AURORA — Different class. Different coach. Different season.
Same result.
Wheat Ridge is back on top.
The No. 1-seeded Farmers used an 11-run fifth inning to roll over upstart Frederick 14-1 and reclaim the state championship trophy — this time in Class 4A — Saturday at the Aurora Sports Complex.
“I walked into a great situation,” said first-year coach Marty Stricklett, who came from Brighton to replace long-time coach Eric Larson. “This was a year of firsts, but these girls were ready to win.”
After capturing the 5A championship in 2002 and 2003, Wheat Ridge (23-2) had finished runner-up or third in three of the past four seasons. Their powerhouse status followed them into 4A.
So did the sting of defeats.
“We didn’t want to be there again, losing in the championship,” said pitcher Stephanie Routzon, who struck out nine Warriors. “Expectations have been so high. It feels amazing to finally do it.”
Routzon held 14th-seeded Frederick (18-8) at bay for three innings before the Wheat Ridge bats began to heat up. It was her most dominating performance since the Farmers’ opening-round victory against Delta and a marked improvement over Wheat Ridge’s narrow, 5-4 semifinal win earlier in the day.
“I didn’t play as well as I wanted to in the semis and we almost lost,” the junior said after Wheat Ridge needed four runs in the seventh inning to beat Windsor. “(In this game) my pitches were moving a lot and they were chasing them. That’s why it worked.”
Routzon finished the season 23-0.
Senior Heather Eggleston led the Farmers’ offensive surge, going 4-for-4 with two doubles, a triple and a home run. Her three RBIs led the team.
Eggleston could have hit for the cycle had she held up at first base on her fourth hit, during the fifth inning offensive free-for-all. Wheat Ridge was well in control of the game, but Eggleston raced to second anyway.
“It’s not about my stats. I only want my team to win,” she said. “That’s what I want to pass down to the younger girls. I want them to know what it’s like to win it all.”
Just like they used to. With their former coach. In their former class.
“There’s a lot of tradition and history in this program,” Stricklett said. “What an awesome way to start.”
Lisa Lee led Frederick with a single that brought in the Warriors’ only run of the day. Pitcher Dominique Garcia was pulled in the fifth inning after giving up 13 hits and a walk.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Wheat Ridge 102 0(11) — 14 17 0
Frederick 000 1 0 — 1 3 1
Wheat Ridge — Sivetts rf, 4-3-3-0, Eggleston ss 4-4-4-4, Madsen lf 3-1-1-1, Castillo cf 4-2-4-4, Mickelson 1b 4-1-1-0, Duncan 2b 4-1-1-1, Routzon, 3-1-1-2, Sturm c 3-1-1-1, Arias-Young 3b 3-1-1-1. Totals 32-14-17-13.
Frederick — Benavidez ss 2-0-0-0, Durben 2b 2-0-1-0, Garcia c 2-0-0-0, Koger lf 2-0-1-0, Mitchell dp 2-0-0-0, Lee 3b 2-0-1-1, LeBon 1b 2-0-0-0, Garcia p 1-0-0-0, Hofmann 2b 1-0-0-0, Seele 2-0-0-0. Totals 18-1-3-1.
2B — Sivitts, Routson, Durben. 3B — Eggleston. HR — Eggleston, Castillo. Batteries — Routzon and Sturm; D. Garcia and A. Garcia.
SEMIFINALS
WHEAT RIDGE 5, WINDSOR 4
Wheat Ridge 000 010 4 — 5 12 1
Windsor 012 010 0 — 4 6 4
Highlights — Sturm, WR, 2-for-4, three RBIs; Tillery, W, 2-for-3, two RBIs, two triples.
FREDERICK 1, MOUNTAIN VIEW 0
Mountain View 000 000 0 — 0 4 1
Frederick 010 000 x — 1 5 2
Highlights — LeBon scored on a Seele single in the second inning.
MVP
Stephanie Routzon, Wheat Ridge
The junior pitcher capped her perfect season with a three-hit, nine-strikeout outing in Wheat Ridge’s Class 4A championship victory over Frederick. But she was lights out the entire state tournament, finishing with 42 strikeouts in four games. Said Routzon: “I don’t really like talking about myself but I worked really hard. I’m proud of myself.”
