Blue Jackets fly through weekend with three wins

Avenging an early season loss

Coach Vann Taylor has his team running tight these days and it showed this past weekend, as they fired off three wins in a row including taking both ends of a double-header against Delta.
It was a solid turnaround from the week before. After their loss to Montrose two weeks ago, the team put together three solid days of practice to get ready for the weekend.
“We’ve definitely been working hard in practice,” says Taylor. “We were focused on defense and minimizing, if not eliminating, errors. The pitching’s coming along, also. We’re throwing a lot of strikes.”
It’s a nice complement to their already potent offense. Heading into the games last weekend, four of the Blue Jackets are hitting above .400 and three are hitting in the .300s.
“We play small ball,” explains Taylor. “We like to make the defense make plays. I know these guys can hit the ball. I don’t want these guys to strike out and I’d rather not see us walk either.”
The Blue Jackets opened the weekend of play on Friday, June 10 at home against Gunnison. Gunnison handed the Blue Jackets a 12-9 defeat in the second game of the season but the Blue Jackets were determined to not only avenge the loss but also defend Tommy V Field.
Taylor looked to Aaron Blunck to take the mound against Gunnison. Blunck started the first game against Gunnison, and Taylor thought Blunck might want some revenge.
“I asked him if he wanted another shot at them and he was amped up to throw against them again,” says Taylor.
The Blue Jackets took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Peter Bright singled, stole second and then scored on a base hit by Montana Wiggins.
But Gunnison came back in the top of the second to rattle off four runs and build a 4-1 lead.
The bottom of the Blue Jackets batting order connected for a series of base hits to score a run. Tylor Byers doubled and Ian Dethloff singled. Dethloff stole second and Byers snuck home for the Blue Jackets lone run.
The Blue Jackets held the Gunnison hitters in check in the top of the third, led by a brilliant 1-4-3 double play.
After walking the first batter, Blunck flagged down a one-hop grounder up the middle, turned and fired to Sam Reaman covering second, who then tossed to Dethloff at first for the double play.
The Blue Jackets added another run in the bottom of the third and their defense held Gunnison scoreless once again in the top of the fourth inning.
Reaman converted a routine grounder, Blunck struck out the second batter and Byers tracked down a fly ball to right to retire the side.
The Blue Jackets bats caught fire in the bottom of the fourth inning, stroking five base hits and scoring seven runs.
Dethloff opened it up, taking one in the ribs for the team to reach first and then scoring on a passed ball two hitters later.
Blunck and Reaman each connected for RBI base hits and Bright chopped a RBI double up the middle.
Byers added to his work on defense with some offense cracking a two-RBI single and Dethloff capped the rally with a two-RBI stand up triple to give the Blue Jackets a 10-4 lead.
“Ian’s bat has really come alive,” says Taylor. “I knew he had the potential.”
But there was plenty of game left and Taylor knew Gunnison had the bats to make a comeback.
“I knew that they had the potential to hit the ball and get base hits,” says Taylor.
Just as Taylor suspected, the Gunnison offense found their rhythm in the top of the fifth.
After they rattled off three base hits and scored a run, Taylor pulled Blunck and brought Quinn Winter in to pitch. Blunck finished the game with five strikeouts.
“He was throwing really well,” says Taylor. “They were just figuring him out after seeing him two and sometimes three times.”
Gunnison scored two more runs to cut the Blue Jackets lead down to three, but Winter shut it down with a strikeout to stop the bleeding.
“I knew Quinn would get us a ground ball or a fly ball. It was just a matter of our defense backing him up,” says Taylor. “I definitely had confidence in him to throw strikes.”
The two teams traded off defensive stands and the Blue Jackets were sitting on a 10-7 lead going into the top of the seventh inning.
Winter struck out another Gunnison batter, but they connected for a couple of base hits to score a run with only one out.
The Blue jackets denied Gunnison an attempted double steal as Bright made the tag at the plate but Gunnison followed with a RBI single to pull within one.
Two stolen bases later, Gunnison had the tying run on third with two outs, but Reaman scooped a grounder and fired to first for the final out to hold the 10-9 Blue Jackets win.
The Blue Jackets carried the momentum from the Gunnison win into a double header with Delta on Saturday, June 11.
Delta brought two teams in but neither could hang with Crested Butte as the Blue Jackets beat Delta I 33-6 and then defeated Delta II 30-3.
Liam Mortell and Reaman pitched the first game and Byers recorded his first complete game in Crested Butte’s second win of the day.
“I’m super proud of them,” says Taylor. “It didn’t just happen—they’ve been working really hard.”
Unfortunately, the team is losing six of its ten players for the next two weeks, leaving Taylor scrambling to fill the roster and keep the season going until the playoffs.
“We possibly have some new faces coming in,” says Taylor. “I just want to play enough games to qualify for the playoffs.”
The playoffs start on July 5 and the team should be back to full strength by then.
“If I can get them back and into their rhythm and gelling again, we can make a run,” says Taylor.