Baseball: Holy Family rallies past top-ranked Eaton

DENVER -- Clutch play from catcher is a Holy Family tradition. But Chris McManus' work Saturday might have taken the cake when it comes to game-breakers by the backstop.

The sophomore made hearts skip a beat at Coors Field, sealing a 5-4 win over one of the Class 3A sixth-ranked Tigers' most heated rivals. His two-run walk-off single left Eaton reeling, especially since until that moment the Reds -- ranked first in the Denver Post coaches poll -- had all but sealed the deal.

The hit came with the Tigers down by one, with two outs and McManus standing at the plate with two strikes.

"That is the best baseball memory I have so far," said the catcher, who went 1 for 4 at the plate. "I'll never forget the hit, not in my entire life."

McManus' hit rode the line just over the third baseman's head and into the no-man's land between third and the left fielder.

Marc Cowell wasted no time driving the stake into Eaton's heart on the play. The Tigers skipper was coaching third and began waving his runners in the moment the ball left McManus' bat.

With bases loaded at the time, the coach was not going to take a second chance on what had -- up to that point -- been a fairly defensive game.

"The first thing I thought of was send (Matt) Erb home (from second)" Cowell said. "The game was going to be over with that play."

The win was the Tigers' second straight over Eaton (3-1), with Holy Family team having eliminated the Reds in the 2011 Class 3A state tournament on the way its third finals appearance in a row.

From Cowell's perspective, the victory also went a long way in proving Holy Family is far from a morning glory when it comes to baseball.

"It's kind of like (Denver Broncos owner) Pat Bowlen has said, we don't want to rebuild," Cowell said. "If we want to be

Holy Family's Adrian Do makes the out of Eaton's Colton Lind (5) at second base and looks to throw to first for a double play. ( DEREK BROUSSARD )

considered the best ... we have to come out and compete every year."

Holy Family (7-0, 3-0 Metro League) surged back at the end of the game, scoring all its runs in the final three innings. The Tigers appeared to be moving in the right direction in the sixth when the team tied the score 2-2, with its biggest at-bat up to that point.

The Tigers scored one run off two hits in the inning, with Adrian Do providing the proper poke for the situation. The second baseman entered the game in the inning and knocked an RBI single up the middle.

Eaton answered in the top of the seventh.

The Reds scored consecutive runs to take a 4-2 lead in the final inning. In many respects, the one-run single by lead-off hitter Jacob Mondragon and one-run double by two-hole hitter Weston Hager appeared to all but seal the game.

"The great thing is we bounced back all day," Do said.

McManus provided the most resounding rebound of the game. And even with the first-year starter stepping into one of the tensest situations of his career, he felt little of the pressure.

He just tried to execute his coaches' advice.

"They just told me: 'Don't be a hero and do it for the team,'" the catcher said.

At least he got the part about doing it for the team right.

Follow Woody on twitter: @ElwoodKShelton

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Holy Family 5, Eaton 4

At Coors Field

Eaton (3-1) 001 010 2 -- 4 8 2

Holy Family (7-0, 3-0) 000 011 3 -- 7 7 0

W -- Simpson (4-0). L -- Mossberg.

Eaton hitting (ab-r-h-rbi) -- Mondragon 3-1-2-2, Hager 4-0-2-1, Batt 4-0-1-0, K. Dyer 3-0-0-0, Abbott 2-0-0-0, Hall 3-0-0-0, Lind 3-0-1-0, B. Dyer 3-2-0-0, Longwell 3-1-1-0. Total 28-4-8-3. 2B -- Mondragon, Hager. 3B -- None. HR -- None. SB -- Hager, Abbott.

Holy Family hitting (ab-r-h-rbi) -- Elliot 2-1-1-0, Grandberg 2-1-0-0, West 2-0-1-1, DeHerrera 1-0-0-0, Trombley 4-0-1-1, Erb 0-1-0-0, Wells 3-1-1-0, Tinnon 2-0-0-0, Johnson 1-0-0-0, McManus 4-0-1-2, Dedin 2-0-1-0, Do 1-0-1-1, Stanley 1-1-0-0, Harris 1-0-0-0. Totals 26-5-7-5. 2B -- None. 3B -- West. HR -- None. SB -- None.

Eaton pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) -- Kohler 2-1-0-0-3-1; Abbott 2 1/3-2-1-2-2-2; Mossberg 2 2/3-4-3-3-1-4.

Holy Family pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) -- Simpson 6 1/3-5-2-2-2-6; Brown 1/3-2-2-0-0-1, Trombley 1/3-0-0-0-0-0.

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