitchers shut the Thunderbolts out. Rye had only two hits for the game. Brandon Benz was 4-4 in the field and Hamler was 5-5. The rest of the team struggled committing nine errors.
Swald picked up the loss. He worked three innings, gave up four hits, three earned runs, walked five and struck out three. Burbidge worked two innings, gave up six hits, one earned run and struck out, one.
In the second game, Rye led Limon 2-1 after one, but didn’t score again. Burris scored one of the runs, had two hits one of which was a double. Axton Ehrlich had two hits and drove in a run. Swald drove in the other run and Hamler scored a run and collected a pair of walks.
Walton was a perfect 5 for 5 in the field, Benz had three put outs and an assist in four chances and Burbidge had two put outs and two assists in four chances.
Ehrlich got the loss. He worked 2 1/3 innings, gave up five hits, five earned runs, walked three and struck out two. Benz worked 2 1/3 innings and gave up four hits, five earned runs, and walked three.
“We played a good five innings against Peyton,” shared Head Coach Stacey Graham. “ Then we made some critical errors and when you do that against a good baseball team, they take advantage of it.”
Coach Graham was impressed by Limon. “ They are one of the best 2A teams I’ve ever seen,” Graham assessed. “But, as the Peyton game almost showed, on any given day, anyone can beat anyone. Momentum is so important in baseball and it can change so quickly.”
Rye has another tough week. On Tuesday they traveled to face #11 ranked Buena Vista with a 74 record. Saturday they will host #2 ranked Las Animas (14-1) in a double header. Rye (6-7) is ranked #21 in 2A.
