Golden Baseball Crushes Denver South with 9 Extra-Base Hits

Demons' junior Cole Courtney hits first career home run in 14-4 victory

Apr. 16, 2026 at 2:05am

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a high school baseball game, with overlapping planes of bright green, blue, and yellow shapes representing the dynamic action on the field.Golden High School's explosive offensive display against Denver South showcases the team's depth and firepower as they pursue another league title.Denver Today

The Golden High School baseball team dominated Denver South, winning 14-4 in five innings. Junior Cole Courtney led the offensive onslaught, going 4-for-4 with a home run and 5 RBIs. The Demons racked up 17 hits, including 9 extra-base hits, to extend their winning streak to 6 games.

Why it matters

Golden is the defending 4A state champion and is seeking its sixth straight conference title. This lopsided victory over a conference opponent demonstrates the Demons' offensive firepower as they gear up for the league schedule.

The details

Golden jumped out to a 10-0 lead, highlighted by Courtney's 2-run home run in the 4th inning. The Demons scored in every inning and got multiple-hit games from several players, including Gunnar Herrick, Brody McBroom, Liam Leffert, and Charlie Thompson. Sophomore pitcher Austin Bittner was dominant through 4 innings before Denver South scored 4 runs in the 5th, but Golden responded with 4 more runs in the bottom half to end the game via the mercy rule.

  • Cole Courtney hit his first career home run in the 4th inning.
  • Golden scored 5 runs in the bottom of the 4th to take a 10-0 lead.
  • Denver South scored 4 runs in the top of the 5th to cut the deficit to 10-4.
  • Golden scored 4 runs in the bottom of the 5th to end the game via the 10-run mercy rule.

The players

Cole Courtney

A junior right fielder for Golden High School who went 4-for-4 with a home run and 5 RBIs in the game.

Austin Bittner

A sophomore pitcher for Golden who struck out 10 batters through 4 innings before giving up 4 runs in the 5th.

Jackie McBroom

The head coach of the Golden High School baseball team.

Evan Cahill

A junior for Denver South who hit a 3-run home run in the 5th inning.

Dennis Pleuss

The author of the article, who covers Jeffco Public Schools sports.

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What they’re saying

“I was just aiming to get to second base and I looked up, it was gone. It was a good feeling. It put us in a good position for the rest of the game.”

— Cole Courtney, Golden Right Fielder

“That is how everyone's No. 9 hole hits. Right? Cole is good. We have four outfielders who swing the bat pretty well. It makes it challenging to get them all into the game.”

— Jackie McBroom, Golden Head Coach

“I think I was working around them well, but running up my (pitch) count. I was hitting spots, but giving them too much of the zone of some of those off-speed pitches. It happens. It's baseball.”

— Austin Bittner, Golden Pitcher

“Our team can hit and it helps when we have our guy (Bittner) on the bump behind us. It feels good knowing he has our back and our defense is good. It feels good when the bats are swinging.”

— Cole Courtney, Golden Right Fielder

“We are hungry for league. We want another one. We are ready to go into it.”

— Cole Courtney, Golden Right Fielder

What’s next

Golden will finish non-league play at Longmont on Saturday before opening Jeffco League play at Standley Lake on Tuesday, April 21, as they seek their sixth straight conference title.

The takeaway

Golden's explosive offensive performance, led by junior Cole Courtney's career day, demonstrates the Demons' firepower as they look to defend their 4A state championship and capture another league title. The team's strong camaraderie and depth in the lineup make them a formidable opponent in the stretch run.