There is nothing harder than a diamond. And apparently no team harder to beat was the Cortez Diamonds.

The Cortez Diamonds, the 16-and-under fastpitch softball team, went undefeated in an American Softball Association-sanctioned tournament in Gunnison the week of June 17. Ironically, the name of the tournament was the "Diamonds in the Rockies." So it was the Diamonds for the taking. And they did.

They competed in pool play first.

In the opening game against Delta Sweet Cleats, the Diamonds won 10-4 in a game that went five innings. Jena Thompson, who went the distance on the mound, helped her own cause out by going 3-for-4 at the plate including two singles and a double. But some of her teammates also hit the ball well. Brook Twilley went 2-for-3 with a home run. Shandra Johnson also went 2-for-3 with a double.

Cortez faced the Littleton Legends and won 9-1 with the game being called in the fourth inning. Stacey Pottorff was credited with the win after she struck out five and walked only one. Linda Smart, Kelli Unrein, and Ashleigh Wilson all went 2-for-3 and all rapped a double.

Pottorff pitched a no-hitter while leading the Diamonds to an 8-0 win in the third game. They took on the West Slope Stars, a team comprised of Grand Junction, Grand Junction Central, Palisade, and Fruit-Monument high school students. This was indeed an impressive win. Pottorff struck out six. The defense played nearly flawlessly, making only one error. She kept the ball low with mostly grounders being hit. A deep fly to right field that was caught ended the game. Unrein slapped two hits in three trips to the plate.

The fourth pool game was against the Broomfield Astros. The Diamonds won 4-2. Thompson started on the mound and was relieved by Johnson in the fourth and later by Pottorff. Things became interesting in the fifth. With the score 4-2, the Astros loaded the bases with a couple hits and a walk. With two outs, Pottorff came in and struck the last batter out to end the game. Pottorff picked up the save. Thompson tripled, Wilson ripped a pair of hits. Pottorff, Twilley, and Smart all picked up a safety.

Cortez took on Grand Junction Eclipse, another team comprised of the four large Junction-area schools. The Diamonds pounded the ball and won 9-3. Thompson picked up the win on the mound after limiting the Eclipse to only four hits. Amanda Johnson went 2-for-3, knocking in a pair of runs. Twilley doubled during the game.

The Diamonds were now in the semifinals. The faced the Little Legends again and won 6-0. Pottorff pitched, striking out eight while scattering only three hits. Wilson cracked a pair of hits. Pottorff helped herself by belting a homer.

In the championship game, Cortez defeated Montrose 4-2. Pottorff fanned seven while picking up the win. Thompson cracked a triple during the contest. Wilson went 2-for-3 and Pottorff went 3-for-3.

The Cortez Diamonds are comprised of coaches Charlie Rosenbaugh and Dan Johnson with players Pottorff, Twilley, Wilson, Thompson, Amanda Johnson, Shandra Johnson, Unrein, Smart, and Emily Parrish. They played with only nine players during the tournament. Angela Olguin and Stacy Martinez were unable to make the trip.

The week before the Diamonds ventured to Grand Junction where they didn’t come ready to play as they won only one and lost three.