AURORA — The Eaton Reds are set to party like it’s 1999.
After escaping with a 14-12 win over Cedaredge on Saturday morning at the state softball tournament, the Reds put together a solid seventh inning to take down defending Class 3A champion La Junta 8-4, putting them in their first semifinals since 1999.
And the Reds are well aware of the accomplishment.
Hanging in the dugout is the Final 4 banner from their last run into the semis and each player has “1999” written on the inside of their arms.
“That was a huge factor,” outfielder Kaci Jurgensmeier said. “This whole week we had that banner hanging on the fence during practice. Our softball program hasn’t gotten the credit it should. We’ve made it to state the last couple of years but there hasn’t been that push.”
Jurgensmeier hit a two-run double in the seventh to push the lead to 7-4 and the Red seized the opportunity to move on.
“It’s a lot of weight off the shoulders,” Reds coach Dale Hughes said. “The few years we had such an outstanding team and could quite get over that hump. To come in with a bunch of young girls with no experience, really, is a great tribute to their heart.”
The Reds will look to continue their run at the state title as they square off against Sterling in Sunday’s semifinals.
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Class 5A
(14) Pomona 9, (11) Grandview 3
Three-run innings in both the third and fourth helped propel Pomona to a 9-3 win over defending 5A champion Grandview to advance to Sunday’s semifinals.
While the run for the Panthers might seem unlikely for many, it’s not surprising to coach Jim Biddle or his team.
This run to the Final 4 is anything but unlikely to them.
“Maybe to everyone outside of Pomona,” Biddle said. “Within our team, it’s not an upset. We are on a good roll and we’re playing our best softball at the right time.”
This is the first semifinal appearance for Pomona since 2006. They face off against another team that seems to have an unlikely appearance in the semifinals in Fossil Ridge.
Biddle knows how important it is for his players to maintain their groove, so he’s emphasizing that they need to show up Saturday ready to play.
“The kids have to feel good about themselves right now,” he said. “But tomorrow morning they have to wake up and be ready to play two more softball games.”
(1) Chaparral 2, (9) Ralston Valley 0
The top seed got solo home runs from Shannon Bass and Jordan Smith in eeking out a win over Ralston Valley.
Bass was also spectacular in the circle, and didn’t allow a run.
To even make the quarterfinals, Emily Moore hit a walk-off three-run home run to beat beat Smoky Hill in extra innings during the first round.
This marks the first time the Wolverines have made the semifinals.
(4) Mountain Range 7, (5) Rocky Mountain 0:
Hunter Huser hit a two-run home run in the top of the first inning that provided a spark, and Mountain Range just added on from there.
Huser finished the day 2-for-2 with two runs scored, and Rachel Colwell added an RBI triple for the Mustangs.
This is Mountain Range’s first-ever trip to the semifinals.
(7) Fossil Ridge 1, (2) Brighton 0
The SaberCats made a return trip to the semifinals with a lone run in the third inning.
Maria Ostapovich scored the game’s only run after reaching on an error.
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Class 4A
(4) Mountain View 14, (12) Thompson Valley 8
Down 7-2 to Thompson Valley, it was important for Mountain View not to panic. Coach Randy Felton knew that his team was going to play tight against the Eagles and it although he was nervous, he knew he had to set the tone for his players.
It worked as the Mountain Lions fought back to take the game 14-8, advancing to the 4A semifinals for the first time since 2008.
“I was nervous,” Felton said. “With this being the state games and those guys our cross-town rivals and we had a tough hitting (McKenna) McVay for two years now. But with what these guys have shown, we have an offense that can strike in any inning.”
That inning Saturday was the fifth as the Mountain Lions scored 10 runs to take a commanding lead. And although they have the upmost respect for the Eagles, taking down a cross-town rival in the hunt for a state title can add an element of fun to a tournament.
“It’s a little fun,” Felton said. “It sucks that one of them has to go home and one of them gets to move on. We have respect for TV and we have some really good games against them.”
(2) Erie 8, (10) Silver Creek 3
Erie jumped out to an immediate lead and was able to cruise to a 8-3 victory over Silver Creek putting them into Sunday’s semifinals.
Sheyann Ludwig hit a two-run home run for the Raptors in the seventh inning to try and chip away at the lead, but it was too little too late.
The Tigers get an anticipated semifinals rematch with Valor Christian. The Eagles topped Erie as they took home the 2014 state title.
(1) Wheat Ridge 1, (8) Falcon 0
The No. 1-ranked Farmers move to the semifinals after a tight 1-0 battle with Falcon in the quarters. It was a day of close calls for Wheat Ridge as they needed three runs in the bottom of the sixth to squeeze by No. 16 Vista Ridge Saturday morning.
(3) Valor Christian 6, (11) Frederick 2
The offense was clicking on all cylinders for the Eagles today as they looked impressive in their defense of the 4A state championship. A Maddie Mitchell home rum helped them take down Frederick 6-2, punching them a ticket to Sunday’s semifinals.
The Eagles beat Pueblo South 10-0 earlier in the day.
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Class 3A
(1) Strasburg 7, (9) The Academy 2
Jacee Dinius hit a solo home run to help the top seed return to the semifinals.
Annie Oakley had two RBIs as part of a three-run second inning that helped to break the game open.
(5) Brush 11, (4) Rocky Ford 10
In the biggest offensive shootout of the first day at the state softball tournament, Brush advanced to the 3A semifinals with a 11-10 win over Rocky Ford.
The Beetdiggers scored three runs in the top of the sixth inning to take a 11-9 lead. In the bottom half of the inning, Ashley Jaramillo hit a solo home run to cut the lead to one, but the Meloneers couldn’t close the gap.
It is the first Final 4 appearance for Brush in program history.
(3) Sterling 12, (6) Lamar 5
The top-seeded Tigers wasted no time in their hunt for the 3A state championship. They scored eight runs in the first three innings of their quarterfinal game against Lamar en route to a 12-5 win.
The offensive output was just too much for the Savages to overcome, even though they showed the ability to score runs earlier in the day as they beat Faith Christian 10-3.
