AURORA -- Erie roared to another state title Saturday, shutting out rival Holy Family 6-0 in the Class 3A state softball championship.
Every Erie player explained the feeling differently.
To an emotional senior, designated player Jessica Glick, the win felt "more amazing than I could ever put into words," she said. "It's a relief to know that we are the team that we knew we were."
Pitcher Mariah Bledsoe, who notched five strikeouts, saw it as vindication.
"Nobody thought we could do it," Bledsoe said, "and we just came out and showed everybody what we could do."
For Sasha Fong, whose third inning three-run homer proved to be the dagger in the win, it was simply, "really great for all the girls."
No matter how they put it, defending champion Erie's eighth title win in nine years was exciting.
"It's not an easy thing to come by," Erie coach Bob Bledsoe said. "We seem to be defying that law."
This year, the second-seeded Tigers (21-2) got it done at the plate and the team got its offensive momentum rolling in the semifinal game, defeating Platte Canyon 13-3.
The semifinal game was tied going into the bottom of the fifth inning when shortstop Ashley Ortega hit a leadoff single. What followed was a flurry of base hits including RBI doubles by outfielder Alexis Gartrell and Fong, a RBI- triple by Ortega and a home run by Brittany Maul.
"I have a goal, and it's not to get out," Ortega said of her tournament success. "I'm on my way there. I don't know, I just came into it focused and confident."
Nine of 12 batters in the inningscored.
No. 1 Holy Family (19-2), meanwhile, also got its bats cracking with a fast start and strong finish to an 8-3 semifinal win over Valley.
In the first inning, designated player Daiva Jarasius cleaned up with authority, blasting a three-run homer.
"I didn't know it was gone until I got to second base and I didn't see the coach on third anymore," Jarasius said.
Holy Family didn't score again until first baseman Amy Baumberger ended the drought with a bases-clearing double.
"I was just wishing it would drop and then it did and I was really happy," Baumberger said. "I was just waiting to get that pitch and then it was right there."
But Holy Family's unstoppable offense ran into Erie's immovable defense in the championship game.
"I have full confidence in my team and I know that whenever the bat hits the ball it's either going to be caught or fielded," Mariah Bledsoe said.
Bledsoe has pitched the Erie Tigers to two championships against Holy Family in her first two years.
Coach Bledsoe praised his daughter's effort.
"Mariah just did a great job of keeping their hitters, great hitters, off-balance for seven innings," he said. "They're just so good. To shut them out for seven innings is a major accomplishment."
It helped Erie to have plenty of run support in this tournament, including Fong's two home runs in the last two games.
"We were hitting really well last game and we managed to keep it going from that game to this game," Fong said. "Yesterday was kind of intense and crazy and a you-don't-even-know day. Today was a lot more relaxed, like you could do everything."
Holy Family coach Glen Ramos said he was still very proud of his team and its effort this season.
"I believe our team left it on the field," he said. "I mean, you can take a look at their faces right now and see how emotional they are and that tells you they did everything they could possibly do. It just wasn't their day."
Coach Bledsoe empathized and talked about the work it takes just to make it to championship Saturday.
"We knew we had talent but to take them and build them into a team -- because teams win, not individuals -- to put all the pieces together and make it fit and accomplish something that's really difficult to do," he said. "It's gratifying."
Erie has defeated Holy Family three of the last four years at state.
It was a bitter pill to swallow for Holy Family's seniors, but Ramos said his team will bounce back. To prove his point, he flagged down junior center fielder Rachel Boothe.
"Hey Rachel, do we expect to be back here next year?" he asked.
Boothe fought back tears and smiled.
"Of course," Boothe replied.
Erie 6, Holy Family 0
Score by innings:
Holy Family 000 000 0 -- 0 3 1
Erie 103 002 X -- 6 9 0
Christopher and Connelly; Bledsoe and Kovac. W --Bledsoe. L -- Christopher.
Holy Family hitting -- Mathewson 0-2, M. Petersen 0-1, Connelly 0-3, Jarasius 0-3, Baumberger 0-2, Christopher 0-2, Wild 2-3, B. Petersen 0-2, Boothe 0-2, Gonzalez 1-1. 3B -- Wild.
Erie hitting -- Ruiz 3-3, David 2-3, Fong 1-3, Ortega 1-3, Maul 1-3, Harmon 0-3, Glick 0-2, Gartrell 1-3, Kovac 0-3. HR -- Fong.
HOLY FAMILY 8, VALLEY 3
Score by innings:
Holy Family 400 000 4 -- 8 9 1
Valley 001 000 2 -- 3 6 1
Christopher and Connelly, Taylor and C. Odenbaugh. W -- Christopher. L -- Taylor.
Holy Family hitting -- Mathewson 3-4, M. Petersen 1-2, Connelly 1-2, Jarasius 1-3, Baumberger 1-3, Christopher 1-4, Wild 0-4, B. Petersen 0-3, Boothe 0-3, Medrano 1-1. 2B -- Baumberger. HR -- Jarasius.
Valley hitting -- Hubbard 2-3, Michaels 0-4, Asbury 1-3, Hutton 0-3, Meining 0-2, M. Odenbaugh 0-3, Ray 1-2, Hanlon 0-1, C. Odenbaugh 1-2, M. Odenbaugh 1-1, Reynolds 0-2, Benzor 0-1. 2B -- C. Odenbaugh. HR --Hubbard.
ERIE 13, PLATTE CANYON 3
Score by innings:
Platte Canyon 100 110 -- 3 7 2
Erie 210 091 -- 13 16 1
Marshall and Kinnett, Bledsoe and Kovac. W -- Bledsoe. L -- Kovac.
Platte Canyon hitting -- Chelsea Kinnett 1-3, Jenny Marshall 1-3, Jessie Marshall 2-3, Courtney Kinnett 2-3, Johnson 0-2, Kyndall Voskamp 0-2, Kelsey Voskamp 1-3, Owens 0-3, East 0-3. 2B -- Courtney Kinnett. 3B -- Chelsea Kinnett.
Erie hitting -- Ruiz 1-4, David 0-3, Fong 3-4, Ortega 3-3, Maul 2-3, Welch 1-1, Harmon 1-2, Calloway 0-0, Glick 1-2, Gartrell 1-3, Wetsch 1-1, Kovac 1-3, Spendlow 1-1. 2B -- Fong, Gartrell. 3B -- Ortega. HR -- Fong, Ortega, Maul.
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