The Durango High School softball team enters the final week of its regular season with some work to do to make the 4A state playoffs.
After a pair of losses to Grand Junction Central on Saturday, the Demons were No. 46 in the ratings percentage index and only the top 32 teams will make the tournament.
“The Demons aren’t giving up their hopes for the postseason,” said DHS head coach John Bernazzani. “For us to sneak into the playoffs, it will take a few things, and we need to win out.”
The Demons will conclude their regular season with home doubleheaders against Fruita Monument and Rifle on Friday and Saturday.
Both teams are poised to make the playoffs, but Durango has played plenty of tough opponents.
“Durango High School has had a very, very tough schedule,” Bernazzani said. “We’re leading some teams with more wins than us (in RPI).”
DHS is now 4-15 overall and 1-5 in the 5A/4A Southwestern League.
To finish with some wins, DHS will need to play better defense than it did in its 14-3, 23-1 losses against Central.
The Demons jumped out to an early 3-1 lead in Game 1 against Central. In the bottom of the first, Tehya Barnes drove home Kelley Arthur and Alaysia Kremer and later scored herself.
“I was very pleased,” Bernazzani said. “I knew who (pitcher Jennie) Fraser was, and we came out hitting. They may not have taken us seriously at the start of the first game, but it certainly changed.”
Central took the lead with a three-run third inning and then scored nine runs in the fourth and fifth innings to prevail.
In Game 2, Barnes hit a double to the fence to score Ellie Casias, but it was the only run Durango was able to score.
“We did hit the ball hard, but we could have been a little better defensively,” Bernazzani said.
Game 1 on Friday against Fruita is scheduled for 2 p.m.
Saturday’s game against Rifle, meanwhile, will start at 11 a.m.
