Dakota Ridge’s Rachelle Foos. (Jordan Morey)
Rachelle Foos struck out 19 batters over two games, and Dakota Ridge easily advanced to the Class 5A state softball tournament.
The Eagles were joined by Chatfield as a state qualifier out of Region 3. Both teams will play at the tournament next Friday and Saturday at Aurora Sports Park.
Dakota Ridge cruised through the regional, first topping Fruita Monument 9-2, and then beating Chatfield 9-2.
Eagles coach Marv Van Lingen approached regionals as he would any regular season game.
“We came in with the same mentality that we have tried to maintain all year long. We preach to the girls work ethic and discipline, that’s what you work for,” Van Lingen said. “Nothing fancy, we want fundamentals.”
Last season, Dakota Ridge reached the 5A championship game, where it lost to Loveland. This year’s Eagles entered the regional tournament as the No. 5 seed.
Saturday was Van Lingen’s first appearance at regionals as the varsity coach — he replaced Dave Atencio this offseason after Atencio took the job at Valor Christian. Van Lingen previously headed the JV team for Dakota Ridge.
“A lot of these girls have been under me in the JV program,” he said. “There is a familiarity with this group, each one has come up with me on the at the JV level.”
(Jordan Morey)
Chatfield had to get to state the hard way. The Chargers started the day hot by beating Greeley West 16-6. But the loss to Dakota Ridge set up an elimination game between Chatfield and Fruita Monument.
“I told them if they really want it, they needed to dig down deep and find it,” said Chargers coach Nicole Janssen.
Through the first three and a half innings, it appeared that the game would be a defensive struggle between the two teams. Both pitchers hadn’t given up any runs until the Chargers scored three in the bottom of the third. The Chargers led thereafter and won 5-2.
Sophomore pitcher Jessica Jarecki had a fantastic game against Fruita with eight strikeouts and only one earned run in six innings. Jarecki said that her rise and curve balls were blowing by Fruita.
Jarecki prepared her team ready to play following the tough loss to Dakota Ridge, and has a gameplan for state.
(Jordan Morey)
“When we were in a circle I started jumping up and down and said ‘Let’s go, let’s get this!” Jarecki said. “We need to continue to keep being a team. In the huddle, our coach said that we play as a team and not as individuals.”
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the day out of 5A regional play was 14th-seeded Castle View. After beating No. 19 Rocky Mountain, No. 14 Castle View defeated No. 3 Legend 5-4. Legend, however, rebounded to make the field.
ThunderRidge, a No. 26 seed, also made the 5A tournament.
There weren’t any major upsets in 4A regionals. No. 1 Wheat Ridge dominated both of its games, winning 13-1 against Mead and 13-3 against Palmer Ridge. No. 23 Roosevelt was among the 16 qualifiers.
In 3A, No. 9 Lamar upset No. 4 Eaton 2-1 — however, both teams will make the tournament.
On Sunday, a CHSAA committee will seed the 5A, 4A and 3A brackets. Each bracket will be announced on CHSAANow.com.
State qualifiers
Listed in order of regional seed
Class 5A
Bracket
1. Douglas County
2. Rock Canyon
3. Legend
4. Fossil Ridge
5. Dakota Ridge
6. Legacy
8. Brighton
9. Eaglecrest
10. Loveland
11. Grandview
12. Chatfield
13. Grand Junction
14. Castle View
15. Pine Creek
16. Standley Lake
26. ThunderRidge
Class 4A
Bracket
1. Wheat Ridge
2. Erie
3. Ponderosa
4. Pueblo East
5. Discovery Canyon
6. Broomfield
8. Berthoud
9. Valor Christian
10. Mountain View
11. Silver Creek
12. Thompson Valley
13. D’Evelyn
14. Pueblo West
15. Mullen
16. Palmer Ridge
23. Roosevelt
Class 3A
Bracket
1. Strasburg
2. Sterling
3. Holy Family
4. Lamar
5. Valley
6. La Junta
7. Burlington
8. Basalt
9. Eaton
11. Florence
12. Dolores Huerta
15. Cedaredge