ERIE — Mariah Bledsoe is on the cusp of history, within striking distance of a feat that could only be equaled, never surpassed.
And she’s trying not to let it creep into her thoughts.
The Erie senior has been the winning pitcher in the past three state championship games and is seeking an unprecedented fourth this weekend at Aurora Sports Park.
“It’s something I’d like to do, but I don’t want to think about it too much,” she said. “I’m kind of superstitious and don’t want to jinx myself.”
The degree of difficulty has risen for this one, as Erie moved up to Class 4A this season. The Tigers are aiming to keep intact their streak of advancing to 12 consecutive championship games, a streak that encompassed their entire stay in 3A and included 10 titles, but they must do so as a No. 5 seed.
“We’re used to going to state, but doing it in 4A, it feels like a whole different experience,” said Bledsoe, whose team is 18-3 and merely among the mix of challengers to unseat two-time 4A champion Wheat Ridge.
Bledsoe’s coach, who doubles as her father, believes Erie’s own challenges will put Mariah’s personal achievements on the back burner.
“It’s all team for her, it really is,” Bob Bledsoe said. “When she came in as a freshman on a senior-dominated team, her whole goal was to not have them be mad at her. She knew her place and knew she had a job to do. Since then, she kind of treats it as a job.”
Erie catcher Makayla Kovac isn’t as convinced that the opportunity for prep softball immortality is only on the periphery of her teammate’s focus.
“Of course it’s on her mind,” Kovac said. “Any senior would love something like that. She just doesn’t like to talk about it that much.”
Erie had one notable streak snapped this season, a 69-game league winning streak that mostly was built in the Tigers’ days in the 3A Patriot League. They started 11-0 in the 4A Tri-Valley League this season before losing the inconsequential finale 3-0 to Windsor.
Windsor could be looming in the second round Friday if Erie defeats Cheyenne Mountain and the eighth-seeded Wizards upend Mullen in first-round games. If Erie gets through Friday, two games separate the Tigers — and Mariah — from a story that writes itself.
“You can’t write history before it happens,” Bob Bledsoe said. “I think neither she nor I are looking that far ahead. If it happens, then you can go back and say, ‘Wow, that was a remarkable achievement.’ “
