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Basalt softball loses key contest to Meeker

A Meeker baserunner slides safely into second base and Basalt's Kate Schrock looks to make a throw to first during Tuesday's game in Basalt.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times |

By the time the real Basalt High School softball team showed up to play against visiting Meeker on Tuesday, the game was essentially out of hand.

“You cannot wait until the sixth inning to play against a good team. And they are a good team,” Basalt coach Marianne Gardner-Smith said. “They hit the ball well. Their pitcher threw well. Their catcher is dynamite. You can’t wait until the sixth inning to show up, and we did.”

Meeker (10-3) led 6-0 after three innings against the Longhorns on its way to an important 9-5 league win. The loss snapped Basalt’s eight-game win streak. BHS entered the week ranked No. 9 in Class 3A in the latest CHSAANow.com poll, while Meeker sat just outside the top 10.



The win also gave Meeker a regular-season sweep of Basalt after beating the Longhorns 6-5 in its season opener on Aug. 24.

Trailing 6-0 entering the bottom of the fifth inning Tuesday, Basalt scored its first run thanks to a pair of wild pitches by Meeker. The Cowboys answered by scoring three runs in the top of the sixth inning to make it 9-1.




Basalt did finish strong. The Longhorns received a solo home run by Payten Spencer in the bottom of the sixth and scored three more in the bottom of the seventh before time ran out on them.

BHS (8-3 overall) will step out of league play with a single game at Rifle on Friday before a Saturday league doubleheader at Cedaredge. Basalt is trying to keep pace with Delta, Meeker and Cedaredge in district play.

“I would have said this team would be 11-0 right now. They are that good. When we move the infield around, we have the best infield out there,” Gardner-Smith said. “Got to have those games Saturday to stay in the hunt.”

acolbert@aspentimes.com