Thursday’s game at Denver Christian High School between the Denver Generals and Colorado Cannons was a marathon of surprises and breakouts, to say the least. In the top of the fourth inning the Cannons had the bases juiced when the rain pelted the field, causing the game to be called off for about a 20 minutes.

When the game resumed, the teams took two very different approaches. The Generals who were down by two made a nearly complete lineup overhaul while the Cannons kept their starting lineup in tact throughout the game. Neither approach was really defined as a winner for awhile.

At first, the Generals experiment with  which they have done all season long looked to be paying off. Braeden Thomson was put in the game as a substitution at first base. On a 2-0 pitch he lined a clutch three-run triple to center to tie the game up at four. Following this the Generals took a 5-4 lead thanks to an RBI groundout by Parker Dorrance.

The Cannons however responded to this with a 7-5 lead in the seventh thanks to small-ball, a lead they would take into the ninth. Just as it looked as though the marathon was coming to an end in the bottom of the ninth Ross Smith, another late game replacement lined a 3-2 pitch to left center for a two-run homer. This tied the game and sent it to extra innings.

Neither team would score again until the 12th inning. The big story of the game came from both teams getting big innings from late game pitching experiments. Westin Vanderwerf who started the game as the designated hitter for the Generals, struck out six batters pitching in the game’s last five innings. Meanwhile for the Cannons, Brady Ingalls who played most of the game at third, came in and delivered the last two innings of work on the mound.

Ultimately, the Cannons emerged victorious 10-8. This was thanks to a three-run-homer launched to right field by first baseman Dominic Lopez. The Generals scored one run and threatened by loading the bases in the bottom of the 12th. But Ingalls struck out Ross Smith to end the marathon with a 10-8 victory for the Cannons.