Highlands Ranch – The No. 9 hole on most softball teams usually is reserved for the player who has trouble lifting the bat to her shoulder, let alone putting the ball in play.
That rule does not apply for Mountain Vista and Malorie Mang. Batting ninth in the lineup Wednesday, Mang went 3-for-3 with two doubles, including the game-winner, in a thrilling 4-3 victory over Highlands Ranch in a Class 5A Continental League game on the Golden Eagles’ field.
Mang said she will bat ninth every game if that’s what her coach wants.
“I bat anywhere from first to ninth. Where my coach needs me, I play there,” Mang said.
After the final out, Mountain Vista (11-2 overall, 6-0 league), No. 10 in The Denver Post/9News 5A poll, started popping balloons and pulling down streamers set up by fans of No. 5 Highlands Ranch (9-4, 4-2). The Golden Eagles have not lost to the crosstown Falcons since first fielding a varsity team four years ago.
Mountain Vista started the scoring when Falcons pitcher Kaitlin York plunked Amy McMullen with the bases loaded, but York struck out the next two batters to get out of the inning.
York evened the score in the fourth with a single that scored Bea Stewart from second, but Mountain Vista took the lead back next time up.
Mang stroked a two-out double and scored on a bloop single to center by Michelle Pineda.
Highlands Ranch, however, has the reigning Denver Post player of the year in Melisa Ryba, and she used heads-up baserunning to tie the score at two. After drawing a walk, Ryba took off to second on a sacrifice bunt by Jessy Berry. Ryba kept on running as the throw was made to first to get Berry, and a wild throw from first base to third allowed Ryba to score.
“I saw Jessy get the bunt down and no one was at third, so I just went,” Ryba said.
Ryba relieved York in the sixth and gave up the go-ahead runs with Mang’s RBI double and two wild pitches that gave Mountain Vista some cushion. Mountain Vista pitcher Kelly Unkrich (five strikeouts) loaded the bases twice in the seventh but forced a groundout to end the threat.
Highlands Ranch 000 110 1 – 3 5 0
Mountain Vista 100 102 x – 4 7 3
Highlands Ranch – Ryba cf-p 3-1-1-0, Berry rf 3-0-0-0, Kai. Vessey ss 4-0-0-1, Kam. Vessey 2b 3-0-1-0, Stewart 3b 3-1-1-0, York p-1b 3-0-1-1, Vagts 1b-cf 1-0-0-0, Leeling dh 2-0-0-0, Lopez lf 3-1-1-0, Larsen dh 1-0-0-0. Totals 26-3-5-2.
Mountain Vista – Pineda cf 4-1-2-1, Markowski 2b 2-0-0-0, Cross ss 3-0-1-0, Buck c 2-0-0-0, McMullen 1b 3-0-0-1, Blazek rf 3-0-0-0, Long dh 3-0-0-0, Antista lf 3-1-1-0, Mang 3b 3-2-3-1. Totals 26-4-7-3.
E – Buck, Markowski, Mang. LOB – Highlands Ranch 8; Mountain Vista 6. 2B – Kam. Vessey, Stewart; Mang 2. SB – Ryba; Pineda, Cross. SAC – Markowski.
Batteries – York, Ryba (6) and Ver Woert; Unkrich and Buck. W – Unkrich (7-2). L – Ryba. WP – Ryba 2, York. HBP – Ryba, HR, by Unkrich; McMullen, MV, by York; Pineda, MV, by York. Time – 1:48.
