Grand slam sparks Glenwood baseball to victory over Basalt in high-scoring thriller
Taylor Cramer/Glenwood Springs Post Independent
The Glenwood Springs High School baseball team overcame an early deficit to secure a 14-11 victory against the Basalt Longhorns on Thursday at Glenwood Springs Middle School to improve its record to 2-2 on the season.
Basalt jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning thanks to key hits from senior Gage Balderson and juniors Kody Barton and Taylor Hays. However, Glenwood’s resilience was on full display as they battled back, highlighted by a momentum-shifting grand slam from senior Jake Sims in the bottom of the second inning.
Basalt set the pace early with Balderson’s lead-off double, quickly followed by Barton sliding home off a base hit. Hays mirrored Barton’s effort, boosting Basalt to a 2-0 lead. Despite this, Glenwood junior Jackson Irving nearly homered in the bottom of the first inning, setting the stage for the Demons’ comeback. Irving then scored off a hit from senior Jackson Aguirre, with junior Max Mazur’s single bringing another run home to narrow the gap.
The game turned in the second inning when Sims launched a bases-loaded home run, catapulting Glenwood to an 8-4 lead. This pivotal moment swung the momentum firmly in favor of the Demons, who continued to build on their lead with standout performances from Evan Justice and other key players.
“It was good to get that momentum, but we just have to keep up our intensity and play with consistency for a full seven innings,” Sims said. He emphasized the importance of taking games one at a time and focusing solely on the immediate opponent.
Despite trailing significantly, Basalt began a comeback in the sixth inning, tightening Glenwood’s lead with impressive hitting down the final stretch while also capitalizing on Glenwood errors. However, Glenwood’s early lead and strategic pitching changes were enough to stave off Basalt’s late-game rally.
Glenwood Springs coach Rob Norville acknowledged the team’s lapse in focus, but praised their overall effort and the win’s significance.
“We lost our focus,” Norville said. “Credit to Basalt for making that game interesting. We were lucky to be up as much as we were, and I’m happy we were able to finish the job, but we can’t let up leads like that.”
Looking forward, Norville emphasized the importance of maintaining defensive rigor and keeping the team’s arms healthy, especially with spring break on the horizon.
“This is a hard-working team,” Norville said. “We just need to make sure to work on some of the little things with our defense and keep our arms healthy throughout the course of the break.”
Following next week’s spring break, the Demons will face off against the Eagle Valley Devils on April 2.
The Longhorns, now 1-2 overall, also head to spring break. BHS next plays at Summit on April 2.
Aspen baseball (1-2) lost 16-9 at Eagle Valley on Thursday. The Skiers are now off for spring break and next play April 9 at Delta.
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