Granada Bobcats Weekly Sports Report, March 31, 2014

With the spring sport schedule a couple of weeks old, the Granada Bobcats are looking like the program that made three straight trips to the Class 1A state baseball championship game between 2007-09, winning the title in the final appearance. The Bobcats took the #6 ranking in the CHSAANow.com poll into last week’s action, and they more than lived up to the billing, going 3-0 in the week.

Granada opened its season last Tuesday by sweeping one of the teams ranked higher in the poll, Holly. The Wildcats, last year’s runners-up, were #4 to start the season, but the Bobcats scored 33 runs in the doubleheader. Granada was the recipient of 14 walks and three hit batsmen in the first game of the double-dip, but the Bobcats could not maintain a 12-4 lead through 4.5 innings.

The Wildcats tied it in the bottom of the fifth, but Granada bounced right back on top with two runs in the top of the sixth. Holly’s bats remained hot in the bottom of that frame, pushing six more runs across the plate to hold an 18-14 lead heading into the final inning. The Bobcats came up with a five-spot in the top of the seventh and then retired the Wildcats without any damage in the bottom of the inning for the 19-18 victory.

Game two saw Granada put eight more runners on base without having to swing the stick. Five reached on walks and three more were hit by pitches. The Bobcats erupted for nine runs in the top of the first and they won the game 14-5 in four innings.

Last Friday, the Bobcats were on the road again, traveling to face County Line. Granada broke open a scoreless tie with a three-run top of the third. That was followed by single tallies in each of the next three innings and they went on to win by a 6-1 count.

Factoring in the sweep of Holly, along with losses by #3 Caliche and #5 Fleming, there is a good chance the Bobcats will hold a top-three ranking when they head into Tuesday’s home-opener against Eads. The Eagles opened the year ranked third, but they have suffered losses in all six of their games to date. Three of those losses were by a single run. The Bobcats will also visit Swink on Thursday, and then be off until they host top-ranked Stratton in DH action on the 14th of the month.

By Kerry Sherman

Colorado high schools for Colorado Preps. Kerry is in his third year of streaming high school sports online for Colorado Preps, and this is his 23rd year of covering high schools for various print and online outlets throughout Colorado. He also has nine years of coaching experience, with the boys basketball programs at Woodlin and Otis.