AURORA | The Cherokee Trail softball team steamrolled its way into the semifinals of the Class 5A state tournament — a round its become accustomed to reaching — with two decisive victories on Friday.
The second-seeded Cougars followed up a 4-1 victory in their opener against No. 15 Chaparral with a more thorough 10-0 defeat of No. 10 Fort Collins at the Aurora Sports Park, which earned them a spot on the final day.
Coach Caley Mitchell’s Cherokee Trail team got a complete game, four-hit performance from junior Emma Rice and 14 hits on offense en route to a win that put the program in the Final Four for the third time in the past six seasons. The Cougars join Aurora area rival and fifth-seeded Eaglecrest, No. 1 Broomfield and No. 6 Legend in the semifinals.
Cherokee Trail is set for a 10 a.m. Saturday semifinal against Legend in a rematch of a contest in the same round last season won in dramatic fashion by the Cougars, who went on to fall to Riverdale Ridge in the state championship game.
That rematch nearly happened in the quarterfinals this season, but the Ravens were knocked off by the Lambkins in a 2-1 opening round contest. Cherokee Trail’s offense came alive in the second inning with a five-run rally that gave Rice all the cushion she would need.
Rice and Game 1 winner Sydney Cobb — who had three hits — each drove in a pair or runs in the quarterfinal contest for the Cougars, while Rice, senior Izzy Becker and freshman Peyton Contes had two hits apiece. Eight different Cherokee Trail players had an RBI.
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@sentinelcolorado.com. Twitter/X: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
2025 Class 5A state softball tournament (at Aurora Sports Park)
Quarterfinals: (2) Cherokee Trail 10, (10) Fort Collins 0
Score by innings (r-h-e):
Fort Collins 000 00 — 0 4 4
Cher. Trail 150 13 — 10 14 2
WP — Cherokee Trail: Emma Rice (5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K). Cherokee Trail hitting: Sydney Cobb 3-4, 2 RBI, run; Emma Rice 2-3, 2 RBI; Peyton Contes 2-3, 2B, RBI; Izzy Becker 2-4, RBI, 2 runs; Paige March 1-1, RBI, run; Kate Kenney 1-1, RBI; Abby Anderson 1-2, RBI, run; Lily Buttshaw 1-4, RBI; Tayah Burton 1-4, 2 runs; Leera Davis run, 2 SBs; Rylee Holston run
