Jonathan Maness
Sports correspondent
HENDERSON – Brighton High School baseball coach Justin Stringer believes his squad has what it takes to win the state title, and the Bulldogs are proving why.
Brighton rolled to a 9-2 victory over rival Prairie View April 23 to win its fifth consecutive game and the second victory in league.
“Our expectation is to win the title,” Stringer said. “Our 1 thru 4 can compete with anybody in the state, and we have some really good pitchers.”
The Bulldogs proved how tough they are with their strong performance in the non-conference schedule. They got big wins over Lakewood (12-7), Legend (7-6) and Chaparral (4-0). Two of their three losses were by one run, including a 4-3 loss to No. 5-rated Douglas County.
“We welcome any challenges,” the coach said. “I think our schedule proves it, and we feel we are one of the best teams around.”
Brighton (11-3 overall, 2-0 in the Eastern Metro Athletic Conference) got their bats going Saturday. Seven batters got a hit in the contest, led by senior Bryce Peterson who hit a pair of triples and drove in six runs.
The Bulldogs scored three runs in the opening frame, and Brok Eddy’s pitching kept the ThunderhHawks in check. Prairie View managed to get three runners on base over the first four innings, and Eddy only allowed one run and fanned 10 batters over six innings.
Not to be outdone, senior Nathan Peterson was solid for Prairie View on the mound. He struck out six batters and allowed only two earned runs.
Peterson and Brandon Stricklin hit back-to-back RBI triples for Brighton to advance the lead to 5-0 in the fourth.
The young Prairie View squad showed some success late. Freshman Giovanni Tarin hit an RBI single in the fourth, and then freshman Favi Gaeta added an RBI single in the seventh.
Isaac Rodriguez added a run in the sixth for Brighton after hitting a triple and scoring on a passed ball. Garrett Chadwick hit a pair of singles and scored a run for the Bulldogs.
“We are playing great baseball right now,” Stringer said. “Our lineup is solid all around, and they battle. It has been a recipe for success.”
Brighton hosted Rangeview (April 26, after press time) and Gateway (7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 28), while Prairie View (8-9 overall, 1-1 ML) hosted Adams City April 26, after press time, and Northglenn at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 30..
