No. 1 Columbine softball clinches 5A Jeffco title

LITTLETON — Columbine staked claim to back-to-back Class 5A Jeffco League softball titles in enemy territory Thursday.

The Rebels — No. 1 in this week’s CHSAANow.com 5A rankings — defeated rival No. 5 Chatfield 6-1 on the Chargers’ home field. Columbine (21-1, 6-0 in 5A Jeffco) is on a 13-game conference winning streak dating back to the Fall 2021 season.

“It means a lot to win it here,” Columbine junior Eva Martinez said of the Rebels clinching the conference title at Chatfield. “It’s not our ground, but we can do anything if we come with our energy like we should.”

The energy was there despite Columbine having its 20-game winning streak come to an end two days earlier with a 2-0 road loss against No. 2 Douglas County.

“This was a big game for us after just losing to Douglas County,” Columbine senior pitcher Araya Ogden said of the Rebels suffering their first loss of the season earlier in the week. “We had to pick up our energy today. I really feel like we needed that loss. We know that we aren’t unbeatable.”

Ogden was brilliant on the mound giving up just one run on a RBI single by Chatfield sophomore Ally Dodge in the bottom of the third inning. She scattered four hits in picking up her 17th win of the season.

“She (Ogden) is just so battle tested,” Columbine coach Jim Santaniello said of his ace pitcher. “You always know with her you are going to get her heart and soul. She is going to compete to the last pitch.”

Ogden led the offense going 4-for-4 with four singles, but it was Columbine freshman Nina Vargas who delivered the early blow. Vargas crushed a solo home run well over the left field fence in the top of the second inning to give Columbine a 1-0 lead.

“That totally changed the momentum. It was exactly what we needed,” Martinez said of the home run by Vargas. “I think it was so important that Nina stepped up. She is an amazing player.”

Chatfield had a good number of football players taking in the game before heading off to the Chargers’ varsity football game up at the North Area Athletic Complex later that night. The Vargas home run definitely quieted the large Charger crowd.

“She (Vargas) has a great swing and she swings for the fences,” Ogden said. “Her home run gave us the energy we needed.”

Columbine cranked out 11 hits with six different players reaching base on base knocks. The Rebels scored runs in five of seven innings.

“It’s easier to have one big inning, but I think it’s harder to score a run in almost every inning,” Vargas said. “Once you get one run every inning it really piles up. That is what we did today.”

Martinez extended the lead to 3-0 in the third inning with a 2-run double. Senior Mari Shearn had an RBI single in the fourth inning to answer the run scored by the Chargers in the third. Junior Kenzie Sobieski scored on a Chatfield throwing error in the fifth inning.

Columbine freshman Mason Abraham drove in the final run on a ground that scored fellow freshman Livi Keiter for the final run of the game in the seven inning.

“I feel a heck of a lot better,” Santaniello said after his team was presented with the league championship plaque.

Columbine has one final league game at home against Bear Creek on Saturday.

Chatfield will try to end a 2-game losing streak when it travels to Lakewood for its final conference game.

“You never want to lose two in a row, but after Saturday it’s a new season,” Chatfield coach Jen Lazzeri said after back-to-back losses to Ralston Valley and Columbine this week. “The beautiful thing about softball is the two tournaments (regionals and state). Anybody can get hot. I feel like we are in a good spot.”