Softball team loses at districts

Softball team loses at districts

October 18, 2001

STAFF REPORT

GRAND JUNCTION — The fast-pitch softball season is over for Montezuma-Cortez High School which lost a heartbreaking 1-0 game to Rifle in the Class 4A District I Softball Tournament at Kronkright Field on Friday, Oct. 12.

Rifle scored its lone run of the game in the fourth inning. The Bears threatened to score again that inning but left a runner stranded at third. It had another chance t score in the sixth, but could not get a runner from third to home.

The Panthers played well defensively, something that hurt the team all season long. They came focused and ready to play. In the first and second innings, Cortez left runners at third base. Linda Smart was left in the first after she had gotten on with a walk. Christina Schaak singled but was left in the third. Another problem for the Panthers was their lack of hitting or putting timely hits together. Chelsea Cook pitched a nice game.

MCHS finished the season with a 2-18 record.

Delta showed it has a good team by winning twice last Saturday, Oct. 13, in the Class 4A District 1 tournament at Kronkright Complex, holding off a couple of late Rifle scoring threats in the semifinals to win 2-0 before sending the championship game into extra innings and rallying for a 3-2 win over Montrose. Delta, which won the 4A Western Slope League title, found itself trailing in the title game when Montrose scored twice in the top of the fifth to go up 2-1.

The two victories give Delta the top seed from the district in Friday's, Oct. 19, Class 4A regional playoffs at Aurora's Olympic Park.

In the State Class 4A Regional and State Tournament at Olympic Park, Delta, 18-3, is seeded eighth and plays Pueblo South, 17-4, at 10 a.m. Friday. Montrose, 13-8, faces No. 3 seed Centaurus, 19-5, at 12:15 p.m. Friday.

Ralston Valley (20-2) received the top seed and plays Pueblo Central (7-14) in the first round. That winner faces either Delta or Pueblo South for the chance to reach the final four on Saturday.

Aspen plays Eaton at 10 a.m. today, Oct. 18, at Garden Acres in Longmont in the Class 3A regional qualifying tournament. Gunnison faces La Junta and Eagle Valley plays Rocky Ford at noon. The winners advance to the regional playoffs on Friday, with the state semifinals and finals in all three classifications on Saturday, Oct. 20.