AURORA | The Aurora Sports Park has never been a hospitable place to the Grandview softball team, until this season’s Dave Sanders Memorial tournament.
The Wolves had lost their first game of the Class 5A state softball tournament three times in the past four years and went just 1-4 at the 2011 Dave Sanders tournament on the same fields, but they loved the venue on Friday, going 3-0 to claim the top seed in Pool B going into the final day of play.
Coach Dave Thies’ team qualified for the Diamond Bracket — which includes the winners of all four pools — and takes on Pool C winner Mountain Vista at 11 a.m. Edmund, Okla., and Loveland play in the other semifinal, with winners going on to the 3:15 p.m. championship game.
The Wolves came into the tournament undefeated and remained that way after rallying past Grand Junction Central 10-7 in the final game, coming on the heels of wins over Brighton and Pueblo Central.
Sophomore Ande Troutman hit a 3-run home run to ignite Grandview’s rally from a 5-0 deficit, Kelsey Biaggi tied the score in the bottom of the sixth inning with a suicide bunt and Emily Supercynski and Shy Calicchia had two-run base hits in the same inning to push Grandview to victory. Freshman Courtney Browne earned the victory in relief of starter Abigail Mork, coming on in the second inning.
Earlier, Grandview got some payback against Brighton in a rematch of a first round game at last season’s state tournament won by the Bulldogs. The Wolves took this meeting 6-5 in an error-filled contest that saw Brittney Fernandez come through with two hits and 3 RBI and Troutman produce a pair of hits as well.
Jaden Thompson had three hits and two RBI in Grandview’s 4-1 win over Pueblo Central to open the day. Mork got the pitching victory.
Reach Sports Editor Courtney Oakes at sports@aurorasentinel.com or 303-750-7555
DAVE SANDERS MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT
Friday at Aurora Sports Park
Pool B
Grandview 4, Pueblo Central 1
Brighton 11, G.J. Central 1
Grandview 6, Brighton 5
Pueblo Central 4, G.J. Central 1
Grandview 10, G.J. Central 7
Brighton 2, Pueblo Central 0
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