The Eaton Reds softball team are Colorado 3A State Champions, and finished the season on just two regular season losses.  Reds softball finished the season just as they wanted to from the start. Not even COVID restrictions could not stop the girls from reaching the top this season.  

 Sadie Ross (24) who pitched the game said, “The pressure didn’t rise, I was confident that we were going to win.  We had each other’s backs so we just went out and played.”  

Saturday, Oct. 10 started with a semi-final win against the Brush Beetdiggers. The Reds already beat Brush once earlier in the season, they beat them easily by a score of 15-3.  

Sadie Ross pitched the complete game allowing three runs on three hits and one walk in addition to two strikeouts. Ross said, “My team trusted me, so the only pressure was on myself and wanting to be my absolute best.” 

The bats were popping right away, with three home runs from Blayke Duncan (23), Julia Meagher (23), and Yaritza Puente (21). Puente also had a double in the game and drove in four runs.  

The Reds did not let up after game one. They scored two runs in the first inning and didn’t give up a run until the sixth inning. The final score of 5-1 brought the Reds and their three seniors the state title. Senior Jenni Jarnagin said, “The pressure rises because we want to win so badly. The pressure usually comes from yourself, but once you can overcome that the pressure isn’t too much to handle.” 

Sadie Ross carried the Reds defense by pitching a complete seven inning game and recording 12 strikeouts. Ross allowed just five hits and one run. The Reds offense was still present in the second game with their eight hits and five runs scored.  

In the state championship game Jenni Jarnagin hit another home run and a single. She said, “The fact that it was my last chance to win made my teammates and I want to win even more.”  Blayke Duncan and Sadie Ross both had a double and Ross drove in another Reds run.  

The Reds walked away victorious by finishing the year on top with a state championship.  Their four seniors, Jenni Jarnagin, Jaymie Woody, Ali Schmitt, and Yaritza Puente finish their high school careers as champions, and have a memory that they will never forget.  Jarnagin said, “It feels amazing knowing that all the work we put in finally paid off.” 

The Reds will be at a loss of their seniors next season, but that will not stop them from chasing another state title. Ross said, “It’s going to be hard to replace them, but we have many more talented players coming up and we will just have to work hard and improve everyday.”

The Reds finished the season with a record of 18-2 and won thePatriot League finishing at 14-2.  The only two losses were both to the Lyons Lions this season.  Jarnagin said, “Winning this season made it a lot more special because of all of the adversities with COVID and other restrictions.” 

The Reds won even after there were doubts of not even having a season.  Softball is one of the only sports that was allowed to be played this fall because of the pandemic that shut most other sports down. Luckily, the Reds were not only able to have a season, but brought home a state championship trophy as well.  

Next year Reds softball will look to go back to back and will strive for the best result again next season with a new team and new opportunities.