Spring Roundup 5-16
Girls tennis loses in new 4A team finale; Stewart shines in baseball's 23rd and final regular-season game; girls soccer loses a heartbreaker in OT in 4A quarters.
It was an interesting season to state the least.
Ultimately, Mullen girls tennis fell short in the new Class 4A team championship, losing to back-to-back winner Cheyenne Mountain 5-2 at City Park on Tuesday, but 2023 was quite an odyssey for a team that had to deal with a series of challenges, including beyond the court.
For one thing, Colorado’s spring fickle weather (wind, snow, hail, rain, cold and gloom, sometimes all at once) was front and center to the end – Tuesday’s action was halted briefly because of rain and, wouldn’t you know it, more rain drops fell when the match was completed.
For another, a very patient head coach Jera Sturgell had to replace half of her front-liners from 2022.
For another, the team was given the word right before the official start of the season that its home courts were deemed unplayable, so even practices were on the road.
And for still another, the past eight days for Mullen involved the 4A team semifinals; a road trip to Pueblo; a delayed start to the individual tournament because of inclement forecast (ironically, the rain didn’t occur until the evening, so they could have played) as it was shortened to two days instead of three; almost all of the Mustangs had to play five matches in two days; and they showed up on Tuesday to take on a program that has won the second-most Colorado team titles on record, both in the sport and overall.
“It was a great season,” Sturgell admitted. “But it was hard.”
Mullen’s two victories came from No. 1 singles Lexi Yost, who won 7-5, 6-3, and looked sharp and resilient throughout the match, and No. 4 doubles Emma Lehman-Grace Jeffers, who won in three sets after losing the first.
Overall, and despite the Mustangs edging Cheyenne Mountain in its own tournament earlier in the season, there were few complaints.
“Honestly, junior Clara Dailey said, “this season was more about coming together as a team and with the different age groups and grades than winning and losing. It’s one of my favorite parts of the school year. I really enjoyed my coaches and coming together as a team more than just winning and losing together.
“I’ll be back.”
As a sophomore, Dailey was third in No. 3 doubles and won state as a freshman at No. 4.
And Mullen, which also placed all seven lines in the 4A individual field the past weekend, can’t fault its effort.
Said Emma Lehman, who teamed with Grace Jeffers at No. 4 doubles: “I think we just put it all out there,”
CLASS 4A TEAM TOURNAMENT
CHAMPIONSHIP
At City Park
CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN 5, MULLEN 2
No. 1 singles – Lexi Yost def. Sophie Zhou 7-5, 6-3.
No. 2 singles – Lilly Evans lost to Alyssa Sadri 2-6, 4-6.
No. 3 singles – Savanna Hanley lost to Saffron Heroldt 1-6, 4-6.
No. 1 doubles – Grace Brouillette-Avery Walters lost to Jocelyn Kelly-Rose Katen 0-6, 3-6.
No. 2 doubles – Clara Dailey-Claire Lenich lost to Brooke Ballenger-Hope Lewis 6-2, 6-7, 5-7.
No. 3 doubles – Anna Lawrence-Maisie McMorrow lost to Hannah Koury-Katie Delich 6-2, 4-6, 0-6.
No. 4 doubles – Emma Lehman-Grace Jeffers def. Daisy Hodson-Shea Devanny 4-6, 7-5, 6-0.
Baseball
At home at Bill Swift Field, the Mustangs completed their regular season with a 6-4 nonleague victory over Doherty.
Head coach Phil Stanford wasn’t sure he could fit in a 23rd game, but was pleased to get it and have his team head into the 4A Regionals at 14-9.
“All year,” the coach saiud, “it has been about winning the next game. Now, we have to win two games, but we have to win the first one.”
The Mustangs who stood at No. 13 in the 4A RPI qualifying at game’s end, will be one of 32 teams to advance to single-elimination play. There will be eight sites with four teams. Two victories are required to advance to the Championship Series that features a double-elimination format. Pairings will be released Wednesday and action will be on Saturday.
Tuesday highlights included the pitching of Jayden Salazar as well as an inside-the-park home run by sophomore Thomas Stewart. Gus Peonio, Colin Mackenzie and Stewart each doubled, and Stewart produced three runs batted in as well as two runs scored.
MULLEN 6, DOHETY 4
Doherty 000 010 3 -- 4 6 2
Mullen 110 211 x -- 6 7 3
Mullen – Gamueda rf 2-1-1-0, Mackenzie cf 3-1-1-0, T. Stewart 2b-ss 3-2-2-3, Bertaud p-2b 0-0-0-0, Jackson lf 3-0-0-0, Krza c-1b 3-0-1-0, Kreiling 1b 0-0-0-0, Hurley ss-p 0-1-0-0, Brady 3b 3-0-1-0, B. Stewart 3b 0-0-0-0, Peonio dh 2-1-1-0, Dings 1b-c 2-0-0-0, Andres cr 0-0-0-0. Totals 21-6-7-5.
E – Hurley 2, Salazar. LOB – 8. SAC – Dings. SB – Hurley 2, T. Stewart. Caught stealing – Andrews. BB -- Hurley 3, Gamueda 2, Krza, T. Stewart, Jackson. 2B – Peonio, T. Stewart, Mackenzie. HR – T. Stewart.
Pitching – Salazar (W) 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K’s; Bertaud 1.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K; Hurley 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K. HBP – Peonio, Mackenzie. Bertaud hit 3 batters, Salazar 1.
Girls Soccer
In Parker, the Mustangs had their season end in the 4A quarterfinals, losing 1-0 to top-seeded Lutheran.
Mullen finished 11-6-1.
It was the second consecutive season the Mustangs have put up 11 victories under head coach Matt Degitis.
They also were 4-3 in the 5A-based Centennial League.
Earlier this season, the Mustangs lost 3-1 at Lutheran.
LUTHERAN 1, MULLEN 0, OT
Mullen 0 0 0 -- 0
Lutheran 0 0 1 -- 1
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