Chatfield softball puts an offensive charge in win over D’Evelyn

LITTLETON — Might seem a little unusual when a No. 9 hole hitter goes 2-for-2 from the plate with a pair of home runs and three RBIs.

However, that was the case Tuesday with Chatfield senior Kendall Davros going yard twice for the Chargers in their 13-1 victory on the softball diamond over D’Evelyn.

“No. I like hitting No. 9,” Davros said when asked if she was going to do some lobbying after the game to move up in the batting order. “It is my spot. A lot of people look down on hitting No. 9, but I like turning over the line-up and getting things started again. As a senior, that is my job to pass the bat.”

The Chargers (3-3 record) passed the bat a lot in the bottom of the first inning. Chatfield sent 13 batters to the plate in the 9-run inning. The Chargers cranked out six singles to go along with a 2-run home run by Davros.

Chatfield was coming off a 18-run, 20-hit performance in a win against Chaparral.

“We really work hard at it in practice,” Chatfield senior Ava Burgess said of the Chargers’ offense. “We set the (pitching) machine up harder than what the actually game will be.”

D’Evelyn senior pitcher Tess Miller didn’t last through the first inning. Junior Nava Basquez took over in the circle after Miller could only get one out over the first 10 batters.

“This is a senior-heavy team and the same core that won the (5A) state championship last year,” Chatfield coach Darin Shepard said of not being concerned about the Chargers’ bats this season. “Our offense has been good all year so far.”

The bats kept hot in the second inning with freshman Bella Leech blasting a deep 2-run home run over the scoreboard in left field. Davros followed that up with another shot over the fence to go back-to-back.

“I just went up to bat with a good mentality,” Davros said of her first two home runs of the season. “I think hitting is mostly a mental game. I went up with a good mentality today that I was going to hit the ball.”

D’Evelyn (2-2) did end the shutout in the top of the third inning with sophomore Lyla Nagy scoring on a bases-loaded walk to make it a 12-1 lead for the Chargers.

Chatfield ended the game in the bottom of the fourth inning with a lead-off solo home run by sophomore Annabelle Beikmann that just cleared the centerfield fence. The fourth home run of the game by the Chargers induced the 12-run mercy rule through four innings.

“I feel like it is a surprise to other teams,” Burgess said of the Chargers’ offensive power that has produced seven home runs and 23 extra base hits through the first six games. 

While there is a long road ahead, Chatfield is eyeing at repeating as state champions. The Chargers held an 8-6 record through mid-September last year before reeling off 15 straight victories to claim the 5A state title.

“That is always the goal,” Davros said of Chatfield going after a repeat. “If you look at last year, we started off a little slow. It wasn’t until mid-September when we finally got on a role. Our expectations are to compete. We want to be competitive every single game.”

The loss of senior Kendall Holloway due a torn ACL in her right knee she suffered in May was a set back. Holloway split time with Karlie Cooledge last season in the circle for the Chargers. Holloway went 9-3 with a 3.64 ERA her junior season.

With Cooledge gone and off to play for Colorado State University, Holloway would have been the Chargers’ ace and one of Chatfield’s leading hitters. She had a .479 batting average, along with 45 hits and 22 RBIs last year as a junior.

Shepard is going to have to rely on a young pitching staff to fill the void. Leech was solid getting the win against D’Evelyn. The freshman had nine strikeouts while allowing three hits and walking four.

“Our defense is fantastic. Our offense is solid,” Shepard said. “I don’t think we are worried about anyone shutting us out. The question is, Can we hold other teams down? It is a work in progress.”

Shepard said he has five pitchers that could all make a contribution this season.

“We’ve got a good mix,” Shepard said of his pitching staff. “We’ve got some speed and we’ve got some girls that can move the ball a lot. We are a team that is probably going to have to mix it up quite a bit.”