Pine Creek senior Grant Kraus knew he had to respond in the bottom of the fifth inning with Air Academy threatening to swing the momentum of Saturday’s season opener.

Kraus provided Pine Creek with enough breathing room by ripping a two-run single up the middle with one out off Air Academy reliever Zachary Pape to score Reagan Biechler and CJ Krainock to extend the Eagles’ lead to three. Pikes Peak area 5A No. 1 Pine Creek went on to earn an 8-6 victory at home.

“I knew I had guys in scoring position, so I knew if I got the ball in play and hit it hard something good was going to happen,” said the Central Washington-bound player. “I got a pitch down the middle and was able to drive it right back up at the pitcher.”

Kraus was 1-for-1 with a walk and a team-high three RBIs.

“That was huge,” said Pine Creek coach Glenn Millhauser. “It made me breathe a little easier because it was pretty tight at that point.”

Class 4A No. 1 Air Academy (0-1) then lifted Millhauser’s blood pressure some after Matt Ryan, who also had a solo home run in the fourth, made it a one-run ballgame in the top of the sixth by lacing a two-run double down the left-field line off Josh Prater to cut Pine Creek’s lead to 7-6.

“I was looking for a fastball and he gave it to me, and I just wanted to put a good swing on it and help the team out,” Ryan said. “Pine Creek is a great team and they played us well.”

Prater answered in the bottom half of the inning with a monster solo home run to center field to make it 8-6.

Brian Skrdlant earned the save by forcing Trevor Goldberg into a groundout with the tying run at the plate.

“I have to tip my hat to Air Academy. They played very well, stuck around and kept coming back,” Millhauser said.  “It’s hard to close the door on a good team.”

Air Academy coach Bernie Moncallo said he was happy with his team’s effort to try and come back, but said his team hurt itself.

“This is probably the best team in the city, and if not the state, and we saw their best two guys and hung with them,” Moncallo said. “I am quite happy with our performance today even though we made some mistakes in the middle of the game.”

Kadet starter Gehrig Ensor (0-1) struggled and received the loss after allowing five runs on nine hits, three balks and two walks. Two of Ensor’s balks scored runners from third base.

Ensor had the tough task of facing off against Pine Creek ace Biechler, who lifted a home run to right field off Ensor in the second inning.

Biechler, a Wichita State-bound senior, earned the victory by allowing one run on three hits and a walk in three innings while striking out four.

Biechler (1-0) also had a fine day at the plate going 2-for-3 with a home run, a double and a run.

Krainock (3-for-3) demonstrated great speed on the bases with three stolen bases.

Kraus believes Saturday was an example of one of the Eagles’ greatest strengths this season.

“A lot of people are doubting us with Ryan Warner leaving, but we come together as a team with the best of them,” Kraus said. “No matter what happens in a game, we are always still together and have that chemistry and drive to finish these close games out.”