Colorado softball teams ready to enter season’s home stretch

For a team with a combined 50 wins over the previous three seasons, the Prairie View (Henderson) softball team has not had much luck when it comes to the postseason.

The Thunderhawks have been bounced in the Class 5A regional round in each of the past four seasons, with low seeds creating some tough matchups. Finding itself in the same East Metro Athletic Conference as area rival Brighton certainly hasn't helped, as the Bulldogs have had Prairie View's number.

But few teams are riding a hot streak like the Thunderhawks these days. Prairie View (11-1) hasn't lost since its season opener, and the team climbed into the 5A rankings this week at No. 10. So, with No. 3 Brighton visiting Henderson on Saturday and the EMAC title potentially up for grabs, the stakes are as high as they have been in this rivalry.

Such is the case for a number of teams across the state's three classifications as the regular season winds down. The last of the games should be completed by Oct. 7, with regional tournaments following the next weekend. That gives teams a little more than two weeks to state their case for a postseason bid, and in some cases, attempt to wrap up a league crown.



The Brighton vs. Prairie View contest is one of several that will carry weight with seeding early next month. Here is a look at some other games that bear watching:

Class 5A
ThunderRidge (Highlands Ranch) (10-3) vs. Mountain Vista (Highlands Ranch) (11-2), 6 p.m., Sept. 20 at Metro State University
The Continental League is still up for grabs, but either the No. 9 Grizzlies or No. 7 Golden Eagles could get a leg up this week. ThunderRidge fell to Douglas County (Castle Rock), while Mountain Vista rolled past the Huskies on Monday behind three hits, four RBIs and three runs scored from Rebecca Gonzales. Ten players have at least 10 hits this season for Mountain Vista, and senior Makayla Hoselton is 7-0 with 1.41 ERA. … Senior Rachel Bean is 9-3 with 77 strikeouts for ThunderRidge.

Brighton (12-1) at Prairie View (11-1), Noon, Sept. 23
Since a 5-3 loss to current No. 1 Eaglecrest (Centennial) back on Aug. 24, Brighton has reeled off 11 victories in a row. Junior Jill Bishop is hitting .500 on the season with a team-high six home runs and 22 RBIs, and a 1-2 punch of junior Halie Litwin and sophomore Tori Haug has wreaked havoc on opposing hitters. … Prairie View has seven players with at least 10 RBIs, and senior Sarah Stamps leads the team with 22 hits and has eight doubles and 13 stolen bases. Senior Brooklyn Trujillo is 8-1 with 1.85 ERA and 55 strikeouts.

Fossil Ridge (Fort Collins) (11-1) at Legacy (Broomfield) (8-2), 10 a.m., Sept. 30
Two Front Range League powers collide late in the season when the No. 2 Sabercats visit No. 4 Legacy. Fossil Ridge's only setback came to No. 1 Eaglecrest, and the team has won five in a row since that game. Kate Delaney is second in the state overall with a .771 batting average (27-for-47) and she has 21 RBIs. Jordan Ellis leads the team with an 8-1 record. … Legacy endured a setback with two losses in three games, including a 16-6 loss to Mountain Range (Westminster). But the Lightning is still hitting nearly .500 as a team, with three players having at least 20 hits. Seniors Trisha Cook and Ciarra Nelson have five home runs each.

Arvada West (10-3) at Columbine (Littleton) (8-4), 4:30 p.m. Oct. 2
The Jeffco League doesn't officially get underway until today, meaning teams will have to play seven league games in two-plus weeks. A good one could come in early October between the fifth-ranked Wildcats and No. 7 Rebels. Arvada West has won four in a row, including a 4-0 shutout of No. 4 Legacy on Sept. 7. Sophomore Shelby Robb is hitting .578 with seven triples and 10 stolen bases, and senior Shea Mauser is 6-2 with 1.82 ERA. … All of Columbine's losses have come to ranked teams. Korbe Otis has 67 strikeouts in 60.2 innings pitched, and Otis also leads the team with a .667 batting average.

Eaglecrest (12-1) at Cherokee Trail (Aurora) (9-4), 4:15 p.m., Oct. 4
The state's No. 1 team closes out the regular season against the 2016 defending state champions in a Centennial League clash. Eaglecrest has yet to lose to an in-state opponent this fall, and is on an eight-game winning streak. Senior Kailey Wilson's 24 hits and 21 runs scored pace the Raptors, and she is tied for the team-lead with four home runs with junior Rachel Sabourin. … The Cougars were shut out by Columbine on Sept. 12 but bounced back to rout Lakewood and Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village). Senior Megan Medhus has 24 hits and 27 RBIs to pace Cherokee Trail, though a young pitching staff has been hurt by walks on the season.



Class 4A
Golden (10-2) at Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch) (11-0), 4:30 p.m., Sept. 19
Like its 5A counterpart, the 4A Jeffco League opens play this afternoon. The top two teams in the league square off immediately, with top-ranked Valor Christian hosting a Golden squad that has dropped two of its last three games. The Demons have hit 16 home runs this fall though, with senior Megan Feiner and sophomore Makenzie Middleton belting six each. … Valor's Alexandria Kilponen leads the state with a 0.53 ERA and 133 strikeouts in 66 innings pitched. Junior Katie Meredith is hitting .618 (21-for-34).

Erie (9-4) at Holy Family (Broomfield) (9-2), 3:30 p.m., Sept. 21
The Tri-Valley foes have already squared off once, with No. 8 Holy Family picking up a 4-3 victory over No. 3 Erie. Holy Family will attempt to avenge its only league loss when it plays Mead later today, with Erie up next. Juniors Erin Caviness and Erin Winters are hitting .500 or above, and Caviness has a team-high 17 RBIs for Holy Family. She is also 7-1 with a 1.42 ERA. … Erie has won four in a row since a four-game losing streak. Sophomore Kat Sackett is hitting .600 (27-for-45), and Erie has 11 home runs as a team.

Pueblo West (7-2) at Pueblo South (10-0), 6 p.m., Oct. 3
This is actually the second meeting between the two South Central rivals (the first comes today). No. 5 West is backed by the trio of Grace Gonzales (.559 average), Jasmine Garbiso (.538) and Jade Garbiso (.533). Jade is also 7-2 with a 1.12 ERA and 68 strikeouts. … No. 2 South has one of the state's best pitchers in junior Makayla Keck, who is 9-0 with 0.94 ERA and 70 strikeouts. Eight players have at least 11 hits for the Colts.

Class 3A
Eaton (9-2) at University (Greeley) (9-2), 3:30 p.m., Sept. 19
With four of the state's top five teams residing in District 3, every league game is a challenge. No. 3 Eaton visits No. 5 University in the teams' second matchup, with the Reds winning in the season opener. Youth has served Eaton well, as sophomore Remington Ross (.538 average) and freshman Jennifer Jarnigan (.541) leading the team at the plate. Junior Allie Hobbs has six home runs, and junior Lauren Frink is 6-1 with a 1.43 ERA. … Six players have at least 15 hits for University, and sophomore Tayler Frank has eight doubles and a team-high 18 RBIs.

Basalt (8-2) at Meeker (9-3), 4 p.m., Sept. 19
A rematch from an early August game, won 6-5 by Meeker, could help decide the District 5 title. Basalt entered the 3A rankings at No. 9 and is riding an eight-game winning streak. Five players have driven in at least 11 runs, and the squad is hitting .439 as a team. … Meeker has outscored opponents 138-58 this fall. Junior Megan Shelton has all six of the team's home runs and has driven in 26 runs while hitting .618.

Strasburg (7-3) at Brush (9-1), 4 p.m., Sept. 26
The District 3 rivals will play each other twice in four days thanks to an earlier rainout. No. 1 Strasburg is coming off an extra-inning loss to Elizabeth, but had topped No. 3 Eaton and No. 5 University before that. Eight players have at least 13 hits for the Indians, and senior Dakota Stotyn leads the team with 19 hits, four home runs and 20 RBIs. Junior Alexis Rayburn is 4-0 with 1.68 ERA. … Second-ranked Brush's only loss came to an out-of-state team, and the squad has slipped past No. 4 Rocky Ford, No. 3 Eaton and Sterling by a combined four runs over the past three games. Junior Kamryn Leoffler is hitting .583 with 13 runs scored.



Lamar (8-5) at Rocky Ford (10-3), 4 p.m., Oct. 5
With each team in District 2 playing each other twice in league play, this regular-season finale could decide the title. No. 6 Lamar already owns two victories over No. 8 La Junta, and has matched up well with some 5A squads. … Defending 3A champion Rocky Ford has two games each with Lamar and La Junta. Senior Jolene Carrica leads the team in hits (22) and home runs (three), and junior Sadie Brewer is 7-1 with a 3.19 ERA.