MCHS softball team finds troubles on a road trip

MCHS softball team finds troubles on a road trip

Sept. 30, 2000

STAFF REPORT

It was not the best of trips, but it wasn’t all bad either. The Panthers lost three games but won one during a four-game road swing at Fruita-Monument and Montrose in high school fastpitch softball action last weekend, Sept. 22-23.

Things started off on a positive note for Montezuma-Cortez during the first game against Fruita as Cortez scored in the top of the first inning. Jena Thompson reached first on an error. Brook Twilley slapped a single and then Stacy Martinez reached base on an error. Cortez tried the old double steal. Martinez stole second and Twilley raced home.

Stacey Pottorff started on the mound. She fanned the first batter. An error allowed a runner to make it to first but catcher Twilley gunned her down at second. Pottorff struck out the next batter. Pottorff was the first Panther up and she walked. But that was as good as it got for Pottorff. Following a line drive to the second baseman for the first out, Pottorff dove back to first base with her hands stretched out. The Fruita first baseman accidentally stepped on Pottorff’s pitching thumb and broke it. Her injury seemed to take the wind of Cortez’ sails. Thompson relieved Pottorff on the mound at the start of the next inning.

Fruita touched Thompson for three runs in the bottom of the second for a 3-1 lead. Cortez got one run back in the third when Jentri Giesler walked with the bases loaded. However, they got doubled up on a fly and a runner leaving too early which ended the Panther rally.

The Wildcats added another run in the fourth because of Cortez’ errors. But the Panthers tied the game when Amanda Johnson slugged a double, scoring Ashleigh Wilson and Giesler. Fruita scored the eventual winning run by taking advantage of a throwing mistake with a runner at third base. The final: Fruita 5, Cortez 4.

Twilley went two-for-four at the plate and Johnson slugged a double with two on. Wilson also went two-for-four for the Panthers. Cortez finished with six hits for the game. But defensively, they were their own worst enemy by committing seven errors.

Things were a little better the second game of the doubleheader. The Panthers won 5-3. This time Cortez capitalized on five Wildcat errors. Cortez literally ran the Wildcats around the bases, stealing six.

Giesler was the winning the pitcher.

Trailing 1-0 in the third, Cortez pushed a run across the plate when Thompson walked, Twilley rapped a single, and Wilson reached first on an error, allowing Thompson to come home.

Fruita came back in the fourth with a run. But the Panthers weren’t done. With the bases loaded, Twilley came home on a wild pitch and later Martinez and Wilson both came home on errors. Johnson scored on a single by Linda Smart. Fruita answered back, though, with a run in the sixth but it wasn’t enough as Cortez held on for the win.

The Panthers traveled to Montrose for a twin bill the next day, only to lose both games.

"We didn’t even get a hit the first game," MCHS head coach Charlie Rosenbaugh said when commenting about the team’s 8-1 loss. "Thompson actually did a good job on the mound, but we had seven errors with many of those that never should have happened."

Montrose scored twice in the first inning on back-to-back errors. The Indians scored again in the third on two errors and a sacrifice fly. They again scored four times in the fifth by taking advantage of several mistakes and hitting the ball well. Montrose scored its final run in the sixth, again taking advantage of an error and a nicely hit ball.

Cortez lost the second game 3-1. Montrose out hit the Panthers 8-6. Both teams cut down the errors, making two each.

The Panthers’ only run of the game came in the first inning when Twilley hit a single, stole second, and raced all the way home following an error. Thompson, Twilley, and Smart all went two (singles)-for-four at the plate.

"All in all, it was a rough weekend. We couldn’t get our bats going and we had a lot of mental errors as well as fielding and throwing errors. We’ll have to adjust for the loss of Pottorff (probably for the rest of the regular season) but we are hoping she’ll be ready by districts (Oct. 13-14)," Rosenbaugh commented.

The Panthers hosted Grand Junction High for a doubleheader Friday, Sept. 29. They host Central of Grand Junction for a twin bill beginning at noon today, Sept. 30. All the games will be held at the Cortez Softball Complex.