Resurrection Christian junior first baseman Braedyn Budd stepped into the batter’s box for the first time since March 14 with a runner on first base in the bottom of the first inning Tuesday night at RCS’ Faith Field.
After taking a ball and fouling off a second pitch, he sent the third offering he saw from Berthoud starting pitcher Wyatt Barmes over the right field fence. It gave RCS a 2-0 lead and the Cougars went on to defeat the Spartans, 8-3.
For Budd, it was a long wait to take his first swings at RCS’ new on-campus field, and his first-inning blast jump-started the Cougars’ offense that scored all eight of its runs in the first two innings.
“It was definitely good to be back on the field, having a lot of confidence in the team,” Budd said. “They’ve been swinging it well this past couple of games, and so it felt good to jump back in and pick up where I left off.
“The pitch I hit was a curveball. He left it hanging. I wasn’t really thinking a whole lot in the box. I just trusted myself, trusted my swing and it paid off.”
An all-state honorable mention last season, Budd fouled a ball off his foot during the team’s spring break trip to Arizona in mid-March. It was broken and he had to watch his teammates from the bench up until Tuesday night.
His first-inning home run was part of a five-run frame for the Cougars, who also scored a pair of runs in the inning on a two-run single by Carson Klein, who then scored the fifth run of the inning on an error.
From there, the Cougars cruised. They added three more runs in the second inning and made that early 8-0 lead hold up despite not scoring again. RCS starting pitcher Will Busby limited the Spartans to just one run in his four innings of work while striking out three.
“I think we’re piecing hits together,” RCS head coach Mike Magaro said. “We’re putting together good quality at-bats. Will’s filling up the zone. Any time Will steps on the mound, he’s given us a chance to win pretty much all year. There are some little things we’ve got to clean up for the next couple of weeks. The message right now is every game is like a playoff game.”
The Cougars have made a habit of playing in the Class 3A state tournament the past several years, but after 17 games, they are 9-8 and No. 13 in the CHSAA Selection & Seeding Index. The top 32 teams at the end of the season qualify for regionals, with the top eight teams hosting. The regional winners will then advance to the state tournament at Butch Butler Field in Greeley.
RCS has big games coming up, including a contest next Tuesday against No. 2 Eaton. Before that game, however, the Cougars will face Fort Morgan, the No. 12 team in Class 4A, on Thursday. Then Saturday, they will play a pair of games against Basalt and Colorado Academy.
Tuesday’s victory was the Cougars’ sixth in their past seven games. They are in second place in the 4A/3A/2A Patriot League with a 6-1 mark and gaining momentum.
“We’re the team that could be a problem come playoff time,” Magaro said. “If we show up and we play, I mean, we’re really young so it’s tough to tell, but if we can stay consistent with what we’re trying to do and how we practice and stay focused and locked in and have good attitudes about it, we’re going to be a tough team to beat down the stretch I think.”
The Cougars are also undefeated in six games at their new home field this season. After having to play home games in Windsor, Greeley and Johnstown over the past few years, being able to play on their own campus has been a blessing, Magaro said.
Berthoud, meanwhile, is on the bubble as far as qualifying for postseason play is concerned. At 6-12, The Spartans are No. 34 in the Selection & Seeding Index with a home-and-home Longs Peak League series against Mountain View coming up Saturday and Monday. They will play a makeup game against Frederick following their Saturday morning game against the Mountain Lions.
