A 2-1 loss against John F. Kennedy last season in the game that decided the Denver Prep League softball title still burns East catcher Brenna Hokanson.
“That was a heartbreaker of a game,” Hokanson said.
Kennedy and East have passed the title back and forth for the past decade, and right now it doesn’t belong to the Angels.
So all is not forgotten, and East stormed into a new DPL season Thursday with a 29-2 thumping of host Montbello.
The game was called after two hours and four innings. The Angels play Kennedy in the last game of the season.
East (3-2, 1-0 DPL) spread the wealth across its lineup, with 11 players contributing at least two runs, RBIs or hits.
Hokanson went 3-for-4 and drove in five runs, including a triple that scored three in the third inning.
Rosie Pokrandt hit a double, scored four runs and drove in four more.
“This was kind of a different game,” Hokanson said. “It will be a lot harder when we play Cherry Creek (this morning at the Dave Sanders Memorial Tournament).”
For its part, Montbello (0-7, 0-1) seemed to be having fun and hustled until the final out.
“We have a lot of young girls,” Montbello coach Bryan Sanders said. “We are working on teaching them the game here.”
East pitcher Blake Dowling, only 13, gave up two hits and two runs in three innings, striking out five batters.
“I expect us to get a lot better once this team plays a few more games,” East coach Howard Karsh said.
East 5(14)7 3 – 29 15 1
Montbello 1 1 0 0 – 2 2 6
East – Mitchell dh 4-3-0-0, K. McGlamery cf 0-3-0-0, Hokanson c 4-0-3-5, L. McGlamery 2b 3-3-1-1, Jones 3b 3-3-2-2, Pokrandt 1b 5-4-2-4, Borman rf 3-2-2-1, Hall ss 4-3-2-1, Millis lf 1-3-0-0, Dowling p 0-1-0-0, Monigle dh 2-1-0-0, Cornish 2b 1-1-1-2, McGuire 3b 1-0-0-0, Mulligan rf 2-2-2-2. Totals 33-29-15-18.
Montbello – Stewart c 1-1-1-0, Perez p 2-0-0-1, Haliburton cf 1-0-0-0, Palato lf 1-0-0-0, J. Hernandez 1b 2-1-0-0, Brooms rf 2-0-0-0, C. Hernandez 2b 2-0-0-0, Villa 3b 1-0-1-0, Pablo ss 1-0-0-0, Rodriguez dh 1-0-0-0, Calderon lf 0-0-0-0, Kelly dh 1-0-0-0. Totals 15-2-2-1.
E – L. McGlamery; Palato 2, Haliburton, Villa, Hernandez, Pablo. LOB – East 8; Montbello 4.
Batteries – Dowling, Cornish (4) and Hokanson and Monigle (4); Perez, Brooms (3) and Stewart. W – Dowling. L – Perez. WP – Dowling; Brooms 7, Perez 6. PB – Stewart 5. HBP – Mitchell (by Perez) 2, L. McGlamery (by Perez) 2, Mitchell (by Brooms), Hall (by Grooms).
2B – Pokrandt. 3B – Hokanson. SB – Stewart 2; K. McGlamery, L. McGlamery, Pokrandt, Hall, Cornish. Time – 2:00.
