Chatfield softball embraces spoiler role in win against Lakewood

LAKEWOOD — The two-time defending Class 5A Jeffco League champions — Chatfield — aren’t going to make it easy for anyone to cruise the conference title this season.

Chatfield (8-11, 4-4 in league) are a long shot to retain the league title, but the Chargers made it clear they have no problem spoiling other team’s hopes of lifting the 5A Jeffco League plaque in a couple of weeks.

“In my head I was just thinking, ‘I’m not going to let them beat me.’ I was going to do everything I can,” Chatfield sophomore pitcher Jessyca Vargas said after she threw a complete-game in a 5-1 victory over Lakewood on Wednesday on the Tigers’ home field. 

Lakewood (14-5, 6-2) came in as co-leaders with Columbine (14-5, 7-1) for the 5A Jeffco crown. However, a 4-run top of the first inning by the Chargers and a brilliant pitching performance by Vargas put a dent in Lakewood’s aspirations to came its first league title since 1998. The Tigers won back-to-back 4A state titles in 1997 and 1998, nearly 30 years ago.

Chatfield jumped on the Tigers early putting up a 4-spot in the top of the first inning despite just one hit. A couple of Tiger errors and a walk set the table for junior Annabelle Beikmann who delivered in a big way with a 3-run home run off Lakewood senior pitcher Madison Reisbeck.

“I just stayed back and waited for it. Honestly, it was pretty slow,” Beikmann said of the pitch she hit over the left field fence at Ray Baker Field. “I wasn’t even thinking about it. I just wanted to hit the ball and get on base. It just went.”

Beikmann picked up her fourth RBI of the game with a RBI single in the top of the seventh inning that pushed Chatfield’s lead to 5-1.

“We have been striking out too much. We have been hitting easy fly balls,” Shepard said of his squad that has had losing streaks of six and four games this season playing the hardest strength of schedule in the state. “I told them today we were going to make them make plays. Luckily for us it worked out.”

The Chargers had some chances to break the game wide-open. Chatfield stranded seven runners in the final four innings, including the bases loaded in the fifth inning. However, it didn’t matter as Vargas scattered five hits while striking out 10.

“When her head is in there and she tells herself to throw hard all game she is fantastic,” Shepard said of Vargas after her complete-game performance. “She just needs to do that game-in and game-out.”

Vargas had a rough outing against rival Columbine on Sept. 15. The sophomore got just one out while allowing nine runs in an eventual 16-2 loss to the Rebels. However, since that outing Vargas has picked up wins against D’Evelyn, Bear Creek and Lakewood allowing just three earned runs in 17 innings.

“I was really happy for her,” Beikmann said of Vargas’s outing in the circle. “The defense was good and we had her back.”

Lakewood suffered just its second loss over the last nine games. The Tigers’ lone run came in the bottom of the fourth inning. Senior Lucy Retzer led off the inning with a triple and was driven in on a deep fly by senior Addison Gallegos.

Vargas admitted she was getting a little tired in the later innings, but she was able to close out the game forcing a pop out to second base by Lakewood junior Abriella Aguilar for the final out.

“This was definitely a confidence booster for us,” Vargas said as the Chargers get a second crack at rival Columbine on Saturday, Oct. 4, at Chatfield Senior High School.

Columbine jumped atop the conference standing by itself after an 8-2 victory over Valor on Wednesday. The Chargers can now reel the Rebels back to the pack if they can score another upset victory Saturday.

“Our hitting needs to get better,” Shepard said about what the Chargers need to make a deep postseason run. “I love the fact that I have some deep pitching. Come postseason you need that. If we can get the bats going, who knows.”