The GHS softball season finished with a heartbreaking loss to Resurrection Christian on Oct. 18 in the first round of the playoffs.
Despite battling back from a five-run deficit, the Cowboy offense slowed in the final innings, setting up a Cougars walkoff in the seventh. The defeat eliminated the girls from the playoffs, concluding their season with a 13-11 overall record.
“I’m so proud of these girls for finishing with the win streak, and coming back from the early deficit,” said Head Coach Leslie DiLorenzo. “We had a couple errors, but we didn’t beat ourselves up and just kept battling.”
After a swashbuckling, eight-game winning streak to close out the regular season, the Cowboys entered the playoffs ranked No. 18. The Cougars boasted a 15-8 overall record, earning the No. 15 spot.
On Friday, the Resurrection Christian offense lit up the diamond straight out of the gate. In the first inning, the Cougars tacked on three runs, and stretched the lead to five in the bottom of the second. The Cowboys eased their way into the matchup, but exploded in the third and fourth innings. A double from Caroline Sudderth and two-run triple from Isabella Crown opened the floodgates. Then, Kylee McDougal and Maddie Vollendorf added to the attack with a double and RBI.
The highlight of the game came in the top of the fourth, when junior slugger Kaylee Vincent launched a three-run jack to extend the Cowboys’ lead. Heading into the fifth, GHS overcame the slow start, and led 11-5.
The Cougars’ offense rumbled on, and the Cowboys slowed at the plate. Resurrection Christian scored five unanswered runs, and entered the final inning down 11-10. GHS held tightly to the one-run advantage in the bottom of the seventh, but the Cougars were relentless. Resurrection Christian walked it off with a base hit, winning 12-11 at the death.
“We went cold after the third and fourth, and started to play a little tight defensively,” DiLorenzo said. “Going into the bottom of the seventh only up by one added a lot of pressure, and Resurrection Christian played a really great game.”
It was a devastating way for the GHS season to end. But compared with prior postseason defeats, seniors Vollendorf and McDougal said the 7-inning thriller was a memorable way to finish their varsity careers.
“I’m so grateful it was a close game and a really fun game, and it was a great way to end my season,” Vollendorf said. “I love these girls, and I’m so proud of the way we played.”
“This group always gave 100% and we had such a strong bond,” McDougal said. “Our seniors were such strong leaders, and that trickled down to the underclassmen, and we became really connected as a team.”
(Alex McCrindle can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or alex@gunnisontimes.com.)
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here