The Durango High School softball team ended its season with a come-from-behind victory.
After dropping the first game of a doubleheader with Montrose 10-1, the Demons rallied from a 7-2 deficit in the fourth inning to beat the Indians 9-8 on Saturday afternoon at DHS.
“This means everything,” senior Alix Gillen said. “End the season with a win, can’t go wrong with that.”
It was Durango’s first win against Montrose since the 2014 season.
“It felt amazing,” senior Joie Raybourn said. “It felt like the team came together and we picked each other up when we were down. We went out with a bang. It’s was awesome. It’s the best feeling in the world.”
There was a noticeable shift in the Demons’ demeanor after the fourth inning. Down five runs, the Demons (8-9-1, 1-7 Southwestern League) recorded a one-two-three inning in the bottom of the fourth and the team came off the field with a confidence that carried into the fifth when they put together a six-run spree.
In the break between the bottom of the fourth and the top of the fifth, DHS head coach Melissa Fundora had a brief message to her team about keeping the mood light and having fun.
“Missy had a really nice talk with us right before we went up to bat, and we were all messing around. I feel like we all loosened up,” Raybourn said. “We relaxed, and I think that helped us a lot.”
Durango added one run in the sixth then held off a late push from Montrose (9-10, 2-6 SWL) in the bottom of the seventh when the Demons got the final two outs to strand Montrose runners on second and third.
The win was the Demons’ first in league play since the 2015 season finale, which also was a one-run game but against Montezuma-Cortez.
The win was especially sweet for the Demons’ four seniors – Aja Carney, Gillen, BriAnne Marr and Raybourn – who won more games this season than the previous two seasons combined.
During the post-game team meeting, Fundora called out the four seniors and told them it was an honor and privilege to coach them this season.
Fundora said during the course of the season one of the biggest improvements from the Demons was on the mental side of the game.
“They believed in themselves. That’s something we really saw progress throughout the season,” Fundora said. “They really competed against good teams. Like Montrose, we know they’re going to put up a fight and we competed with them. That’s huge.”
kschneider@durangoherald.com
