Lakewood bashes five home runs in victory over Wheat Ridge

BY DENNIS PLEUSS JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LAKEWOOD — A bit of a rough start April 3 on the baseball diamond did the trick in waking up the Lakewood Tigers’ bats

Wheat Ridge took a 2-0 lead in the top of the rst inning. Senior DJ Miller stole home on a throwback to the Lakewood pitcher Garrett Weingardt after a walk to highlight the inning.

However, it was all Lakewood from there on out. e Tigers scored 19 unanswered runs to take a 19-2 victory that ended with a walk-o , 3-run home run by senior Aizik Wegs in the bottom of the fourth inning to induce the 15-run mercy rule.

“It was a good little rebound for us after struggling last week o ensively,” Lakewood coach Derrick Peterson said. “We were able to nd our swing again and playing good baseball. is time of year that is what we are here to do.”

Lakewood (6-3 record) su ered losses to Legend and Castle View the previous week. e Tigers combined for just six runs in those two losses where they gave up 24 runs.

It was a completely di erent story on Lakewood’s home eld against the Farmers (1-7, 0-1 in Class 4A Je co League). e Tigers belted ve home runs in the victory that ended the 2-game losing streak.

“Today we were just having fun,”

Lakewood senior Eze Rojas said of the Tigers’ 13-hit performance that included the ve home runs. “Lately we have played scared. We played some tough competition. When we are having fun, being ourselves and being a team we can do some dam- age with the bats.”

Rojas hit his fourth and ve home runs on the season against Wheat Ridge. e senior crushed a solo home run in the bottom of the rst inning. He ripped a laser over the left eld fence for a 2-run home run in the bottom of the third inning.

“I was just up there to swing at everything really,” Rojas said of his approach at the plate. “Just see ball, hit ball. I had fun doing that today.”

Rojas had a .478 batting average with nearly half of his 11 hits having left the yard through the Tigers’ rst eight games. He also has a triple and 10 RBIs.

“He is a special one for sure,” Peterson said Rojas. “Watching how he trains and how he takes every single pitch in (batting practice) seriously. It de nitely translates onto the eld for what he does. He never gets short-changed.”

Sophomore Mathis Joens added to the home run parade with a solo home run in the bottom of the second inning. Senior Bryson Stieger had a pinch-hit, 2-run home run to cap o the 9-run bottom of the third inning.

Wegs nished o the game with the fth and nal shot over the fence by the Tigers in the bottom of the fourth inning.

On the mound, Weingardt settled in after giving up two runs in the rst inning. e senior nished with six strikeouts before being relieved by sophomore lefty CJ Mahoney with one out in the top of the fourth inning.

Mahoney struck out a pair to allow