ARVADA — Wheat Ridge sophomore Ya Mei Wilson went from spectator to a two-way hero for the Farmers’ softball team Tuesday afternoon.
Wilson started on the bench in the non-league road game against Ralston Valley. The lefty eventually got the victory on the mound pitching seventh innings in relieve and delivered offensively with an RBI single in the top of the ninth inning to drive in the eventual game-winning run in a 8-7 victory for Wheat Ridge (10-3 record).
“You just have to go in there with confidence,” Wilson said after giving up just two runs on seven hits while going 2-for-4 from the plate with a pair of RBIs. “I knew we were going to get back into it.”
Wheat Ridge sophomore Cassie Uhl went 3-for-6 from the plate in the Farmers’ 8-7 extra-inning victory Tuesday. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Wilson lined a single in the top of the ninth inning to drive in pinch-runner Riley Fitzpatrick with two outs. It gave the Farmers, ranked No. 6 in the CHSAANow.com Class 4A softball poll, a 8-7 lead heading to the bottom of the ninth.
“We always have faith in our bats. We’ve done that all season,” Wheat Ridge coach Jamie Heflin said of rallying from a deficit. “I just wish we wouldn’t give up a 4-spot early.”
Ralston Valley (7-7) jumped out to an early 6-1 lead through three innings, but the Farmers put up a 4-run top of the fourth inning to cut the lead to 6-5. Sophomore Cassie Uhl had the big hit in the inning with a bases loaded 2-run single with a pair of outs.
The Farmers took their first lead when senior Julia Shippley and sophomore Carly Storrer had back-to-back RBI singles in the top of the sixth to give Wheat Ridge a 7-6 lead.
Ralston Valley tied it up with an RBI single by Abri Trujillo in the bottom of the seventh inning to send the game into extra innings. Trujillo nearly came through again in the bottom of the ninth inning. The Mustangs’ senior catcher ripped a line drive into right field, but Uhl made a tremendous catch to record the final out and compete the come-from-behind victory for the Farmers.
“I was nervous,” Wilson said of the line drive by Trujillo that Uhl caught. “Cass got down on it and she really came through.”
Ralston Valley senior Sydney Stewart (44) is congratulated by Mustangs’ coach Wendy Davies after a triple by Stewart. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Wheat Ridge — six state titles from 2002-2013 — is coming off a rocky season where it finished fourth in 4A Jeffco standings, but had a late-season run that advanced the Farmers into the 4A state tournament. The season ended with an 11-0 first-round state tournament loss to Discovery Canyon.
“We are young. We are doing just fine and I think we’re growing each game,” said Heflin, who started five sophomores and two freshmen Tuesday. “I think we are going to be very competitive the rest of the season.”
Ralston Valley — Class 4A state champions in 2002 and 2007, along with a dozen conference titles since 2000 — are leaning on the freshmen pitching tandem of Ashley West and Maya Bachman to bounce back from a rough 2017 season. Ralston Valley finished 2-5 in league last season while missing out on the postseason.
Longtime Mustangs’ coach Wendy Davies actually brought up sophomore pitcher Makena Geist from junior varsity Tuesday and gave her the start. West pitched in the fourth, fifth and six innings against Wheat Ridge too.
“Hopefully we can have Ashley (West) kind of find her groove,” Davies said. “She is a very talented girl with a lot potential. She is just struggling right now.”
Ralston Valley senior Sydney Stewart led the way for the Mustangs’ offense with a pair of triples and a double.
The Mustangs have one final non-league tuneup at home against D’Evelyn at 4 p.m. Thursday, Sep. 13. The Mustangs open up 5A Jeffco play at home against rival Arvada West at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 15.
Wheat Ridge dives into conference play at home against D’Evelyn at 10 a.m. Saturday. That game will be played at Pennington Elementary School in Wheat Ridge.
“Going into conference I think we look really good,” Heflin said. “Valor isn’t there so we won’t have to battle with them, but Golden will come back strong.”
Wheat Ridge and Ralston Valley will dive in conference play later this week. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)