Yuma High School’s softball team broke into the win column in a big way, last Saturday, and is looking to ride that to more positive outcomes during the rest of the season.
The Indians hosted Wray this past Tuesday, in a league doubleheader, getting swept by their county rivals. The Indians did have the lead for awhile in the second game, but could not hold on for the win.
They remain in league play later this week as they play two at Holyoke on Saturday.
“I think us, Wray and Holyoke should be pretty competitive,” Yuma coach Morgan Spencer said. “…We’re just going to keep working on the little things. If we can eliminate the big innings, it will be a big help to us.”
The Indians opened the 2021 season with 10 losses, including the first three games in last weekend’s Brush Tournament.
However, they finally broke through in their last game, rallying for a 12-6 win over Florence.
“I think it will help us turn the corner a little bit,” Spencer said.
Florence built a 4-0 lead through the first two innings. However, the Yuma defense held Florence to just two more runs over the next five innings.
The Indians trailed 5-1 when the offense busted out with an 11-run rally in the bottom of the fifth.
Sam Wells singled and scored on Makenzie Weathers’ single for Yuma’s first run in the third.
Then came the fifth-inning outburst.
It began with a single by Ajanay Aragon, followed by a double by Wells, a single from Tiemy Montes, and a double from Emily Guerrero. Following a popout, Shannon Galloway hit a double. A strikeout gave Yuma two outs, but that was followed by a single by Jordan Glanz, a single by Jazmine Sotelo, a double by Aragon, a single by Wells, a single by Montes, a second double of the inning from Guerrero and a single by Weathers before the rally ended on an infield popup.
By the time it was done, Yuma had built a 12-5 lead.
Florence got one run in the top of the sixth, but that was it as Yuma held on for the seven-inning win.
The defense was solid as the Indians did not commit an error, and Montes and Sotelo combined to allow three earned runs on seven hits, striking out five and walking only three. Sotelo ended up with the win, pitching the last three innings, but Montes kept the Indians in it with a solid first four frames.
Offensively, the Tribe rapped out 18 hits, including five doubles. Wells had four hits with a double, one RBI and three runs, Montes three hits and two runs, Guerrero two doubles, two runs and one RBI, Aragon two hits with a double and two runs, Galloway two hits with a double, one run and one RBI, Weathers two hits and three RBI, Glanz two hits and one run, and Sotelo one hit, one run and one RBI.
“Everyone just kind of starting hitting the ball,” Spencer said. “It was pretty contagious.”
Yuma opened tourney play Friday with a 17-0 loss to Severance. Weathers hit a double for Yuma, and Wells had a single.
The Indians then took on traditional softball power Rocky Ford, losing 11-3. The Indians scored three runs in the top of the first, but the Meloneers responded with 11 unanswered runs. Sotelo, Wells and Montes scored in the first-inning rally, featuring a two-run single by Weathers. Montes also had a hit in the game.
Yuma was back on the field Saturday, first taking on Denver East, losing 14-0 despite recording nine hits. Wells had a double among his two hits, Montes two hits, Hannah Newton two hits, Aragon two hits, and Guerrero one hit.
