AURORA | The Eaglecrest softball team continued to leave runners on base way more often than coach Yvette Hendrian would like, but the Raptors plated enough of them Friday to move to 3-0 in the Dave Sanders Memorial tournament.
Following up on a 5-3 victory over Lakewood Thursday in a game played at host Columbine High School, Eaglecrest defeated Pueblo Central (6-1) and Windsor (8-2) when the tournament shifted over to the Aurora Sports Park for its final two days.
As the winner of Pool D, the Raptors (6-2) will play two more games on Saturday, beginning with an 11 a.m. contest against Columbine (12-1) and continuing with a 3:15 p.m. game with an opponent depending on the result of the first contest.
Despite going into the day without key senior starting pitcher Addison Mower, Eaglecrest picked up wins on the mound from junior Jordan Stilley (who threw four scoreless innings against Pueblo Central) and Briahna Gallegos, who tossed a four-hitter against Windsor.
At the plate, senior Megan Drugan had a big day, beginning with a two-homer, five-RBI performance against Pueblo Central. She added two more hits, stole two bases and scored three times in the victory over Windsor. Senior Jac Smith went a combined 5-for-8 and scored four times between the two games.
Against Windsor, the Raptors got down by a run early, but evened it up in the third inning when Drugan singled, stole second base and came home on a two-out single from senior Izzy Ervin.
A four-run rally followed in the sixth when sophomore Sybella Trevino plated two runs with a single and junior Kaitlyn Hendrian did the same with a base hit that dropped down the right field line. Ervin, junior Callie Johnson and senior McKenna George knocked in runs in the seventh.
Gallegos allowed a home run to lead off the seventh, but closed out the win.
Courtney Oakes is Sentinel Colorado Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@sentinelcolorado.com. Twitter/X: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
2023 DAVE SANDERS MEMORIAL SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT
Sept. 8 at Aurora Sports Park
Eaglecrest 6, Pueblo Central 1
Score by innings:
Pueblo Central 000 001 — 1
Eaglecrest 102 300 — 6
WP — Eaglecrest: Jordan Stilley (4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K). Eaglecrest hitting: Megan Drugan 2-3, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 2 runs; Chessa Reid 2-2, run; Jac Smith 2-4, 2 runs; McKenna George RBI
Eaglecrest 8, Windsor 2
Score by innings:
Windsor 100 001 — 2
Eaglecrest 001 043 — 8
WP — Eaglecrest: Briahna Gallegos (6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K). Eaglecrest hitting: Jac Smith 3-4, 2 runs; Izzy Ervin 2-3, 2 RBI, 2 runs; Megan Drugan 2-4, 3 runs, 2 SBs; Sybella Trevino 2-4, 2 RBI, run; McKenna George 2-4, RBI; Callie Johnson RBI