Niwot baseball's versatile offense producing wins

The Niwot baseball team won back-to-back games for the first time in 2021 after taking down Skyline on June 3 and Centaurus on June 5.

Now sitting at 4-9, Head Coach Adam Strah said his team hasn't panicked despite its record. A postseason appearance may be unlikely but Niwot has found its groove in the season's waning stretch.

"I would say they just have kept pushing forward and a little bit of that is paying off now," Strah said.

Following a 5-3 loss at Riverdale Ridge on June 1, the Cougars bounced back nicely in a non-league matchup at Skyline. Niwot cranked out six extra-base hits in a 6-inning mercy-rule 14-4 victory. Junior Jack Brooker hit a double and a triple in the cleanup spot while six Cougars had multiple RBIs.

"With so many close losses this year, winning big feels good for these guys," Strah said. "I'm glad they get to experience that and a big confidence booster going into our last week."

Freshman Brooks Barber has played with a confidence well beyond his years in 2021. Niwot's third baseman picked up his third two-hit game of the season which included an RBI single in the first inning and an RBI triple in the fourth. Barber cut a Skyline threat short in the bottom of the fourth when he barehanded a ground ball and threw across his body to nip the batter at first and end the inning.

"Starting varsity as a freshman has always been a big dream of mine," Barber said. "To be here and doing it, it's a lot of fun."

Skyline struggled to put together much offense as senior Micah Sheats allowed three runs, two of them earned, in four innings. Brooker came in for the final two innings and struck out four.

Niwot returned home on June 5 for another non-league matchup against Centaurus. Unlike their previous game, the Cougars didn't record an extra-base hit but instead used small ball and capitalized on four Warrior errors to win 5-3.

Leading 4-3 in the fifth inning, Niwot's offensive approach shined when Sheats reached first base on a single, moved to third on a successful hit and run by Brooker and then scored on a Barber sacrifice fly.

"We had opportunities to move guys around and play the small ball game," Strah said. "You do that when you have to and it helped today."

Not to be forgotten was another strong pitching performance from senior Hayden Morford, who allowed three runs, one of them earned, in five innings. Senior catcher Josh Strid, who returned from a sore thumb injured in the Skyline game, didn't have to move his glove much from behind the plate.

"Hayden is very accurate when he's on the mound, he doesn't throw a lot of balls," Strid said. "He didn't walk a guy and just (threw) a lot of strikes with good command."

The love was likely mutual in the second inning when Strid threw out a Centaurus runner attempting to steal second base.

"To have a senior catcher is huge, and then to have a senior catcher that can be a leader is even better," Strah said. "It just gives us that confident consistency behind the plate."

And once again, Niwot's bullpen held the lead. This time it was sophomore Jed Kilpatrick and what Strid called a "killer curveball" that held Centaurus scoreless in the final two innings. Centaurus loaded the bases in the seventh but Kilpatrick induced a ground ball to secure the win.

Niwot will close out its season with Berthoud on June 7, Silver Creek on June 8 and Windsor at home on June 10. Ten senior Cougars will conclude their final high school careers.

Strid said it will be a "bittersweet" week for him. But for younger players such as Barber, Strid believes a successful end of the season will pay dividends moving forward.

"For the juniors, sophomores (and) freshmen on this team, having that momentum at the end of this season knowing that we finished so strong, it brings so much confidence to next season," Strid said. "If we can win out, that'll be such a good end of the season."