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Curveballs kept coming at Durango High softball seniors

Softball players had to adapt
Kylee Shilaikis, Katrina Chandler, Rebekah Ford and Rachel Picolli posed for a picture on Senior Day. The Durango varsity team has had three different coaches in the four years these seniors have been in high school.

Senior Day for the Durango Demons softball team didn’t go the way the four DHS seniors had envisioned on the scoreboard, but these girls are used to metaphorical curveballs.

Katrina Chandler, Rebekah Ford, Rachel Picolli and Kylee Shilaikis played their hearts out for the Demons on Saturday at Fort Lewis College. Though the team lost to Fruita Monument 16-1 and 19-9, the girls have a lot to be proud of.

In four years at Durango High, the seniors have had three different varsity coaches. While such constant turnover isn’t a recipe for building a winning program, the seniors made the best of it.

“Just to be a part of this small group for four years has been special,” said Katrina Chandler, daughter of Clint and Rebecca Chandler. “I liked all our coaches, and I learned a lot from each one. They all helped me grow as a player. All the changes made it tough, but, yeah, these girls are a special group and we had a lot of fun.”

This year was especially tough as the Demons didn’t have a coach until the final few days before the season was scheduled to start. Facing adversity and another new coach in Fort Lewis College all-time hits leader Missy Fundora, they won their first three games. Now, they feel like they’ve left the team in a much better place than it’s been.

“We’ve got a lot of young players, so I’m excited to see what they can do in the next couple of years,” said Picolli, daughter of Connie and Don Picolli. “When you look back to when you were a freshman, you realize now that you’re expected to be a leader just like the seniors were for you. It’s amazing how much it changes.”

Ford had two walks, a single, triple and two runs batted in Saturday. Her two-run single in the first inning of Game 2 gave the Demons the lead and sparked a seven-run outburst. Chandler also had two hits and a walk.

“I’m curious to see what happens from here on out, and we’ll be following,” said Ford, daughter of Don Ford and Val Ross. “There’s a lot of younger talent on this team, and I hope they can keep with it without having to change much.”

Shilaikis had a two-run single in the Demons’ seven-run first inning of Saturday’s second game. Fruita Monument (9-7, 4-2 5A/4A SWL) answered with eight to grab the lead and never gave it back.

“I feel like what we’ve left here is a bar for the next group to clear,” said Shilaikis, daughter of Robert and Shawna Shilaikis. “Hopefully they can match that or build on it and raise it higher.”

It looks as though the Demons will be building off of what Fundora has implemented in her first year, and the coach expects to be back next season.

“This group of seniors has meant so much to me this season,” Fundora said. “It’s hard knowing that I will only have them this year because they really enjoyed learning. They’ll have a special place in my heart, and it’ll be different next year without them.”

Durango (3-8, 0-2 5A/4A Southwestern League) will host Grand Junction Central on Thursday for a doubleheader that starts at 2 p.m. It will be their last home games of the season.

jfries@durangoherald.com



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