Sterling softball off to fast-paced start

Sterling’s softball team certainly didn’t wait to let its bats come out to play in 2023.

In their first four games of the fall season, the Tigers have all but exploded at the plate, recording 55 runs while winning three contests. Over the course of two days, they first defeated Northfield 13-12, but fell to a tough Greeley West team in a 10-7 campaign.

Longmont fell victim to a 21-8 beating on Saturday, but Thompson Valley proved a bit tougher for the Tigers before they defeated the Eagles with a 14-8 final.

On Tuesday, Sterling will cross state lines to take on a Scottsbluff team that has yet to lose a game.

Sterling volleyball grinds out a win over Valley

Much like its softball counterpart, Sterling’s volleyball team began the season on a high note, even if the Tigers did have to muster every ounce of effort they had in them to get the job done.

The ladies began the game swinging fast and hard, burying the Vikings at every turn until they emerged victorious in a 25-11 effort. By set’s send, the Vikings had started to catch onto them, however, and stormed back to claim a contentious second set with the tightest score possible at 25-23. Valley then followed suit in the third, this time needing an extra point at 26-24, to make the Tigers really sweat.

That was just the motivation Sterling needed to set the record straight.

The Tigers lit up the court in the fourth frame and overwhelmed the Vikings before walking away with a 25-7 victory, then put an end to what was once a Valley comeback with a strong fifth set and 25-10 score.

With their first victory firmly in the rearview mirror, the Tigers will now look ahead to a road matchup at Fort Morgan at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Fort Morgan, which ended 2022 with an 11-12 record, has yet to play a match this year.