ARVADA — is one of the most experienced, battle-tested softball pitchers in the state, but the Ralston Valley senior is working with a new catcher this season.
Mary Towner earned the prestigious job as the Mustangs’ signal-caller, and the junior wasted no time endearing herself to Murphy.
Towner blasted a lengthy solo home run to left-center field in her first at-bat, helping to ignite the No. 2 Mustangs to a 4-0 season-opening victory over No. 3 Rocky Mountain in a game Tuesday.
“It was awesome,” Towner said. “Being with the varsity team is really cool, so I was excited to come out here. Getting a good hit helped.”
Towner added a leadoff triple in the fourth inning and scored on Lauren Biddle’s single to give Ralston Valley its final run. As for Murphy, she was in vintage form. The left-hander struck out 10 in the complete-game performance, allowing just two hits and three walks. The only hit that left the infield was Danielle Hailey’s clean single to right to lead off the sixth.
“I think we were just excited for our first game at home and to come out and have the outcome that we did,” said Murphy, who went 2-for-3 at the plate. “There’s always a little bit of nerves, but we just tried to keep it cool. . . . It was a good comfort zone when Mary hit that homer.”
Ralston Valley now awaits Friday’s showdown against . Rocky Mountain, meanwhile, will keep plugging away.
“I hate to use this word, but we’re young after losing eight seniors,” Rocky Mountain coach Mike Crockett said. “But we’re going to be competitive.”
The Lobos used Katherine Rosecrance and Danielle Summers in the pitching circle, as the two vie to replace graduated ace Aubree Maul. But the pitcher most were talking about was Murphy.
“She did a great job keeping us off balance,” Crockett said.
000 000 0 — 0 2 1
111 100 x — 4 7 1
Rocky Mountain — Smith ss 2-0-0-0, Huxell cf 3-0-1-0, VanSickle 3b 3-0-0-0, Hailey c 3-0-1-0, Emery lf 3-0-0-0, Rosecrance p 1-0-0-0, Summers p 1-0-0-0, Jacomet 1b 3-0-0-0, Anson rf 1-0-0-0, Benevides ph 1-0-0-0, Burns 2b 2-0-0-0. Totals 23-0-2-0.Ralston Valley — Castanella cf 3-1-0-0, Eldredge 1b 2-0-0-0, Hedrick 3b 2-0-0-1, Reeves ss 3-1-1-0, Murphy p 3-0-2-1, Hartfield cr 0-0-0-0, Sanzolone 2b 3-0-0-0, Towner c 3-2-2-1, Biddle lf 3-0-2-1, McHale rf 2-0-0-0. Totals 24-4-7-4.E — Smith, Hedrick. LOB — Rocky Mountain 5, Ralston Valley 7. 2B — Reeves. 3B — Towner, Murphy. HR — Towner (solo in second). SAC — Anson, Eldredge 2, Hedrick.
Batteries — Rosecrance, Summers (4) and Hailey; Murphy and Towner. W — Murphy (1-0). L — Rosecrance (0-1). WP — Rosecrance. Time — 1:31.
