AURORA — Sasha Fong’s eyes filled with tears and her right hand trembled Saturday as she brushed hair out of her face.
This is the face of Erie’s softball dynasty. Despite being in every state final since Class 3A was formed in 1998, winning still makes an enormous impact.
Behind Fong’s three-run homer, stellar defense around the diamond and the pitching of sophomore Mariah Bledsoe, Erie won its second consecutive state title and ninth overall at Aurora Sports Park with a 6-0 victory over Holy Family.
“It’s the most amazing feeling ever. First for me,” said Fong, a sophomore.
It was the fourth consecutive title game between the Tigers and the Tigers. The margin of victory matched Holy Family’s victory in 2006, which broke Erie’s streak of six consecutive championships.
Erie (21-2), patient at the plate, had seven hits and made Holy Family (19-2) pay for each of its three errors.
Bledsoe struck out five, allowed just three hits — two of them singles — and stranded seven. The daughter of coach Bob Bledsoe, Mariah walked a batter in each of the first three innings but was unflappable once she had a 4-0 lead.
“I have a lot of confidence in my defense,” she said. “They always have my back. Most of the time, if there’s runners on, it’s probably my fault.”
Leadoff hitter Jordan Ruiz was 3-for-3 and scored twice as Erie got production from its first five batters in the order.
“We knew that we needed to get our first batters on,” Ruiz said. “We needed to score early and often.”
Holy Family threatened in most innings but could never find the crucial hit. Shortstop Rachel Wild had two hits, including a two-out triple to deep center field in the fourth inning.
“It’s a shock that no one was hitting this game,” Wild said. “Usually, we have really good comebacks, but this time it was tough.”
Holy Family pitcher Amy Christopher gave up three earned runs and struck out two.
Holy Family trailed 1-0 after the first inning before Erie delivered the knockout.
Ruiz singled up the middle with one out, and Haley David’s sacrifice bunt was mishandled to put runners at second and first. Fong made it 4-0 with a crushing shot to left field.
Holy Family 000 000 0 — 0 3 3
Erie 103 001 x — 6 7 0
Holy Family — Mathewson 2b 2-0-0-0, M. Petersen 3b 1-0-0-0, Connelly c 3-0-0-0, Clyncke lf 0-0-0-0, Jarasius dh 3-0-0-0, Baumberger 1b 2-0-0-0, Christopher p 2-0-0-0, Gonzales ph 1-0-1-0, Wild ss 3-0-2-0, B. Petersen rf 2-0-0-0, Boothe cf 3-0-0-0, Medrano ph 1-0-0-0. Totals 23-0-3-0.
Erie — Ruiz 2b 3-2-3-0, David cf 2-1-1-0, Fong 3b 3-1-1-3, Ortega ss 3-1-1-0, Maul 1b 3-0-1-0, Hahn-Calloway pr 0-1-0-0, Harmon lf 3-0-0-0, Bledsoe p 0-0-0-0, Glick dh 2-0-0-1, Gartrell rf 3-0-0-0, Kovac c 2-0-0-0, Spendlow ph 1-0-0-0. Totals 25-6-7-4.
E — Mathewson, Baumberger, B. Petersen. LOB — Holy Family 7, Erie 3. SAC — M. Petersen; David, Glick. 3B — Wild. HR — Fong, two on in third.
Batteries — Christopher and Connelly; Bledsoe and Kovac. W — Bledsoe (13-1). L — Christopher. WP — Christopher. HBP — Mathewson (by Bledsoe in fifth). T — 1:48.
SEMIFINALS
ERIE 13, PLATTE CANYON 3
Platte Canyon 100 110 — 3 8 3
Erie 210 091 — 13 17 3
Jes. Marshall, Ky. Voskamp (5) and Ch. Kinnett; Bledsoe, Murphy-Payne (6) and Kovac. W — Bledsoe. L — Jes. Marshall. Highlights — Fong, E, 3-for-4, HR, 2 2Bs, 4 RBIs; Ortega, E, 3-for-3, HR, 3B, 2 RBIs; Maul, E, 3-for-3, HR, 2 RBIs; Co. Kinnett, PC, 2-for-3, 2B, RBI.
HOLY FAMILY 8, VALLEY 2
Holy Family 400 000 4 — 8 9 1
Valley 001 000 1 — 2 6 1
Christopher and Connelly; Hutton and Odenbaugh. W — Christopher. L — Hutton. Highlights — Jarasius, HF, 1-for-3, HR, 3 RBIs; Baumberger, HF, 1-for-4, 2B, 3 RBIs; Hubbard, V, 2-for-3, HR, 2 RBIs, SB.
MVP
Sasha Fong, Erie
By Fong’s account, hitting was “really terrible” coming into Saturday. In two games, she hit two home runs and drove in seven runs to help push the Tigers to victory. In addition to being a great third baseman, Fong’s three-run homer in the third inning of the final against Holy Family gave Erie crucial separation.
