Archive for Sunday, September 27, 2009
Photo by Matt Stensland
Steamboat Springs High School softball player Tyra Monger heads toward third base Saturday during Steamboat's first game against Rifle High School.
Sailors focus on hitting in doubleheader loss to Bears
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Steamboat Springs The Rifle High School girls softball team scored early, late, often and just about anytime in between on Saturday in a doubleheader against Steamboat Springs at Howelsen Hill.
The Bears, amidst a battle in the Western Slope League, rolled to a 29-1 first-game victory and followed it up with a 33-0 second-game win.
Fresh off two lopsided wins against Steamboat last week, Rifle gave up three hits all day in the two shortened, three-inning games.
"We look at opportunities to improve our game," Rifle coach Cindy Skinner said. "If that means we have to make adjustments in the batters box, then that's what we'll do. There were still some things we could have done better."
It's hard to imagine what the Bears could have done.
Rifle spent the first game doing what it's done most of the year against Steamboat. The Bears hit around the lineup multiple times and made quick work of the Sailors.
Save for a Shantel Payne run for Steamboat, Rifle was near perfect.
"I was very pleased with the amount of contact we made," Steamboat coach Dan Swanson said. "We've been working on our hitting a lot. But our inexperience is showing on defense."
In the second game, the Sailors had opportunities to limit the damage, but the inexperience Swanson cited showed through.
After Rifle put a nine-spot up in the bottom of the first inning, the Bears exploded for 24 runs in the second inning.
Behind the pitching of Cheyenne Roark, the Bears easily won the second game.
Now with five games left, four in league play, Skinner said Rifle's focus will be refining players' skills. That starts Tuesday with Eagle Valley.
"We need to win," Skinner said. "We have a lot of work to do. Defensively, we need to be strong. Eagle, with the pitchers we have now, are going to hit us. We have to be defensively strong."
Steamboat resumes play at 4 p.m. Wednesday at Howelsen Hill when Middle Park comes to town. Middle Park, while not in the same bracket as Rifle, will present some challenges.
Still, Steamboat played Middle Park tough last season, and the Sailors' last win came two years ago against the Panthers.
"I think if our girls are thinking about where to throw the ball, we'll play well," Swanson said. "I think we can play them pretty tough."


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