Prep notebook: Battle Mountain softball wins final home game of the season

The Battle Mountain girls softball team closed out their 2024 home schedule on a high note.

The Huskies piled up 10 hits in a 13-1 route of Aspen on Thursday at the Eagle County Fairgrounds Sports Complex. Battle Mountain jumped out to a 1-0 first-inning lead, then poured on six runs in the second and five more in the fourth to finish off the Skiers.

Lia Nowicki went 2-for-3 from the plate and scored three runs. On the mound, the senior struck out five and allowed just one run in four innings of work. Fellow seniors Marin Carr and Renata Alba drove in two and three runs, respectively, in their final home game.

Battle Mountain (4-12) ends the regular season at Centaurus on Saturday.

Other prep notes

• Battle Mountain claimed a road league victory against Summit on Thursday. The Huskies defeated the Tigers in four sets, 25-15, 25-20, 22-25, 25-15, to improve to 10-0 on the year and 7-0 in league play.
• Vail Mountain School came away with a five-set win over Basalt at home on Tuesday. The Gore Rangers defeated the Longhorns 25-20, 15-25, 25-21, 20-25, 15-12. After a week off, Vail Mountain School (3-11) travels to Plateau Valley on Oct. 18.
• Eagle Valley defeated Glenwood Springs 28-21 in boys football on Friday night. The Devils improved to 4-3 with the road victory; they host Rifle on Oct. 25.
• Eagle Valley cruised to a 25-17, 25-15, 8-25, 25-15 win over Delta on Thursday in Gypsum. The Devils improved to 8-10 on the season in advance of an Oct. 18 matchup against Palisade.

Alumni in Action: Brunner makes NCAA debut

• Former Battle Mountain runner and Vail Mountain School Nordic skier Will Brunner made his NCAA debut for Harvard University at the Paul Short Run on Oct. 5 in Bethlehem, PA. Brunner — who won three individual state titles for the Huskies, including back-to-back 3200-meter crowns — completed the 8-kilometer course in 24 minutes, 58.1 seconds to place 134th in his DI debut.
• Former Eagle Valley star Jake Drever continues to improve during his second year on the NCAA DI cross-country circuit. The Boise State University sophomore ran 25:11.8 at the Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational on Oct. 4. The Broncos finished sixth as a team in the 19-team ‘Blue’ division, which featured some of the best DI and DII squads in the country, including Adams State University and Northern Arizona — which has won 6 of the last eight national titles (and finished second in the other two).
• Ione Pedersen has tallied 63 kills — including 11 in a Sept. 7 win over Lynchburg — as a true freshman at Gettysburg College. The former Eagle Valley outside hitter has helped the Bullets get off to a 15-2 start. Gettysburg sits just outside the national top-25 poll as of Oct. 8.
• Former Vail Christian setter Gracie Allen recorded 13 assists in Hope College’s win over St. Mary’s on Oct. 5. The junior also recorded five digs for the Flying Dutch, who are ranked second in the country for DIII with a 14-2 record.
• Kevin Hasley, who played football, basketball and track for Eagle Valley last year, tallied three tackles in his first collegiate football game against Saint Mary last month. The McPherson College freshman had three more against Kansas Wesleyan on Oct. 5 as the Bulldogs have started the year with a 5-1 record.