AURORA — Shelby Babcock was a brick house.
Already referred to as Colorado’s best-ever softball recruit, the Legacy junior dominated the 2008 season much as she did when she was a sophomore.
Indeed, Lightning has struck twice in Class 5A. Legacy’s 4-1 decision Saturday over Ralston Valley for the championship at the Aurora Sports Complex was the program’s second in succession to give it full power over big-school ball with no argument.
Legacy knocked off the Mustangs (17-8), the 2007 4A champions who were competing in their first year in 5A, to cap a 23-2 season that was exhilarating as well as difficult.
It was a long time from when the Lightning won a year ago, reloaded amid a sort of “Midnight Madness” to begin preseason practice on Aug. 11 — none of the players blinked when the sprinklers came on as they took the field at Broomfield Industrial Park at 12:01 a.m. that day — then watched Babcock record the last of her 12 strikeouts Saturday.
“It was harder,” the right-handed Babcock said. “It’s amazing, one of the best feelings I’ve had. We had more pressure this year. We had huge targets on our backs.”
In capping a brilliant tournament, Legacy overcame everyone’s best shot. The Lightning scratched out a run in the second inning by playing small ball after a double by Babcock, then got the breathing room it needed on a three-run home run to center field by Buggs Torrez in the third.
Babcock had — for her — a shaky first inning in permitting two base- runners, then settled in. She fanned seven of the next 10 hitters, worked through a double by Meaghan Murphy and run-scoring single by Jackie Sanzolone in the fifth, and came home by retiring eight of the final Mustangs batters.
“She’s the best player I’ve seen come out of this state,” Lightning coach Dawn Gaffin said. “Look at who’s recruiting her, the best in the country.”
Babcock has narrowed her college choices to Arizona and Texas A&M.
The Lightning also got a diving stop by third baseman Kaitlyn Mattila that led to the second out in the seventh after Babcock plunked a Mustangs batter.
It was a complete victory and season in every way as noted by Ralston Valley coach Wendy Davis, the former all-stater at Arvada West then known as Wendy Braye.
Plus, no one in softball wishes to wait for the next game.
“I thought our kids had a great year with a lot of heart, and had it not been for that home run (on a 1-2 count), we’d still be playing,” she said. “But Legacy’s a good team. They have a good coach, a good pitcher, but hopefully next year we’ll give them a run for their money.”
Neil H. Devlin: 303-954-1714 or ndevlin@denverpost.com
CHAMPIONSHIP
Legacy 013 000 0 — 4 7 1
Ralston Valley 000 010 0 — 1 3 1
Legacy — Marcovecchio 2b 3-0-1-0, Price rf 3-1-1-0, Torrez c 3-1-1-3, Babcock p 3-0-1-0, Gaffin cr 0-0-0-0, Mattila 3b 3-1-0-0, Rodriguez 3-0-1-0, Vermillion lf 3-0-0-0, Wittkop 1b 3-0-0-0, Ball ss 3-1-2-0. Totals 27-4-7-3.
Ralston Valley — Donahue cf 3-0-1-0, Bell rf 3-0-0-0, Towner 1b 2-0-0-0, Hedrick c 2-0-0-0, Reves ss 2-0-0-0, Murphy p 3-1-1-0, Sanzolone 2b 3-0-1-1, Hartfield cr 0-0-0-0, Schieterecke 3b 3-0-0-0, Jagodzinski lf 2-0-0-0. Totals 23-1-3-1.
E — Reves, Vermillion. LOB — Legacy 5, Ralston Valley 4. SAC — Marcovecchio, Towner, Price. SB — Price.
2B — Babcock, Marcovecchio, Murphy. HR — Torrez, two on in third.
Batteries — Babcock and Torrez; Murphy and Hedrick. W — Babcock. L — Murphy. HBP — Reves (by Babcock).
SEMIFINALS
RALSTON VALLEY 2, MOUNTAIN VISTA 0
Mountain Vista 000 000 0 — 0 2 1
Ralston Valley 011 000 x — 2 6 1
Murphy and Hedrick; Unkrich and Applehans. W — Muphy. L — Unkrich. Highlights — Donahue, RV, 2-for-3; Hedrick, RV, 2-for-3.
LEGACY 1, BEAR CREEK 0
Legacy 000 100 0 — 1 5 0
Bear Creek 000 000 0 — 0 0 0
Babcock and Torrez; Sulaski and Olmedo. W — Babcock. L — Sulaski. Highlights — Rodriguez, L, double, scored on Wittkop’s suicide squeeze; Babcock, L, 15 Ks.
MVP
Shelby Babcock, Legacy
Babcock, a junior, all but owned the tournament by recording 60 strikeouts in 28 innings, earning all four victories and surrendering just five hits. She threw a no-hitter in a 1-0 decision over Bear Creek in the semifinals, then allowed only three hits (with 12 strikeouts) in the final, a 4-1 victory over Ralston Valley.
