Niwot softball drops opener to Berthoud

Niwot softball's inexperience proved detrimental at Berthoud High School on Saturday, Aug. 15, as the Cougars dropped their season opener against the Spartans, 15-0.

With four out of the nine starting Cougars fresh to the varsity level, Assistant Coach Jason Johnson said he told the girls after the game, "This won't define us." The unfamiliar stage of varsity competition is now a little more palatable for Niwot.

"You could see a lot of nerves and first game jitters," Johnson said. "There's a lot of girls who haven't played at this level, at all."

Niwot, which was also without Head Coach Bobby Matthews, star junior shortstop Ayva McComas and highly-touted freshman pitcher Anne Booth, scuffled to get anything going at the plate and went scoreless to open the game.

Junior Jasmine Aldama made her varsity debut in the circle for Niwot and allowed just one run in the first inning. Niwot then went quietly again at the plate before the floodgates opened in the bottom of the second.

Aldama, who typically plays third base, struggled with command and did not receive much help defensively. Niwot committed three infield errors which allowed two runs to score and later culminated in a Berthoud grand slam. Aldama was able to close the inning inducing a pair of flyouts but Niwot was down 8-0.

The Cougars mustered some traffic in the top of the third inning, but still couldn't bring anyone across. Johnson said that although Niwot appeared tentative at the plate, the ceiling is much higher and the hits will arrive.

"Offensively, it's kind of a surprise because we're a good hitting team," Johnson said. "They struggled today. They let a lot of good pitches go by. They should have attacked and made her pay when she threw a good pitch, but they didn't. But that'll come, it's always progressively gotten better, so we'll be fine. They'll start hitting the ball again like they know how to."

In the bottom of the third, Niwot kept the floodgates open for an unforgiving Spartan offense and Aldama continued to struggle with her command. She walked three batters and hit a pair en route to the mercy-rule inducing 15th Spartan crossing the plate.

Despite the difficult first game, Johnson was glad to have a more concrete blueprint on areas to refine. "To get out and play was good," Johnson said after the game. "Now we have some stuff that we know we can work on."

Niwot will have a few days to regroup before its next challenge at Mountain View High School on Thursday at 4 p.m.