Tiny Miscues lead to big disappointment for local softball teams

Pueblo West's run of consecutive state softball title ends at two after 4-1 loss on Friday.
By JOE E. CERVITHE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN
AURORA - The difference between the top 16 teams in the Class 4A state softball tournament is so small that the tiniest of miscues can end a team's season in a heartbeat.
They did on Friday.
Twice.
Two-time defending champion Pueblo West dropped a heart-breaking 4-1 decision to No. 12 Northridge in a morning game at the Aurora Sports Park.
Two hours later, on the same exact field, No. 15 Pueblo Central took No. 2 Windsor to an extra inning, eventually falling 4-3 in eight.
"Sometimes you can get away with little mistakes during the season, but not up here," Cyclones head coach Bob Zinanti said as his team ended its season 15-6-1. "It was the little things - pitching ahead, making good throws, stuff like that. Maybe we had some jitters, I don't know. We played hard, we just didn't play loose. And we need to play loose to be successful."
The first-round loss was a rarity, indeed, for the Cyclones, having won back-to-back state titles in 2004 and ’05. MORE>>

Class 4A state softball
No. 12 Northridge 4, No. 5 Pueblo West 1