Briefly last week, Columbia High stood alone in first place in Trico Division baseball standings.
But the Bruins fell from first to third last Friday after being toppled by the Castle Rock Rockets, 7-6 and 7-3, in double-header action at the Rock.
As a result of their sweep of the Bruins, the Rockets vaulted into first. Ridgefield, which lost to La Center and split with Woodland last week, dropped into second -- one game ahead of CHS.
The twin setbacks at Castle Rock were CHS's first since losing to Ridgefield on April 28. Bruins Coach Larry McCutcheon was not pleased.
"We didn't get beat. We beat ourselves," he said of the losses to the Rockets. "We had 25 baserunners all day but managed just nine runs. And in the last four games, we've made 23 errors. We aren't getting the job done with the bats or the gloves right now, and that's got to change."
Columbia (6-3 in Trico and overall) totaled 12 hits, but committed 11 errors, struck out 15 times and left 14 runners on base, including nine in scoring position, in the two games.
Senior Eric Crause suffered the loss in the opener -- his first of the season -- though he allowed only four hits, three walks and two earned runs in 6-2/3 innings.
He was leading 4-1 until the Bruins came apart defensively in the bottom of the fifth.
They committed all five of their errors in that frame, which led to five unearned runs and a 6-4 lead for the Rockets.
Junior Charlie Kitchin homered with one gone in the top of the sixth for his first varsity round-tripper to pull CHS within 6-5.
With two away in the seventh, junior Dane Ludwig doubled to deep center field to drive in classmate Dayne Combelic with the tying run.
Pinch-runner Rob Hunsaker, who ran for senior Kenny Mace and trailed Combelic on the bases, was put out at the plate by a perfect relay throw from short center to keep the game deadlocked.
Castle Rock rallied to win it in the bottom of the seventh when winning pitcher Kyle Foster scored on Corey Londo's two-out single.
The Bruins had their chances to break the game open by advancing runners to third base with less than two out in four of the first five innings.
But Foster, the Rocket's ace, pitched his way out of trouble each time to keep his team in the game. He finished with eight strikeouts, including five on called third strikes.
The southpaw struck out the side in the first inning after giving up a lead-off single to senior Matthew Carlock and walking Crause.
After a lead-off walk to Crause, Foster finished off a CHS threat in the third by catching juniors James Cowan and Casey Ferguson looking at called third strikes.
In the fourth, Foster picked Kitchin off first base for the second out after the CHS second baseman's one-out single had given CHS a 2-1 lead.
Bryan (1-3) lost his third decision in a row, despite throwing a six-hitter, with just one walk, over six innings in the nightcap.
Castle Rock erased a 2-1 deficit in the bottom of the third, exploiting three CHS errors for four unearned runs. The Rockets' first run also was unearned.
The Bruins jumped on Rockets right-hander Nathan Roubicek in the first, taking a 2-0 lead with one out on junior Jason Carlock's RBI single and a run-scoring double by Cowan.
But Roubicek got out of a bases-loaded jam when the Rock's third baseman converted a line-drive out into an inning-ending double play by tagging his bag.
Bryan scored CHS's final run in the top of the seventh after a lead-off double. He advanced home on an errant catcher's throw while trying to steal third base.
"Both Eric and Jon pitched great games. They were locating the ball well and getting (Castle Rock batters) to hit the ball where we wanted them to," McCutcheon said. "They just didn't get a lot of help offensively or defensively."
Game One
Bruins010 121 1 -- 6 6 5
Rockets 001 050 1 -- 7 4 1
Batteries:
Columbia: Crause and J. Carlock. C-Rock: Foster and Martinsen. WP -- Foster (7 IP, 6 hits, 6 BBs, 8 Ks, 6 ERs, 1 pick-off). LP -- Crause (4-1; 6.2 IP, 4 hits, 3 BBs, 6 Ks, 2 ERs).
Highlights:
Columbia: Charlie Kitchin, 2-3, HR, 2 RBIs, SB, run; Eric Crause, 1-2, 2 SBs, run; James Cowan, 1-4, 2B, 2 RBIs; Kenny Mace, 3 BBs, 2 runs; Dane Ludwig, 1-3, 2B, 2 RBIs, SacBunt; Matthew Carlock 1-4, SB; Jason Carlock, SacBunt, SB, run. LOB: 8.
C-Rock: Caleb Ledford, SacFly, RBI, run; Kyle Foster, 1-3, SB, 2 runs; Corey Londo, 1-4, RBI; Josh Wenger, 2-4, 2B. LOB: 6.
Game Two
Bruins200 000 1 -- 3 6 6
Rockets 014 002 x -- 7 6 1
Batteries:
Columbia: Bryan and Hunsaker. C-Rock: Roubicek and Martinsen. WP -- Roubicek (7 IP, 6 hits, 4 BBs, 7 Ks, 3 ERs). LP -- Bryan (1-3; 6 IP, 6 hits, 1 BB, 4 Ks, 2 ERs).
Highlights:
Columbia: J.Carlock, 1-4, RBI, run; James Cowan, 1-3, 2B; Kenny Mace, 1-3, RBI; Jon Bryan, 1-2, 2B, SB, run; Charlie Kitchin, 1-2, 2B, SB; Matthew Carlock, SB, run; Dayne Combelic, 1-2. LOB: 6. Double play: F9-4-2, in 5th.
C-Rock: Kyle Foster, 2-3, 2B, RBI, run; Josh Wenger, 1-3, 2 SBs, run; Nathan Roubicek, 1-1, 2B, run, 2 SacBunts; Corey Londo, 1-2, RBI, SacBunt; Caleb Ledford, SB, RBI; Chase Martinsen, 2 runs. LOB: 2. Double play: F5-U, in 1st.
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