FORT COLLINS | With a lot of youth on the roster, coach Yvette Hendrian’s Eaglecrest softball team looks to have a bright future ahead of it.
A trip to the Class 5A state softball tournament — no matter how short or how long — would have no doubt accelerated the group’s growth severalfold.
The Raptors were unable to make that happen, but played well in three pressure-packed games Saturday at the 5A Region 5 tournament at the Triple Crown Sports complex, falling short of a trip to play at the Aurora Sports Park with a 5-3 loss to Castle View.
Hendrian’s Eaglecrest team — which finished the season 16-10 — had the No. 14 overall seed in the 5A regional field and held serve in its opener with an 8-2 win over the No. 19 seed, Castle View.
The Raptors then faced host and fifth-seeded Fossil Ridge — the defending 5A state champion — and give the SaberCats all they could handle in a 7-5 loss that included runs driven in by senior Molly Sherwood and sophomores Isabel Ervin and Jac Smith and a strong six-inning effort on the mound by junior Lindsey Troftgruben.
The loss meant Eaglecrest could still earn a state tournament trip with a win in the rematch with Castle View, but the SaberCats — who came in off a shutout of No. 30 Fountain-Fort Carson in an elimination game — held off the Raptors this time with state at stake.
The Raptors’ loss left Aurora with two 5A state qualifiers in sixth-seeded Smoky Hill and 12th-seeded Cherokee Trail, which both also had to play three games at their respective regional tournaments to advance.
Courtney Oakes is Sentinel Colorado Sports Editor. Reach him at [email protected]: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
2021 CLASS 5A REGION 5 SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT
At Triple Crown Sports complex, Fort Collins
Eaglecrest 8, Castle View 2
Score by innings (r-h-e):
Castle View 000 020 0 — 2 4 0
Eaglecrest 201 401 x — 8 11 1
WP — Eaglecrest: Kellsie Juhl (7 IP, 6 K). Eaglecrest hitting: Molly Sherwood 3 hits; Jayden Paulsen 2 RBI; Jac Smith 2 hits, RBI;
Fossil Ridge 7, Eaglecrest 5
Score by innings (r-h-e):
Eaglecrest 002 020 1 — 5 7 5
Fossil Ridge 050 002 0 — 7 10 1
LP — Eaglecrest: Lindsey Troftgruben (6 IP, 10 H, 7 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 7 K). Eaglecrest hitting: Isabel Ervin 2-3, RBI, 2 runs, SB; Molly Sherwood 1-4, 2B, RBI; Jac Smith 1-4, RBI, run; Megan Wilcox 1-1; Jayden Paulsen 1-3; Megan Peppin 1-3; Maddie Demoss 3 SBs
Castle View 5, Eaglecrest 3
Score by innings (r-h-e):
Castle View 100 112 0 — 5 6 2
Eaglecrest 200 010 0 — 3 7 1
Eaglecrest hitting: Molly Sherwood 2 hits; Jayden Paulsen 2 hits
