AURORA | The top two teams in the Centennial League standings will meet again Saturday to decide the winner of the Centennial League Challenge.
Top-seeded Smoky Hill and second-seeded Cherokee Trail each came through the first two rounds unscathed and advanced to a third showdown this season when the Buffaloes topped No. 4 Cherry Creek 13-5 and the Cougars downed No. 3 Arapahoe 1-2 Thursday.
Smoky Hill — which holds an automatic berth in the Class 5A state tournament thanks to winning the league title — will be the home team for the championship game at 11 a.m., where it will try to finish the regular season as the only undefeated team in 5A. Cherokee Trail moved to 13-2, with its only losses coming against the Buffaloes.
Cherry Creek and Arapahoe meet for third place, while the fifth-place game sends seventh-seeded Eaglecrest — an 11-1 consolation semifinal winner over No. 6 Grandview — to fifth-seeded Mullen, a 16-1 winner over No. 8 Overland.
The Wolves play host to the Trailblazers in the seventh-place contest.
Courtney Oakes is Sentinel Colorado Sports Editor. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@sentinelcolorado.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
2020 CENTENNIAL SOFTBALL CHALLENGE SOFTBALL
Oct. 3: Championship: Cherokee Trail at Smoky Hill, 11 a.m.; Third-place: Cherry Creek vs. Arapahoe, 11 a.m.; Fifth-place: Eaglecrest at Mullen, 11 a.m.; Seventh-place: Overland at Grandview, 11 a.m.
Oct. 1: Championship bracket — No. 1 Smoky Hill 13, No. 4 Cherry Creek 5; No. 2 Cherokee Trail 12, No. 3 Arapahoe 1; Consolation bracket — No. 5 Mullen 16, No. 8 Overland 1; No. 7 Eaglecrest 11, No. 6 Grandview 1
Sept. 29: No. 1 Smoky Hill 17, No. 8 Overland 0; No. 2 Cherokee Trail 6, No. 7 Eaglecrest 2; No. 3 Arapahoe 14, No. 6 Grandview 6; No. 4 Cherry Creek 7, No. 5 Mullen 0
