Ryann Mergelman, Rangely sophomore. | TIFFANY JEHOREK PHOTO
MEEKER I It was a big week full of close games this weekend for Meeker softball. The team, traveling to Eagle Valley Tuesday, lost by just one point, 14-15 in eight innings.
Hailey Knowles and Reagan Hafey (Craig Junior) combined for the pitching outing during the long extra inning nail biter of a game.
“There was impressive hitting by the entire lineup,” commented head coach Kendal Bergman, “we were able to show off our speed with a number of stolen bases by Kastyn Dembowski (Rangely sophomore), Knowles, Vivian Brown, Ryann Mergelman (Rangely sophomore), and Hafey.”
Nearly everyone in the lineup scored during the game with the majority of the team reaching base with a solid hit. The performances up to bat include the Cowboys first home run of the season by Mergelman, Athena Lyon hit a triple and two doubles, Knowles brought home three runs, Dembowski recording multiple hits, and Macy Ridgeway and Dylan Herndon both reached base with solid hits.
The defense helped keep Eagle Valley within reach with Dembowlski throwing out a runner at home plate, a double play with Mergelman and Hafey and “MyKayla Wille putting down a great tag to catch a runner coming into 3rd base,” commented Bergman.
“A heart wrenching game that’s for sure,” said Bergman, “but the girls showed so much heart and fight!”
In Eagle Valley the JV took the field first, with only 15 girls on the team, there is a lot of overlap between varsity and JV.
“Wille and Lyon were a dynamic duo with MyKayla pitching the majority of the game and Athena giving a great performance behind the plate,” commented Bergman. “Along with a solid defense, it was a solid team effort up to bat with multiple players getting multiple hits and getting on base nearly every at bat.”
Saturday, the eighth ranked Limon Badgers came to Meeker for a double header that began at 9 a.m. and didn’t end until over six hours later.
“It was such outstanding efforts across the board from the Meeker Cowboy softball players,” commented Bergman.
Brea Garcia pitched the first game against Limon with tons of ground ball outs and kept the hitters off balance, Hafey and Knowles helped finish out the game and had good outings.
“Offensively Brea pitched great games,” began Bergman, “Defensively Vivian Brown worked hard behind the plate, Kastyn had great catches out in center field during both games but had a diving catch for the third out in the first game in the fourth inning, Mergelman had a few sell out plays at shortstop getting dirty and making great plays, MyKayla brought her A game yet again and was such a defensive powerhouse at third base during both games.
Meeker lost the game 25-19 against a very skilled Badger team.
In the second game, “Hailey pitched amazing; always getting ahead of batters and keeping the ball low,” said Bergman, “when the ball got hit, our defense stepped up and made some great plays for outs”.
At catcher, Mergelman was a wall throwing to all the bases to keep the runners close during the entire game. Every single player in the hitting lineup either got a base hit or put down as a bunt.
“Very impressive at bats across the board,” commented Bergman; “MyKayla had so many clutch at bats and scored numerous runs, Reagan had another stellar game up to bat and getting on base nearly every time with some RBIs, Dylan Herndon hit a double to start the second inning, which was her first extra base hit of the season, Vivian kept the defense working with solid hits during the game and to keep the innings alive for us, Ryann also had clutch hits with runners in scoring position to keep the game within reach, and Kastyn kept the good swings going and making solid contact throughout the games”.
In the field, Brown didn’t let anything drop in left field during the second game, Hafey knocked down everything at short, and MyKayla took care of the ball very well at third and knocked down everything as well
“Macy Ridgeway played very well at first base both games and made some tough plays for outs. She also found her rhythm at the plate and had clutch hits to score some runs when it counted,” wrapped up Bergman.
The second game against Limon also went into eight innings, the Badgers just skated past the Cowboys 7-8.
This week the team gets four solid days of practice before they hit the road to Delta for a double header followed by another double header in Aspen on Saturday. Games on Friday begin at 3 p.m. and Saturday 11 a.m.
By TIFFANY JEHOREK – Special to the Herald Times
