LITTLETON — Chatfield had no intention of another short stay at the Class 5A state softball tournament.
Losing a third straight first-round game for the third straight year was simply unacceptable. The No. 3-seeded Chargers scored multiple runs in every inning to cruise to a 13-2 victory in five innings over No. 14 Regis Jesuit at Chatfield High School to end to state tournament drought.
Chatfield junior Dakota Dipaola fouls off a pitch during an at-bat Tuesday against Regis. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
“This is a step we haven’t been able to take the last two years,” Chatfield coach Jen Lazzeri said after picking up her first state tournament victory coaching the Chargers. “It definitely feels like a state tournament win because we’ve prepared that way. They played really loose and I’m proud of them. The nerves kind of got to us the last couple of years.”
With CHSAA changing the format to having the highest seed host the first-round and state quarterfinal games, Chatfield (14-3 record) took advantage of playing on its home field. The Chargers actually defeated Regis 10-1 in their home opener back on Aug. 18.
“I feel like it’s a huge advantage to play at home and I feel like we used it to our advantage,” Chatfield junior Peyton Shepard said.
Shepard got it going offensively for the Chargers. The junior tripled in the bottom of the first inning. The slap hitter who normally uses her speed, belted a second triple in the second inning to give Chatfield an early 4-0 lead.
“I get really mad when teams play in on me. The short game is kind of my thing,” Shepard said. “Sometimes it’s fun to surprise people. I like to be a triple-threat to help out my team.”
Shepard singled and scored during the Chargers’ 6-run third inning that pushed Chatfield’s lead to 10-1.
“We knew we had to jump on them early because the past few years in the first round our offensive bats haven’t come out like they should have,” Chatfield senior Courtney Bidwell said.
Chatfield suffered a pair of 3-2 losses to Legacy and Cherokee Trail in state tournament openers in 2019 and 2018.
Chatfield senior Izzy DiNapoli pitched a complete-game victory in the first-round state tournament Tuesday. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
The win advanced Chatfield into the quarterfinals. The Chargers will host 5A Jeffco League rival Lakewood on Thursday, Oct. 15. The No. 6 Tigers rallied Tuesday to edge No. 11 Douglas County 5-3.
Chatfield defeated Lakewood 8-1 during conference play this season.
“It is always hard to get a team twice during the season,” Lazzeri said. “You never want your girls to overlook anybody. When you get to the state tournament anything can happen.”
The Chargers would take a repeat of what happened Tuesday. Shepard was definitely the spark Chatfield needed to get going early.
“It is so fun to get on base for my seniors,” the Chargers’ leadoff batter said. “I’m in front of three seniors and I feel like I never get left on base.”
Shepard didn’t get stranded in all four of her at-bats where she reached base. Shepard scored in every inning and knocked in three runs herself.
Senior Madi Shepard — no relation to Payton — drove in a trio of runs and senior pitcher Izzy DiNapoli helped herself out going 2-for-3 from the plate with two RBIs. Every starter for Chatfield reached base.
“For the most part everybody hit,” Lazzeri said. “That is the scary part about our line-up. We can pretty much hit from the top down.”
DiNapoli picked up the victory in the circle. She allowed just two runs on four hits while striking out five.
Regis (10-7) got an RBI single by senior Carlie Jo Caldwell in the third inning and senior Chloe Valdez belted a solo home run in the fourth inning to account for the Raiders’ two runs.
Chatfield junior Peyton Shepard slides into third during her first of two triples Tuesday against Regis Jesuit. The Chargers had 14 hits over four innings in a 13-2 victory. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)