CHEYENNE — Rock Springs came within one win of the program’s first softball state championship appearance Saturday, falling to Cheyenne Central 11-8 in the semifinals of the Wyoming 4A State Softball Tournament.
Despite the loss, the Lady Tigers secured a third-place finish, the highest state finish in program history.
Rock Springs entered the final day of the tournament looking for revenge after falling to Central 10-2 in the South Regional semifinals the week before. This time, the Lady Tigers battled throughout in a back-and-forth game that stayed within reach until the final inning.
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Rock Springs struck first in the opening inning when Ruby Florencio singled home Rilynn Wester. Moments later, Tarin Anderson scored during a rundown play after Central attempted to throw out Emma Hudson, who came in as a courtesy runner for Florencio, at second, giving the Lady Tigers a 2-0 lead.
Central answered quickly, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first to take a 3-2 advantage.
The lead changed hands again in the second inning when Anderson delivered a two-run double to put Rock Springs back in front 4-3. Central tied the game at 4-4 by the end of the inning before another momentum swing in the third.
Taylor Flores grounded out to bring home two runs and give Rock Springs a 6-4 lead, but Central responded with three runs in the bottom half to reclaim the advantage at 7-6.
Central extended its lead to 9-6 after four innings and carried that margin into the sixth before Anderson drove in another run with an RBI single. Rock Springs later loaded the bases in the inning, but Central recorded the final out to preserve a 9-7 lead.
The Lady Indians added two more runs in the bottom of the sixth, sending Rock Springs into the seventh trailing 11-7 and needing four runs to continue the game.
The Lady Tigers continued to fight in their final at-bat, scoring once and putting two runners on base with Florencio coming to the plate representing the tying run. Central, however, recorded the final outs to end the comeback attempt.
Anderson led Rock Springs offensively, going 2-for-4 with three RBIs. Wester was efficient at the plate and collected three hits on four attempts, while Florencio and Payton “PJ” Tomison each added multiple hits as the Lady Tigers totaled 11 hits in the loss.
Central finished with eight hits of its own, led by Maya Driver and Jordan Erickson, who each recorded two hits.
Rock Springs closed the season after a deep postseason run that included three elimination-game victories between regionals and state. The Lady Tigers advanced to the state semifinals and finished among the top three teams in Wyoming after entering the postseason as the No. 3 seed from the Southwest.
After the game, first-year Lady Tiger head coach Blair Ludtke reflected on the team’s postseason run and the fight shown throughout the season.
“First and foremost I am proud of each and every player this season,” Ludtke said. “They never gave up they showed no quit and they battled to the end. We had to fight our way back through the losers bracket and the girls dug deep and rallied and played together as a team.”
Ludtke also praised the team’s senior class and the effort it took to reach the semifinals.
“I am proud of our five seniors who gave it their all today,” Ludtke said. “No one expected us to make it this far but we did. From day one of practice it was our goal to make a run at state and I am so proud of this team.”
“I am proud to be their coach and each one of them have a special place in my heart,” she added. “They had fun and everyone contributed, including the dugout.”
