If there has been a thorn in the side of the Montrose softball team, it has been Fruita Monument. The Wildcats have held one of the more dominant records against the Red Hawks in any sport and any classification since the inception of MaxPreps results in 2009.
But a 5-1 win for the Red Hawks on Monday ended that streak.
For the first time in at least games, it was Montrose coming away with a win. With MaxPreps records dating back to 2009, Colorado Preps reached out to Montrose to find the last time that the Red Hawks beat Fruita. Inquiries have been made, but nothing has been confirmed thus far.
Nevertheless, the Red Hawks have been building the program over the last several years and a win over Fruita is another indicator that the program is in a resurgence.
Sitting now at 11-1 overall and 5-0 in Southwestern League play, the Red Hawks cracked the top 10 of the Colorado Preps power rankings and are also in the top 10 of the CHSAA rankings, which determines playoff seeding.
The Red Hawks have been good offensively, with four players hitting .500 or better. Sophomores Marlow Monson (.571) and Bentley Schiller (.568) lead the way with senior Maya Yocavetta (.519) and freshman LaNaya Mora (.500) also proving to be dangerous at the plate.
Schiller has also emerged as one of the top pitchers in Colorado, regardless of classification. She leads the state in ERA (0.71) and wins (11) and is third in strikeouts (111).
