Aurora – Champions always pay a fee to get to the top.
The price tag for winning the Class 5A state softball title totaled about $600 for Rocky Mountain ace pitcher Cory Berliner.
That’s what it cost Berliner and her family to buy and then reschedule airline tickets for a three-school recruiting trip on the East Coast that had to be delayed because of the snowstorm that pushed the championship game from Saturday to Monday night at the Aurora Sports Complex.
It was worth it. Berliner struck out nine batters to give the Lobos a 2-1 victory over Wheat Ridge and the first softball state title in Rocky Mountain High School history.
“It was a very exciting game and there was a lot of pressure, but that’s what I live for and that’s why I enjoy playing the game so much,” Berliner said. “Unfortunately my dad couldn’t be here, but I’m sure he was kept updated.”
Allen Berliner could not change his flight and had to miss his daughter’s game for the first time in her high school career. That might be all right, though, as Cory caught a midnight flight out of town to meet up with her father. At least they will have some good stories to tell the college coaches at Pittsburgh, Penn and Delaware.
Berliner recorded 16 strikeouts in her final two postseason games, including the Lobos’ 3-1 victory over Cherry Creek in the semifinals.
Rocky Mountain (24-1) started the season atop The Denver Post/9News rankings and stayed there all season. But the Lobos nearly met their match against Wheat Ridge (22-3) and pitcher Kyla Nelson.
No hits were recorded until Rocky Mountain senior Jordan Crockett drilled a single up the middle in the bottom of the third inning. A throwing error on a ball hit by Jamie Winsor put runners at first and second. The Lobos loaded the bases on a Samantha Brauch bunt that again was misplayed by the Wheat Ridge infield.
Aubree Maul then put the ball in play, and Crockett was able to beat shortstop Giana Zimmerman’s throw home to give Rocky Mountain a 1-0 lead.
“We made a few mistakes in the field, but it wasn’t for a lack of effort, that’s for sure,” Wheat Ridge coach Eric Larson said.
Both Rocky Mountain runs were unearned. The Lobos added another in the sixth, when Corinna Gonzalez scored from third on a hard grounder by Morgan Lanteri.
Wheat Ridge scored once in the seventh and had the tying run on base, but Berliner struck out the final two batters to end the game.
5A SOFTBALL MVP
The pressure was on Rocky Mountain senior pitcher Cory Berliner and the rest of the Lobos from the start of the season, when just about everyone picked them as the favorites to win a state title. Neither disappointed. Berliner was dominant all season, and she gave up just one earned run in the final two games.
Final
Wheat Ridge 000 000 1 – 1 3 3
Rocky Mountain 001 001 x – 2 2 2
Wheat Ridge – Fields cf 2-0-0-0, Purcell c 2-0-0-0, G. Zimmerman ss 3-0-0-0, Larson 1b 2-0-0-0, A. Zimmerman 3b 3-1-1-0, Hickey dh-c 3-0-1-0, Sivetts lf 3-0-0-0, Eggleston rf 3-0-0-0, Nelson p 3-0-1-0, Mickelson dh 1-0-0-0, Iacino 2b 0-0-0-0. Totals 25-1-3-0.
Rocky Mountain – Winsor ss 2-0-0-0, Brauch rf 1-0-0-0, Maul lf 3-0-0-1, Gonzalez 1b 3-1-1-0, Lanteri c 3-0-0-1, Gleiforst 3b 3-0-0-0, Pille 2b 3-0-0-0, Berliner 2-0-0-0, Crockett cf 2-1-1-0. Totals 22-2-2-2.
E – Nelson, Eggleston, Iacino; Winsor, Brauch. LOB – Wheat Ridge 4; Rocky Mountain 5. 2B – A. Zimmerman. SAC – Fields; Brauch 2.
Batteries – Nelson and Purcell, Hickey (4); Berliner and Lanteri. W – Berliner. L – Nelson (10-2). T – 1:52.
Semifinals
Cherry Creek 000 010 0 – 1 5 1
Rocky Mountain 000 021 X – 3 3 2
Henderson and Springer; Berliner and Lanteri. W – Berliner. L – Henderson. Highlights – Keith, CC, 1-for-3, run; Crockett, RM, 1-for-2, 2B, 2 RBI; Gonzalez, RM, 2-for-3, run.
Wheat Ridge 000 003 0 – 3 8 1
Pomona 000 001 0 – 1 4 2
G. Zimmerman and Hickey. Randolph and Winters. W – G. Zimmerman. L – Randolph. Highlights – G. Zimmerman, WR, 2-for-3, 2B, run; A. Zimmerman, WR, 1-for-2, RBI, run; Nelson, 1-for-3, 2B, RBI, run.
