Columbine softball powers to 5A Region 3 title

LITTLETON — The only thing missing while Columbine senior Katie Forbes hobbled around the bases after a pinch-hit, walk-off 3-run home run Friday afternoon was a Kirk Gibson fist pumping celebration.

Similar to Gibson’s pinch-hit, walk-off home run for the Los Angles Dodgers in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series when he was hobbled with a knee injury, Forbes crushed pinch-hit home runs in both Class 5A Region 3 playoff games at Dave Sanders Memorial Field.

“Katie has worked her tail off ever since she has been here,” Columbine coach Jim Santaniello said. “We shed a lot of tears over that injury. She is such a phenomenal athlete. You was what she could do on one leg today.”

Forbes suffered a completely torn ACL in her right knee during pregame warmups Oct. 2 at Valor Christian High School. Friday was the first action since the injury.

Fittingly, Forbes punched the No. 3-seeded Rebels’ ticket to the 5A state tournament next week at Aurora Sports Park inducing the 10-run mercy rule against Greeley West. The 3-run blast capped off an 8-run bottom of the fifth inning to give Columbine a 18-8 victory.

“It was really devastating,” Forbes said of the torn ACL. “The first couple days I didn’t think I could do anything. I thought my senior year was over.”

Forbes said over the last week or so the swelling in her knee when down and she felt a lot better. She got a brace and started taking swings off a tee this week. 

“Santaniello said he would give me some at-bats and see how it goes,” Forbes said.

Forbes ripped a pitch-hit, 2-run home run in the regional semifinal against Mountain Vista that the Rebels won 18-8. Her pitch-hit 3-run home run ended another wild high-scoring affair.

Forbes will have ACL surgery in February, after the girls swim season. 

“She (Forbes) is the hardest worker and sweetest person I know,” Columbine junior Liv Keiter said. “She is going to do whatever she can for the team to help us win.”

The Rebels got plenty of help offensively with Forbes, junior Mason Abraham and sophomore Shalee Trujillo all with three RBIs in the win over No. 19 Greeley West.

“I think toward the end of the year our bats really caught fire. This is kind of how we have to win games,” said Santanillo after the Rebels have scored double-digit runs in their last four games. “We have a lot of great athletes that play for each other. We expect to score double digits every single time.”

Greeley West actually held a 8-6 lead in the top of the fourth inning after senior Ellyse Hydock belted a 2-run home run off Columbine starting pitcher Alexis Archuleta. 

However, Columbine got the lead right back with a 4-run bottom of the fourth inning. Abraham ripped a 2-run home run. Trujillo and junior Nina Vargas both had RBI doubles to push the Rebels’ lead to 10-8 entering the fifth inning.

Trujillo took over on the mound in the fifth inning for the Rebels. She didn’t allow a run and Columbine preceded to end the game with the 8-run fifth inning.

“We have 100 percent confidence in our pitchers and our line-up,” Keiter said when asked if there was concern trailing in both regional playoff games against Mountain Vista and Greeley West. “Have has learned to play selfless softball with a lot of belief.”

Keiter provided a lift for the team even before the bats got going Friday. The junior shortstop announced her verbal commitment to play softball at the University of Alabama after she graduates from Columbine in 2026.

“I went there (Alabama) and Stanford,” Keiter said of a few college visits. “I just had a feeling. God was speaking to me. I listened and it’s the best decision I’ve ever made. I’m so excited, but I’m more excited right now on this (Columbine’s playoff run).”

Keiter is the niece of Arvada West pitcher Kami Keiter that led the Wildcats to back-to-back state titles in 1999 and 2000. Kami went on to play for the University of Oklahoma.

“It was so awesome,” Santaniello said of Keiter committing to Alabama this week. “The girls had a little party for her to celebrate one of their sisters. We are so proud of Liv. The sky is the limit for that girl.”