The road to the top isn’t always easy.
Montezuma-Cortez proved that they could battle against some of the best on the Western Slope but ultimately dropped a pair of contests against Rifle, the current 4A Western Slope League champions.
The Panthers (9-7-1) went toe-to-toe with the Bears (14-6) in the second game of the twin bill, falling 3-1 in a defensive battle. The visiting Bears also spoiled the Panthers Homecoming opener with a 15-2 win.
The Panthers turned to Presley Frost in the circle in Game 2, and after allowing a run to Rifle in the top of the first, the junior silenced the Bears’ bats.
In the bottom of the third inning, the Panthers answered. Junior Alyssa Cornett belted her second home run of the season to knot the score at one apiece.
From there, both teams began to flash the leather, denying each other the go-ahead run.
Senior shortstop Morgan Short provided a highlight reel play in the fifth, diving to her right to bring in a ground ball, then, from her knees, she sent a laser across the diamond to record the out.
Later in the inning with a Rifle runner aboard, junior second baseman Alexis Cornett corralled a sharp ground ball, tagged the runner passing in front of her, then fired to senior first baseman Kailey Case for the double play.
Short was at the center of the action again in the sixth inning, chasing a pop-up into shallow center field, briefly bobbling the ball before tumbling to the ground with the catch. Both she and senior third baseman Mandy McAfee took care of ground balls to wrap up the frame.
With the chance to take the lead after Short led off the bottom of the sixth with a single, it was Rifle’s chance to make a defensive stand. Bears pitcher Kaitlyn Jackson, who gave the Panthers fits all afternoon, snagged a liner then doubled off the base runner for a rally-ending double play.
The quick change in momentum carried into the seventh inning, when Rifle finally pushed across a pair of runs courtesy of two sacrifice flies, giving them a lead they would not relinquish.
Along with strong defense, Frost shined on the afternoon, striking out two in her efficient 6 1/3 innings of work.
In the opener, senior pitcher Taylor Comisky battled against a strong Bears lineup, allowing just three runs in her first three innings of work. However, the Bears offense ignited in the fourth inning en route to the 15-2 victory. Frost accounted for both Panther RBIs in the contest, driving home Alexis Cornett in the first inning, then Alyssa Cornett in the fifth on an RBI double.
Between contests the Panthers honored their five seniors – Short, McAfee, Case, Comisky and Sarai Cruzan – with a “passing of the torch” ceremony between the seniors and some of the future members of M-CHS softball.
M-CHS now prepares for makeup games with Basalt, as well as dates with Eagle Valley and Durango to wrap up the regular season.
