AURORA — Melissa Rahrich knew it wasn’t going to be easy and she agreed it shouldn’t have been.
“It’s never easy,” she said Saturday after leading Brighton to 9-6 victory over Loveland at the Dave Sanders Memorial softball tournament at the Aurora Sports Complex.
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The Bulldogs improved to 6-1 after taking the Diamond Pool of the field, recognized as the title matchup of the 16-team outlay.
“It was one of the only ones we had here where we really had to bear down,” Rahrich added.
An all-stater multiple times by The Denver Post, Rahrich overcame some issues. She walked four batters, hit one and had to deal with six Brighton errors.
Loveland (6-2) loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh inning, and plated a run to get within three, but Rahrich set down the next three Indians.
Rahrich also contributed two hits and two RBIs.
Brighton plated five runs in the first inning, then fended off repeated attempts by the Indians, who had plenty of chances. They stranded two runners in the fifth inning and two in the sixth — and left seven on base over the final three innings, 12 for the game.
“I knew we wouldn’t give up,” Loveland coach Mike Felton said of his team’s early deficit. “But it’s hard to overcome a good pitcher when you also give up six walks.
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“And we kicked it around. When you have that many errors (four) and walks, it’s hard to win. If we play a clean game, we win.”
Carley Robison scored three times for Brighton. Jillian Bishop, Savanna Anderson and Audrey Kobi contributed RBIs.
Tatum Rembao, Abby Lukkes and Kassi Reiger each had two hits for Loveland.
As for honoring Sanders, the popular teacher and coach who was murdered in the Columbine massacre April 20, 1999, Rahrich said she fully understood what should be on the minds of every player over the 40 games of the tournament.
“I think it’s real important to acknowledge what this tournament is for,” said the senior bound for Stony Brook (N.Y.). “I had to explain it to a couple of girls earlier in the tournament because they asked. It gave them a different outlook. It’s for a good cause, I would say. He’s a person to remember.”
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Felton said it’s the sixth time his team has played in the tournament, and he’s happy to provide a history lesson.
“I always have to explain it to these guys,” he said. “I have to explain Columbine, (Sanders) being a teacher and a coach … and all of a sudden they have a whole new appreciation for it.
“I wish every coach was required to sit down and have a talk with (their players) prior to coming here. When you have kids and you’re explaining the Dave Sanders Tournament and they don’t know who he was or what he did, it isn’t right.”
Rick Bath, a former Columbine coach and Sanders’ best friend, was on hand to help handle the three-day event.
RESULTS
Pueblo Central 14, Castle View 2
Columbine 1, Pueblo East 0
Loveland 4, Bear Creek 3
Mountain Vista 16, Fruita Monument 10
Brighton 15, Smoky Hill 1
Loveland 12, Pueblo Central 3
Central (G.J.) 6, Cherry Creek 2
D’Evelyn 13, Highlands Ranch 3
Lakewood 5, Cherry Creek 4
Brighton 11, D’Evelyn 2
Loveland 10, Castle View 0
Smoky Hill 10, Highlands Ranch 1
Pueblo Central 5, Bear Creek 3
Central (G.J.) 6, Fountain-Fort Carson 1
Columbine 11, Mountain Vista 1
D’Evelyn 8, Smoky Hill 6
Pueblo East 10, Fruita Monument 2
Brighton 21, Highlands Ranch 1
Central (G.J.) 5, Lakewood 0
Pueblo East 13, Mountain Vista 1
Smoky Hill 5, Castle View 3
Bear Creek 8, Highlands Ranch 3
Mountain Vista 6, Cherry Creek 2
Fruita Monument 11, Fountain-Fort Carson 1
Loveland 15, Columbine 0
Pueblo Central 10, Lakewood 3
Brighton 4, Central (G.J.) 0
Fountain-Fort Carson 12, Highlands Ranch 9
Cherry Creek 10, Castle View 8
Pueblo Central 8, D’Evelyn 4
Pueblo East 13, Lakewood 6
Smoky Hill 10, Mountain Vista 8
Fruita Monument 4, Bear Creek 3
Championship
Brighton 9, Loveland 6
Neil H. Devlin: ndevlin@denverpost.com or
