Ping goes deep (really deep) as Lyons beats Dawson – Boulder Daily C…

LAFAYETTE — Lyons junior Michael Ping hit a home run so far Thursday afternoon that even he was lost on how far it really traveled.

Ping’s two-run shot in the opening inning cleared a 16-foot chain-linked fence and two rows of parked cars before bouncing off the center of an overgrown tree on the Dawson School campus. He deferred to his pitcher for a true estimate.

“I think definitely 400 (feet),” junior Wyatt Waters said. “Maybe 425. It was a pretty good hit.”

Waters tossed six strong innings and Ping finished with three hits and drove in five as the Lions beat the Mustangs for a second straight season, 10-5.

“We were off a pretty bad loss on Tuesday and I felt like the pitcher was throwing meatballs,” Ping said. “And I was like, ‘Might as well go at it.’”

Waters (3-0) won his third straight decision, bouncing back after he allowed three runs before getting an out.

Following the shaky start, he retired 14 of his next 15 batters as Lyons (6-3, 3-2 Class 2A/1A Mile High League) built a seven-run lead heading into the fifth. After giving up a pair of run-scoring singles there, he finished his day off with a 1-2-3 sixth.

Waters’ final line looked like this: Five runs, three earned, and a career-best 14 strikeouts in six innings.

Jake Lacrosse stranded two on base in closing the seventh.

“I think the first inning I was a little bit in my head,” said Waters, whose previous high in strikeouts was 13 in a game, something he achieved twice. “I came back to the dugout and my coaches and teammates were behind me. We were tied 3-3 at that point. But I felt like I had my team behind me and we rolled on.”

Maybe most impressive for Waters was that he induced just the second out of the spring season from Dawson senior Ashtin Gilio.

The Georgetown commit was 10 for 11 from the plate with three home runs and nine walks before he flew out to right field in the third.

“Ashtin Gilio, last year, hit a ball like 480 feet off of him,” Lyons coach Kale Olson grinned. “I think he had that built up in his head. And once he got past that (first at-bat) he was able to focus on the rest of the game.”

Gilio had two more hits and was also hit by a pitch, driving in three in the loss. He is now 11 of 13 from the plate this season with two doubles, four triples, three homers and 12 free passes. His .846 batting average is the best in the state.

“I’m just trying to square balls up,” Gilio said. “A lot of times I have men on base and I’m trying to keep it simple. I’m hitting it well, so I don’t need to change too much now.”

Lyons is home against Elbert Saturday. Dawson is at Dayspring Christian Academy Tuesday.