BROOMFIELD | The Grandview softball team went the roundabout way and through a fellow Centennial League program to get back to the Class 5A state tournament.
Coach Liz Carter’s Wolves finished 2-1 at the 5A Region 8 tournament, capped by an 11-5 victory over Arapahoe Saturday afternoon, to earn a return to the state tournament.
Grandview went six seasons in between its 2015 state tournament appearance and getting there in 2022, but is now part of the 16 teams remaining in the championship chance for a second straight season. The Oct. 20-21 state tournament at the Aurora Sports Park will also include Eaglecrest (the Region 1 champion) and Cherokee Trail, which earned the consolation berth out of Region 7.
The ninth-seeded Wolves opened their regional with a 12-5 win over 24th-seeded Fort Collins — behind a complete game victory from junior Leah Graves, who allowed seven hits and struck out nine, plus three RBI from senior Peytann Weiland and two apiece from senior Kristin Gallego and sophomore Sasha Kennedy — then took on Broomfield in the championship game.
Grandview defeated Broomfield in the opening round of last season’s state tournament, but the eighth-seeded Eagles came out on top this time. Kennedy tripled and scored the only run for the Wolves in the fourth inning on a hit by Miller.
That dropped Grandview into a contest with No. 25 Arapahoe, which bounced back from a one-run loss to Broomfield in the first game with a 15-12 defeat of Fort Collins. The Wolves defeated the Warriors twice in Centennial League play (15-0 and 7-4) and did so again with a trip to state on the line.
The 5A state softball tournament bracket is due out Monday.
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter/X: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
CLASS 5A REGION 8 SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT
Oct. 14 at Broomfield H.S.
Consolation 2nd round: Grandview 11, Arapahoe 4
Score by innings:
Arapahoe 010 020 1 — 4
Grandview 200 225 x — 11
Championship: Broomfield 5, Grandview 1
Score by innings:
Grandview 000 100 0 — 1
Broomfield 101 021 x — 5
LP — Grandview: Kamaya Soniea-Harris (3 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K). Grandview hitting: Sasha Kennedy 1-3, 3B, run; Kristin Gallego 1-3; Ashley Miller RBI
First round: Grandview 12, Fort Collins 5
Score by innings:
Fort Collins 005 000 0 — 5
Grandview 003 522 x — 12
WP — Grandview: Leah Graves (7 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 9 K). Grandview hitting: Kristin Gallego 3-4, 2 RBI, run; Maddie Heinrich 3-4, RBI, 2 runs, SB; Ashley Miller 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI, run; Sasha Kennedy 2-4, 2 RBI, 2 runs, SB; Peytann Weiland 2-4, 2B, 3 RBI; Aubrey Dejong 1-3, 2B, RBI; Madison Jaramillo 1-3, 3 runs, SB; Maya Sprague 1-4, 2B, run; Brooklyn Heil 1-4, run; Macy Hemstreet run, SB
