<body><div>DENVER — Lyons softball doesn’t know how to surrender.Down three runs with two outs in their Class 3A Region 7 championship game, the 10th-seeded Lions put together a rally worthy of a Disney Channel original movie. They knocked in not one, not two, but eight runs before No. 7 The Academy — who played host at the Assembly Athletic Complex at Metro State University — was able to finally force the third out.The Wildcats couldn’t recover, handing the Lions a 13-9 victory and the regional title ahead of next week’s 3A state tournament at Aurora Sports Park. Freshman Ella White began the final bell toll for the Wildcats’ chances of winning.Her short hit, similar to a bunt, rolled just out of the batter’s box while two runners lay in wait. She beat out the throw to first, bringing both runners home, to tie the game up at 8-8. She had plenty of practice playing hero and, despite the expected nerves, put on the cape again.“I was so scared, and I knew I just had to make contact with it. I don’t know what happened, but it worked for the team in the end, so I was happy about that,” White said. “The whole time, I was praying for everyone that it would work out. It’s been so often that we’ve had two outs, bases loaded, and I’m always up to bat. It’s been good most of the time, but it’s (nerve-wracking) every time.”The Lions didn’t stop there. They took advantage of a disastrous Wildcats pitching change, which began with a walked run home followed by a fielder’s choice that rendered another RBI. Then, senior Maysa Ganzel, who subbed in the half inning before, stepped up to bat.All of the hitting woes that plagued her this season melted away with a bases-clearing, three-run triple. She smoked the ball past the third base line and deep into left field.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1gcvJH_0wE1Wo1X00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1gcvJH_0wE1Wo1X00" width="1860" height="1240" ></figure>“I did almost cry and almost pee my pants when I got to third,” Ganzel said. “But I know that my coach trusts me in doing that, and it was just amazing to hit that at the end of the season after I had a little trouble at the start. I know going into next week is going to be amazing, and we’re going to be on such a high after winning this two years in a row.”The Wildcats tried to string together a rally of their own in the bottom of the seventh but only managed one run before the Lions secured their third out. When the last strike fell, sophomore pitcher Gretta Wynja tore off her mask and cheered, waiting for the rest of her teammates to mob her in the circle.She ended her day with 15 strikeouts and just two earned runs allowed across two games, which included an earlier 13-3 victory over Arvada. Ganzel and sophomore Leora Hagan led the offensive effort in the championship with three RBIs apiece.Now, the Lions will have to play the waiting game to see where they fall when CHSAA releases the state tournament brackets on Tuesday. If their thrilling performance and 17-8 record have proven anything, it’s that no one is safe when the Lions come up to bat.“The last time we played The Academy, we had a not-so-great game,” head coach Julie Vasquez said. “All week, we knew we had to focus on game one first, but we were coming for a win against The Academy. They took us out of state last year and they beat us earlier this season, so we were ready to come back and beat them. Sweet little revenge.”Elsewhere at regionals featuring St. Vrain Valley School District teams…No. 12 Erie opened up its regional with a 17-7 beating over Brighton but fell to a tough Legend team in the 5A Region 5 championship. The Tigers bounced back in the consolation bracket, clobbering the Bulldogs once again, this time with an 18-1 campaign, to win a spot at the state tournament.No. 14 Niwot took a similar path to a state qualification, losing 10-0 to No. 3 Pueblo County in the 4A Region 3 title game before flattening No. 30 Green Mountain, 3-1, in the consolation bracket.No. 1 Lutheran cut No. 17 Frederick’s regional title bid short with a 10-0 loss, setting the Golden Eagles up for a consolation game against No. 16 Cheyenne Mountain on Sunday. The winner goes to the state tournament.No. 24 Mead fell in the first round of the 4A Region 8 tournament with a 5-2 loss to No. 9 Elizabeth. The Mavericks won their first consolation game against No. 25 Pomona, then punched their ticket to the big show with a 10-7 win over No. 8 Roosevelt.No. 26 Silver Creek fell 9-2 in its first-round game of the 4A Region 7 tournament, where senior Jadin Ruth secured the lone RBI for the Raptors. They’ll play No. 23 Discovery Canyon in the first round of the consolation bracket on Sunday afternoon.View a list of Prep sports and high school teams we cover.</div></body>

Mountain View, CA

NewsBreak

Magic eight ball: Lyons softball pulls together huge rally to upset The Academy, win regional title

DENVER — Lyons softball doesn’t know how to surrender. Down three runs with two outs in their Class 3A Region 7 championship game, the 10th-seeded Lions put together a rally worthy of a Disney Channel original movie. They knocked in not one, not two, but eight runs before No. 7 The Academy — who played host at the Assembly Athletic Complex at Metro State University — was able to finally force the third out.