As rain began to sprinkle down and the wind picked up, the Doherty baseball team played Hacky Sack in the Fountain-Fort Carson parking lot. 

The Spartans had a five-run lead after the top of the first inning, but a lightning delay right after threatened to spoil their momentum. So, the Spartan boys turned to a game of Hacky Sack, a recent discovery for the team, and came out with a 12-3 win over the host Trojans on Thursday night. 

“It’s been bringing us together as a team a lot more,” junior Romeo Diaz said of the popular beanbag game. “It clears everyone’s mind and reminds us we are just playing a game at the end of the day. If we come out and play loose, we win.”

Thursday’s win moves the Spartans (8-6, 3-2 league) into third in a competitive 5A CSML behind Pine Creek and Rampart, while the Trojans (7-8, 2-3 league) sit in fifth. Doherty and Fountain-Fort Carson meet again Saturday on the Spartans’ home field. 

A home run by junior Avery Popovich in the top of the first opened scoring for Doherty, which had a 5-2 lead after the first inning. The Spartans went on to add four more runs in a thrilling second inning, and one in the fourth and fifth innings, while holding the Trojans to just one run, an RBI double from Karter Vega-Hernandez in the sixth inning. 

“A lot of time when you come off an inning like that, and you’re shut down (from a delay), you tend to lose your momentum,” Doherty coach Andy Storm said. “We lost a little, but I think we made up for it and kept plugging away.”

Storm said one of his assistant coaches introduced Hacky Sack to the team, and it has been a way for them to blow off steam, including during the weather delay.

The Doherty team has progressed significantly throughout this season, according to Storm, and is perhaps one of the most talented teams he has coached at Doherty. 

“Even bench guys could probably start in varsity programs around the city,” Storm said. “We have a hard time finding it sometimes, and that’s usually our mental game, but right now everything seems to be clicking for a lot of our players.” 

Besides talent, camaraderie has been an important part of the Spartans’ success this season. 

“The boys are playing for each other, and that’s something we are trying to stress, which is the team mentality,” Storm said. 

“This season we’ve had to show a lot of grit, and all of us had to come together as a family to battle through some tough wins and tough losses,” senior John Oakes said. “Going through that has helped us build a lot of camaraderie.” 

The Spartans have had an up-and-down season, including a four-game losing streak, but Thursday’s win gives them a boost of confidence as they fight for a league title. Storm is looking for consistency, but most importantly, a team that works together. 

“Tonight we fought as a team, which we’ve struggled with lately,” senior Sam Chvatal said. “We’ve had some good baseball and some bad baseball, but today was a great win because we all came together and contributed in some way and it shows how Doherty baseball is and should be all the time.” 

It’s no surprise that the boys were playing Hacky Sack in the dugout following their team’s win.