AURORA | Softballs flew over fences at an astonishing rate for the Cherokee Trail softball team Wednesday.
Coach Caley Mitchell’s Cougars had been ramping up offensively of late with double-digit runs in three of its previous four games — including a 24-run outburst — going into its home Centennial League matchup with Mullen.
Cherokee Trail took it to another level, however, when it hammered six home runs in an mercy rule-shortened 18-6 victory over the Mustangs.
Most notable about the six home runs is that five of them happened in consecutive at-bats in a 10-run third inning that saw Hunter Gilbreath, Jenna Medhus, Kelsey Bell, Cheyenne Ausborn and Abby Rupeka leave the yard in back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back fashion.
Leading off the barage was Gilbreath, who was followed by Bell, Ausborn, Rupeka and Medhus. Gilbreath homered again in the game to push her team-leading total to five, while Ausborn hit her fourth bomb and Bell her second while Medhus and Rupeka went deep for the first time.
“It was so nuts! I’ve never seen anything like it before,” Mitchell told the Sentinel. “I think I’ve seen 3 back to back, but never 5. It was really fun to watch and also really cool to see how well the Mullen pitcher handled it. She was so calm and collected!”
Gilbreath finished with five RBI to pace the team with 18 on the season along with sophomore Ryleigh Cruz, who didn’t homer, but doubled and plated four runs in the contest.
Medhus finished 3-3 and also doubled, while she earned the win on the mound by scattering five hits and allowed six runs (two earned) over four innings.
Cherokee Trail stayed unbeaten in the Centennial League at 2-0 (9-6) overall and return to action with a 4:30 p.m. Thursday visit to Eaglecrest (5-12-1, 2-1).
Courtney Oakes is Sentinel Colorado Sports Editor. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@sentinelcolorado.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
CHEROKEE TRAIL 18, MULLEN 6
Score by innings:
Mullen 004 2 — 6
Cher. Trail 06(10) 2 — 18
WP — Cherokee Trail: Jenna Medhus (4 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K). Cherokee Trail hitting: Jenna Medhus 3-3, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, 2 runs, SB; Hunter Gilbreath 3-4, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 2 runs; Ryleigh Cruz 2-3, 2B, 4 RBI, 3 runs; Kelsey Bell, Cheyenne Ausborn and Abby Rupeka HR