4A Softball: Holy Family Knocks Off Top Seed to Win State Title

AURORA – In the 4A softball championship game, the Holy Family Tigers discovered a lethal combination when it mattered most.

But, early on they did experience some adversity, trailing 3-0 in the first inning thanks in large part to a two-run home run by Windsor’s Kylie Smith, along with a run scored on a fielder’s choice. Then, the Wizards took a 4-0 lead in the third after a wild pitch.

And yet, it was only a matter of time until Holy Family found their devastating combination of hot bats (six runs in the fourth) and dominant pitching by Stanford recruit Emmaline Humphreys (one hit given up).

It all added up to a 7-4 state-title clinching win for Holy Family over No. 1 seeded Windsor. It was the Tigers’ fifth softball championship and first since 2021.

“We obviously have Em, she’s a standout pitcher alone,” Holy Family coach Moriah Nguyen said. “Our offense really came through. From our younger girls to our older girls, it took everyone on the field to win it.”

It sure did. After beating Palmer Ridge in the semifinals 4-2 on Saturday morning, a game in which Humphreys pitched eight innings, Holy Family went with pitcher Carly Tooley to start the final game.

A promising sophomore, Tooley was 5-0 on the season with a 1.44 ERA, but Windsor made contact right away as Breckyn Billadeau hit a leadoff double in the first inning. Camryn Cobb followed with a single. A fielder’s choice scored a run to make it 1-0. After that, Kylie Smith (.466 batting average) crushed the two-run homer to lift the Wizards to a 3-0 lead.

Holy Family had to regroup and they handed the ball to their ace, Humphreys.

“Em, she gives it her all physically and emotionally every pitch, every play,” Nguyen said. “Going eight innings in the semifinal game took a lot out of her. Giving her that little bit of break to gather herself, to regain momentum is all she needed.”

But, Windsor pitcher Jenna McGinnis quieted Holy Family’s bats through three innings. A wild pitch by Humphreys allowed another run to score in the bottom of the third as the Wizards took a 4-0 lead.

“Windsor’s an amazing team and Jenna’s an amazing pitcher,” Humphreys said.

Even so, the Tigers never panicked.

Graci Baker hit an RBI single for Holy Family in the fourth inning and another run scored on a throwing error as the Tigers pulled within 4-2. Then, an RBI single by sensational freshman Kaiya Devereau (over .400 batting average) closed the deficit to 4-3.

Windsor then went with relief pitcher Shannon Neilsen, but the hitters stayed hot.

A two-RBI double by Jaelyn Sandoval, who was three-for-four hitting on the day, lifted Holy Family to their first lead of 5-4. Finally, a wild pitch scored yet another run.

“We just kept chipping away,” Humphreys said. “We didn’t put too much pressure on ourselves to do everything in one inning. We just kept hitting and people made adjustments.”

“All season we work on working hard, running hard, so they’re used to being relentless, finding a way to get on base, get a hit,” Nguyen added.

An insurance run was added in the fifth inning with an RBI single by Giuliana Magnetti to push the Holy Family lead to 7-4.

Meanwhile, the Stanford recruit was silencing the Wizards’ bats. The No. 1 seed only had one hit in 6 2/3 innings against Humphreys and the senior racked up 13 strikeouts.

“I used a lot of rise,” Humphreys said. “Honestly, I used my whole arsenal, which is rise, change, drop, and curve.”

It worked amazingly well and she finished the season with a 19-4 record and an ERA of 0.84. The game ended on a strikeout, her 284th this fall and a fitting finish to a fantastic career.

“It feels fitting, but I’m not attached to the strikeouts,” Humphreys said. “I’m just glad we won.”

Only five schools in Colorado history have more softball crowns than Holy Family. They won their first in 2006 in 3A and they were crowned 4A champions in 2018, 2020, and 2021.

Both Humphreys and Nguyen mentioned how close-knit this group of girls is, ultimately elevating them to another state championship.

“These girls and their camaraderie, you have a feeling when they all really get along and they love each other and they truly care for one another,” Nguyen said. “You have a feeling when you make it past the semifinal round that they’re going to continue that camaraderie all the way to the end.”

And, the Holy Family coach got to celebrate the achievement with a family member. Her sister, 15 years younger than her, is starting second baseman Carly Turney.

“She came out and proved that she’s a big part of the team and stepped up as a younger player,” Nguyen said of the freshman, who had two hits in the title game.

“I’ve been looking forward to it for a long time,” she said of coaching her sister. “I’ve known she’s a great player all along. Getting to share a moment like this with her is truly special.”

Windsor, who has one softball championship, also finished as the runner-up last season.