Softball: Johnson leads Cougars to shut-out win over Centaurus

For Niwot senior Jaila Johnson, last Tuesday was memorable for at least two reasons: it was her 17th birthday and she threw her first career no-hitter.  

Johnson faced just 10 batters in the Cougars’ rule-shortened 20-0 win over the Centaurus Warriors, striking out the last two batters she faced. At the plate, she extended her hitting streak to six games, going three-for-four with two doubles and three RBI.  She now leads the Cougars with 29 hits and 20 RBI, and her team-best .644 average also leads the Northern League.

For head coach Bobby Matthews, as impressive as Johnson’s effort was, the entire team deserved a share of the credit for keeping Centaurus off the board.

“We played great defense behind her,” said Matthews. Niwot committed just a single error in the game, the lowest total of the season. “That’s something we’ve been working really hard on. We can hit, but defensively, we’ve struggled. I couldn’t be prouder of their defense today.”

The Cougars also made a strong statement on offense against the Warriors.  Paced by sophomore Nikki Sims with four hits, the Cougars had 19 on the day, including five doubles.  

Sims got things going for the Cougars in the bottom of the first with a leadoff double, and then scored the first of her three runs when senior Aleris Law followed with a base hit to center. Sims, who ended the day with four hits and three RBI, is the only Cougar to hit safely in each game so far this season.

Johnson’s first double of the day on the next at bat scored Law, who subsequently scored on Reagan Wills’ sacrifice fly.  The Cougars led 3-0 after the first frame.

In the top of the second, left fielder Esme O’Rourke made a diving catch to save a hit, then opened the Cougar half of the inning with her 15th single of the year. The sophomore broke out of a four-game slump with five hits against Northridge on Sept. 11, and has added another five hits in the four games since. According to Matthews, O’Rourke’s competitive hockey background has proved useful in her first year of competitive softball.

“Now she’s starting to figure out a softball swing,” he said of the sophomore, whose average has improved from .333 to .447 since Niwot’s 23-hit day against the Grizzlies. “So she’s starting to hit the ball a little harder, she’s figuring out how to play all over the place.   She’s done great for us.”

O’Rourke reached based three times against the Warriors, ending the day with two hits, two runs, and two RBI.  The Cougars added six runs in the inning to take a 9-0 lead.

By the end of the 11-run third inning, each Niwot batter had a hit in the game, including senior Kalya Ibarra who had her first multiple hit game of the year, as well as her first double.  Junior Savannah Rafkin, hitting fifth in the lineup, added another five RBI to bring her season total to 20, tying her with Johnson for team best.  Law was 2-for-3 with three RBI, while her freshman sister Calista was 2-for-4 with an RBI single in the third.

Just two Warriors reached base during the game, one on a walk and the other on an error, both in the first inning. After that, Johnson struck out three of the seven batters she faced.

Johnson and the Cougars were bolstered by several heads-up plays in the field. In the top of the first, catcher Wills threw out Centaurus’ Tomi Kay Borrego attempting to steal second base. Rafkin had two unassisted putouts at third and added an assist for the first out in the top of the third.

It was a different game two days later against league leading Mountain View. The Cougars mustered just four hits and committed six errors in the 18-1 loss. Johnson, Sims, Wills and Calista Law all had hits for Niwot, and Johnson drove in the team’s only run.

The Cougars host the Silver Creek Raptors (10-4-1, 9-1) on Tuesday, Sept. 26, then go on the road to Longmont on Sept. 28.

9/19 — Niwot 20, Centaurus 0

Warriors (2-11, 1-8) 00 0 --- - — 0 0 3

Cougars (4-9, 4-5)   3611 --- - — 20 19 1

Hitting (ab-r-h-rbi) —Jaila Johnson 4-3-3-3, Savannah Rafkin 4-1-3-5, Nikki Sims 4-3-4-2, Aleris Law 3-3-2-3, Reagan Wills 2-2-1-2, Esme O'Rourke 2-2-2-2, Caitlyn Schriener 2-2-1-0, Calista Law 4-1-2-1, Kalya Ibarra 2-2-1-0, Dora  Percherzewski 0-1-0-0

2B — J. Johnson (2), Kalya Ibarra, Aleris Law, Nikki Sims

Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) — Johnson 3-0-0-0-1-3

9/21 — Mountain View 18, Niwot 1

Cougars (4-10, 4-6)        001 0-- - — 1 4 6

Mountain Lions (12-1-1, 9-0)   576 --- - — 18 14 1

Hitting (ab-r-h-rbi) — Jaila Johnson 2-0-1-1, Savannah Rafkin 2-0-0-0, Nikki Sims 2-1-1-0, Aleris Law 1-0-0-0, Reagan Wills 2-0-1-0, Esme O'Rourke 1-0-0-0, Caitlyn Schriener 2-0-0-0, Calista Law 1-0-1-0, Kalya Ibarra 1-0-0-0

Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) — Johnson 3-14-18-11-7-2