Following up a big and very successful regular season run, the Holy Family Tigers softball team has done it again. The expectations were set very high for this group of women and they delivered all on ends.

After coming off of there impressive feat the week prior, it was time to kick the season into overdrive. The ladies would face off against Mesa Ridge High School for their first game of the 4A State Tournament.

In an overwhelming assertion of dominance, the Tigers set the tone for the tournament in a 13-0 — a perfect game from Jaelen Giron —  win against the Grizzlies. With this boost of confidence in mind, the ship to the ship had been officially sailed for the Tigers. In their second game, they would be facing off against the Silver Creek Raptors for the third time, and just four days after their epic 10 inning game.

Every time that the Tigers had played the Raptors, it has been a high intensity very competitive game. This game was no different. In a low scoring, highly intense game, plays needed to made and mistakes needed to be limited. The Tigers started out great and built a quick lead  on the Raptors.

Senior Cassidy Chvatal, who was recently named the Class 4A Player of the Year by the Colorado High School Activities Association, pitched a marvelous game and held on in the end for a 3-1 win.

“When I was put in I was running on adrenaline and I make the big plays when the mattered I guess.” said Giron, whose acrobatic leap over the catcher in a ban-bang play at the plate in the fifth gave the Tigers the insurance run they needed.

Getting this game behind them was big for the Tigers being that Silver Creek had always been such a struggle to advance through all season, and we all know the saying of how hard it is to beat a team three times in a season. Coming off of a win was big for the Tigers but the job was far from finished. They would be facing a strong team in D’Evelyn in the state semifinals at Aurora Sports Park.

Being halfway through the tournament would be a lot of pressure for any team in sports, but these ladies didn’t crack. Through a long and hard fought game, with the help from players, Chvatal and Abby Edwards — whose two-out base hit in the seventh inning gave Holy Family its first lead of the game — the Tigers managed to claw their way ahead of the Jaguars for a well deserved 12-7 win.

The Tigers were now going into a game with a Mead High School team they had finished 1-1 against on the season. Everyone watching knew that this would be a game of who wanted it more.

With a closely contested game at 7-6, Giron was subbed in to help close out the game for Chvatal. The Tigers grew the lead to 9-6 to eliminate the Mavericks from their championship run.

“To me I just feel a sense of accomplishment, because everyone always wants to win their last high school game but we actually did,” said senior second baseman Carly Eldredge, who belted a home run in the game against D’Evelyn.

After a hard fought season and grueling tournament, the Tigers put icing on the cake, finishing off the Mavericks to solidify their now champion status. This team gave it their all for the entirety of the season and earned themselves a well deserved state championship.

“It feels even better to know that we won it as a team,” Eldredge added.