Greenwood Village – Most teams would welcome what Mullen softball coach Tony Lopez described as “a tough weekend.”
The Mustangs went a perfect 5-0 at the Don McCall Tournament, but Lopez was not sure how his team would respond after two long days of play and three days off.
A 3-0 victory over Cherry Creek in a cross-classification Centennial League game Wednesday was just what Lopez ordered.
“I didn’t know how anybody would react,” Lopez said.
Junior pitcher Bianca Holley countered with a controlled, two-hit shutout with eight strikeouts, and senior center fielder Paige Roberts drilled a two-RBI double in the top of the sixth inning for Mullen (10-0 overall, 5-0 league), ranked No. 1 in The Denver Post/9News Class 4A poll.
Cherry Creek (3-2, 3-2), unranked in 5A, never got a spark from its offense, with just two hits and no scoring threats.
“We are pressing on offense. Our offense simply hasn’t come through in the last couple of games,” Cherry Creek coach John Gallagher said. “We have very good (defense) and great pitching, but little offense.”
In this game, at least, the lack of offense was directly related to the pitching of the 6-foot-2 Holley. Armed with six pitches, Holley faced the minimum 12 batters through four innings (Joy Hamilton, who had walked, was caught stealing second base).
“We started off slow after the long weekend, but things picked up and it felt like I was throwing hard,” Holley said.
Mullen registered what would prove to be the winning run in the top of the second inning when Anne Kelly drove in Jessie Larson from third base.
The Mustangs threatened in the third inning with Abby Keese and Larson on third and second base with two out. Cherry Creek pitcher Kelli Henderson ended the threat with a groundout.
“I don’t think we have any fire in us right now. I get the feeling that no one is really into it,” said Henderson, who had a double in the sixth but was left stranded.
Roberts secured the game with a two-RBI double to center in the sixth, scoring Jordan Gonzalez and Alex Roybal.
Gonzalez went 2-for-3 with a run scored.
Cherry Creek put runners on first and second with one out in the seventh but failed to score. After Hamilton beat an outfield throw to first on a single, Ali May was picked off second base to end the game.
Mullen 010 002 0 – 3 8 1
Cherry Creek 000 000 0 – 0 2 1
Mullen – Olson 3b 4-0-0-0, Haberkorn rf 4-0-0-0, Keese ss 4-0-1-0, Larson 1b 3-1-1-0, Holley p 3-0-1-0, Gonzalez 2b 3-1-2-0, Kelly c 3-0-2-1, Martinez lf, 1-0-0-0, Roberts cf 3-0-1-2, Roybal cr 0-1-0-0. Totals 28-3-8-3.
Cherry Creek – Henderson p 3-0-1-0, Lastrapes ss 3-0-0-0, Kostyo cf 3-0-0-0, Gardner 3b 2-0-0-0, May dh 1-0-0-0, L. Marlier c 3-0-0-0, Hamilton lf 2-0-1-0, R. Marlier 1b 2-0-0-0, Barlow 2b 2-0-0-0. Totals 21-0-2-0.
Batteries – Holley and Kelly; Henderson and L. Marlier. W – Holley (9-0). L – Henderson (2-3).
E – Barlow; Larson. LOB – Mullen 6; Cherry Creek 4. 2B – Roberts; Henderson.
WP – Holley; Henderson. HBP – May by Holley (in the fifth inning), May by Holley (in the seventh). SB – Gonzalez, Roybal. CS – Hamilton, May 2. T – 1:29.
