No. 7 Legacy’s bats remain hot in softball rout of No. 6 Mountain Range
WESTMINSTER – Opposing teams have been hard-pressed in recent weeks to find ways to cool off the blazing bats of Legacy’s softball team.
During its current eight-game winning streak – including Saturday’s impressive 10-0 victory over No. 6 Mountain Range – the seventh-ranked Lightning has been lighting up the scoreboard to the tune of more than 12 runs per game.
Legacy sent 10 hitters to the plate in the first inning Saturday and pushed five runs across, the big blow coming on a 3-run home run from senior Celyn Whitt.
Lightning coach Dawn Gaffin isn’t taking any credit for those numbers though – she gives it all to assistants John Waller and Lauren Green.
“They have worked with these girls on hitting and team at-bats, and individual at-bats, and an approach at the plate, and hitting the ball where it’s pitched,” Gaffin said. “I’m giving them kudos and credit because it is totally and all about them.
“These girls responded to that today.”
The victory kept Legacy (13-4, 8-1) just behind No. 3 Fossil Ridge in the Front Range League standings with two league games remaining. If the teams finished tied, the Sabercats would own the tiebreaker by virtue of a 13-12 victory over Legacy on Sept. 9.
Mountain Range (14-3, 6-3) has hit the ball as well as any team in the state this fall, but the Mustangs couldn’t muster much offense against Lightning ace Haley Smith. Mountain Range was limited to only one hit and three base runners overall through five innings on the team’s Senior Day.
“They circled this game at the beginning of the year and they wanted it more than anything,” Mustangs coach Dane Craig said. “Hats off to Legacy, they came out and swung the bat really well in the beginning of the game, and Haley Smith pitched an excellent game.
“We just didn’t have an answer for them right now, but we’re 14-3 and we have a good head of steam going into regionals.”
Legacy opened the game up with a bang. With two runners on, Whitt unloaded a pitch from Hunter Huser over the left-field wall to put her team up 3-0. Jordan Sheard and Trisha Cook added run-scoring singles in the frame.
“What we try to do every inning is we come out and we score first,” Whitt said. “We win every inning. It’s a big thing for us to get some runs to back up our pitcher.”
Whitt doubled in a run in the second and scored on another double from Emily Taggart, and Alyssa Geist added a 2-run home run in the fourth inning.
Smith pitched five scoreless innings, striking out seven and allowing only a fourth-inning single to Ally Richter.
“It’s definitely a team win,” Whitt said. “When we pull all of our parts together, nothing feels better.”
The defending Class 5A state champions host Fairview and Rocky Mountain to close out the regular season before regional tournaments get underway.
“That’s what we’re preparing for – we know we have two games, and we’re keeping the girls focused on those two games,” Gaffin said. “Then we start season No. 2 on Oct. 6.”
Mountain Range – which opened the season with nine consecutive victories, including a 13-6 triumph over current 5A No. 1 Dakota Ridge – closes at Horizon and Poudre. The team has enjoyed a remarkable run behind an offense that was hitting above .500 coming into Saturday, with junior Riley Craig and senior Kaylee Dethouars each in the top five in 5A in hits.
Dane Craig said he has no doubts his squad will put this loss behind them quickly.
“We’re not overlooking anybody. We know we have to go in strong to regionals,” he said. “I know they will. We’re going to rebound from this.”
