Following a regular season defined by dominant game play, Sterling baseball’s year came to an end at regionals over the weekend.
The Tigers, having traveled to No. 7 Delta as the No. 10 seed in the Class 3A Region 7 tournament, barely squeaked out their first-round game over No. 23 Kent Denver with a 6-5 thriller, but were no match for Delta in the regional title game.
The Panthers sent them packing with a 14-3 final.
In the earlier game, the Tigers took an early lead after putting up four runs in the bottom of the third, and maintained the advantage through the end of the fifth inning. That’s when the Sun Devils started to close the gap by scoring two runs to make it 4-3 Sterling, then they scored two more to take the lead in the top of the sixth.
The Tigers put up one last hurrah in the bottom of the seventh to walk it off and extend their season, if only briefly.
They ended their year with an 18-7 record, and had two players on either end of the age spectrum to lead them along the way. Senior Wyatt Buckley averaged .382 at the plate, and supplemented that number with 33 RBIs, 26 hits, and 19 runs. Freshman Dayten DiOrio, likewise, averaged. .301 and raked in 29 RBIs, 22 hits and 20 runs.
The junior tandem of Cameron Gonzalez and Trenton Allen combined for 87 innings on the mound, 122 strikeouts, 57 walks and 56 earned runs.
Sterling’s Doherty qualifies for state golf
After an exceptional season that saw her assert herself among the Class 3A competition, Sterling’s Macie Doherty kept that fire alive in her 3A Region 3 golf tournament at Northeastern 18 on Monday.
The Tiger sophomore secured her spot in the 3A state tournament after placing 11th in a field of 54, scoring a 27-over-par 99 to make her bid. Each regional tournament sends “two full teams and 13 individuals not on a team,” according to CHSAA guidelines.
Doherty ensured her 11th-place finish would leave no doubt.
