Windsor softball finishes historic unbeaten season with state title

AURORA — The wait is finally over for Windsor High School softball.

The Wizards are state champions again, and with a historic perfect season no less.

No. 1 Windsor capped off one of the most dominant years in Colorado softball history, beating No. 2 Holy Family 6-2 for the CHSAA Class 4A state title Oct. 24 at Aurora Sports Park.

There was little doubt about who the best team was in Colorado softball this season.

Windsor finished a perfect 29-0 with nearly half those wins over top-10 state seeds across all three classifications. That included a win over 5A No. 1 seed Cherokee Trail and five of the other 11 state semifinalists.

The Wizards got over the top against the Holy Family team that denied them in last year's title game.

All-state senior pitcher Jenna McGinnis was spectacular in a complete-game three-hitter while striking out double-digit Tiger hitters.

Meanwhile, Windsor scratched across runs early and knocked out Holy Family ace Carly Tooley with two runs in the fourth inning.

Gabriella Wagner added a home run and Shannon Nielsen had a big double for a three-run sixth inning that provided some late cushion.

And McGinnis held it down in the circle, locking down a Tigers offense that had averaged over 10 runs per game.

Finally, it was the Wizards' turn to celebrate a season that emphatically announced them as state champions.

The Wizards outscored teams by more than 300 total runs and over 11 runs per game, the highest average scoring margin in the MaxPreps era (since 2006).

This whole season was a redemption tour for Windsor, all the way until a championship rematch with Holy Family.

The Tigers handed Windsor a second straight defeat in the 4A finals last fall after a loss to Lutheran for the 2024 championship.

It had this year's team on a mission.

Senior pitchers Jenna McGinnis and Shannon Nielsen made an untouchable pair of aces in the circle. The duo allowed just 24 total runs (only 15 earned) and was part of 17 Windsor shutouts.

All but one everyday starter hit over .400 on the season and that explosive offense helped the Wizards run-rule 21 opponents and play exactly zero one-run games.

Windsor beat No. 16 Green Mountain 16-1 in the 4A opening round and followed that up with a 10-0 win over No. 8 Ponderosa in the quarterfinals.

A 13-3 semifinal win vs. No. 4 Fruita Monument set the stage for a rematch in the finals, where Windsor got its year's worth of payback on Holy Family.

The wait was worth it, and not just from two straight years of championship heartbreak. Windsor won the program's first state softball title in 20 years, just weeks after honoring the anniversary of the 2006 title team.

This story will be updated. Return to coloradoan.com/sports for more.