Pueblo South softball seeks to turn page on 4A state upset from 2021

The sting of last season remains for the Pueblo South softball team.

The Colts were the No. 2 seed in the Class 4A state tournament last fall and had hopes of a matchup with top-seeded Holy Family in the final game played at the Aurora Sports Park.

But alas, Pueblo South never even made it past the first day as 15th-seeded Severance knocked off the Colts with a 10-5 decision that was one of only two upsets by seeding in eight opening round contests. Coach Tana Strasia’s Colts (whose season ended with a sparkling 23-3 record) come into the 2022 campaign spurred on by that defeat to say the least.

“I think it motivates us to work harder,” Pueblo South senior pitcher Emily Abraham said at the Denver Broncos’ annual fall sports media day.
“We have high expectations this year again,” she added. “We are just pushing each other and working hard to get better than we were last year.”

The 4A classification got a lot more powerful at the top this season with the arrival of Lutheran, which moved up from 3A after winning the state championship to cap a 29-0 season, joining Holy Family — winner of the past two 4A crowns and three of the last four — in the upper strata.

Pueblo South, which enters 2022 ranked No. 6 in the CHSAANow.com 4A preseason coaches poll, plays both juggernauts in the opening half of the season.

With a great deal of experienced talent returning, the Colts believe they can hang with the state’s best.

It begins with Abraham, who was an 4A all-state first team selection and one of the classification’s most dominant pitchers. She logged 132 1/3 innings for Pueblo South (ceding only five frames to another pitcher) and finished with a 22-3 record (leading the classification in wins) and 1.80 ERA to go with 178 strikeouts. Abraham ranked in the top six in several pitching categories in 4A.

Offensively, the Colts return three of their top four hitters in seniors Jada Montoya, Madison Doverspike and Marissa Keck (who earned 4A all-state honorable mention), while Abraham handled the bat very well herself and drove in 25 runs to tie with Doverspike and graduated Jules Rendon for third on the team.

Several sophomores and freshmen also appear on the 2022 roster who may contribute right away.

Pueblo South would love to play for the program’s third all-time state championship — and first since 2000 — but that will be down the initial list of goals given last season.

“I would say just pushing the team past our first round at state definitely,” Abraham said of her aims for the new campaign. “Just making it farther in state.”

Rounding out the top 10 in CHSAANow.com’s preseason coaches poll are D’Evelyn (last season’s runner-up), Mead, Riverdale Ridge, Windsor, Elizabeth, Conifer and Frederick.