Niwot baseball holds off Severance in season opener

The Niwot High School varsity baseball team kicked off its 2025 season in style on March 6 with a drama-filled win at Severance High School.

Needing one final out to secure victory, Niwot senior pitcher Kaige Kennedy played hero in the seventh inning when he made Severance pay for a baserunning mistake. With Niwot up 8-6, Severance had runners on second and third base when Kennedy threw a wild pitch. The Silver Knight on third scored easily, but his teammate on second stumbled after rounding third base, allowing Kennedy to make a diving tag for the third out to end the game.

Fourth-year Niwot head coach Ken Rosales said he had never seen a ballgame conclude quite like that.

"They still kept focused and realized what was in front of them," Rosales said following Niwot's 8-7 win. "They were talking and everybody was communicating, which allowed that last play to happen."

Still covered in chalk from his game-ending play, Kennedy spoke on the memorable finish to Niwot's season opener.

"As I watched him (Severance runner) break, I let him get a couple of steps before I went and gave him my attention," Kennedy said. "If he didn't slip, I would have tossed it to third, but he slipped. He didn't have solid footing. I ran him down and had to lay out to get that out. Whatever it takes."

On a chilly afternoon in Weld County, Niwot jumped out to a 4-0 lead entering the bottom of the third inning, with Kennedy, Haden Shaw, Drew Stapp, and Jack Schrock each scoring a run. Severance tied things up with a four-run third inning, but the Cougars answered with a three-run fourth to go up 7-4. In that big fourth inning, Shaw led off with a triple, and Kennedy and Henry Noblin each tallied an RBI single.

Senior Jagger Kilpatrick, who threw only about nine innings last season before suffering an arm injury, made a triumphant return to the mound as Niwot's opening day starter. Kilpatrick allowed four runs in 2-⅓ innings pitched while striking out three Silver Knights.

"I was really happy with Jagger," Rosales said. "Him coming out today, he did a phenomenal job."

From there, sophomore Jack O'Hara threw 2-⅔ innings, and Kennedy recorded the final six outs. All three Niwot hurlers also benefited from an errorless performance in the field.

"The guys stayed together when they (Severance) came back," Rosales said. "They never gave up. They knew they were always in the game. That's the thing with this team - we know what we have. If we just stay in it, we can win."

Now 1-0, Niwot will visit Lewis-Palmer High School in Monument on March 13. The Cougars will then host The Academy in their home opener on March 14.