By Tim Donohoo
For the Courant
SHERIDAN — A tall task was before them. Clear Creek sat in fifth position in the 3A Frontier League standings heading into its game at Sheridan on April 26. It needed a good performance.
And the game started out well for the Golddiggers. They tagged Sheridan’s ace sophomore pitcher Donovan Contreraz for two runs in the first inning. Then it all went south after that as the Rams defeated the Golddiggers 16-5  in five innings.
“We really wanted this game, especially against the best team in the league,” said Clear Creek coach Shane Ball. “We hung in there with them for awhile. All season long we have had trouble with one inning and today it happened again.”
That inning was the third. Sheridan held a slim 6-4 lead going into the bottom of the third inning. The Rams proceeded to bring 12 batters to the plate in the frame and scored eight runs. Clear Creek freshman relief pitcher Adam Klemstein was rocked for eight runs on six hits and two walks.
Junior Dalton Dziedzic started the game on the hill for the Golddiggers and surrendered six runs on six hits and two walks in two innings.
Ball was impressed with his squad’s efforts early on.
“The first two innings were great then in the third inning it seemed as if we lost our composure and interest in the game,” he said.
There were a few positives for Clear Creek.
“We were hitting the ball against their best pitcher and drew some walks. We had some good plays in the game,” reiterated Ball. “The double play on the bunt and the pick-off play at third base (in the fourth inning).”
With the Golddiggers leading 2-0 in the first, Dziedzic made the play of the game when he dove to his left to nab a bunt off the bat of Rams junior Demarcos Estrada and turned to double- up the runner at second  base.
The goal remains the same for the Golddiggers going forward.
“We want to win the next game and keep that number five spot and see if we can make the playoffs,” said Ball. Clear Creek was scheduled to play at Platte Canyon on April 29 in its regular-season finale. The Diggers hold a half-game lead over DSST and one-game cushion on Platte Canyon and Bruce Randolph in league play. Results from that game weren’t available at press time.
Clear Creek drops to 9-8 overall and 5-4 in the 3A Frontier League with the loss. Sheridan improved to 9-8 overall and 8-1 in the league standings.