4/19/2009
10U Fusion Takes 2nd Place at the
USSSA Spring Fling Tournament.
by Melanie Brown
The 10U Fusion coaching staff is extremely proud of the girls' performance this past weekend in the Spring Fling Tournament in Sterling, VA. The girls played four games on Saturday finishing with a 2-2 record. They returned to the field on Sunday in the loser's bracket where they had to play three back-to-back games until they reached the championship game. Here, they lost 5-4 to Chantilly Lace and earned the title of Runner-Up. The tournament director, prior to handing out plaques and medals, stated that their championship game was the best of the tournament. The girls really stepped up to the plate showing a great deal of HEART!
The highlights of the games included THREE double plays by Allison C. at first base; great pitching and determination from Leann B. and Makaela K., Liana K. hit a double driving in three runs, and Jenny P., Hailey P. and Emma D. showed their skills at the plate by having high on-base percentages. While playing infield positions, Blake J., Natalie C., and Shelby J. recorded many key outs. Angelle M. displayed the character of all Fusion players by catching 5 of the 7 games, her first time in this position.
This team is growing inning by inning and has the character that the coaching staff can be proud of. With the taste of success, and the understanding of what is required to compete in a qualifying tournament, there will be great things to look forward to.
4/16/2008
FGSA Team Reports and Game
Highlights
The week of April 7-12 marked the 2008 Spring Season opening of the Fauquier Girls Softball Association. After days of cancelled practices and rescheduled games due to rain and wet field conditions, the girls were finally able to “Play Ball”! Below is a recap of game highlights from around the FGSA league.
10U Fast pitch Pigtail Division
Wolves
After early game nerves of the exciting new season, the Wolves were able to pull it together with good pitching lead by Rachel Taylor. The Wolves rallied with 5 runs in the top of the 4th and 6 runs in the top of the 5th. Kaitlin Loveless and Leah Cate were key hitters in both innings. Coach Brown said that teamwork was the contributing factor in their first win against the Royalettes, 14-5.
12U Fast pitch Ponytail Division
WildFire
The Warrenton WildFire defeated the Maddogs by a score of 13-6 in the opening game of the season. Behind the solid pitching of Michaela Miller and hitting by the entire team, the WildFire jumped to an early lead. The WildFire continued to widen the lead through aggressive base running and stolen bases throughout the game. Defensively, Catcher Ashley Gill and Ashlan Bloodworth atthird teamed up to throw out runners attempting to steal third base. Cody Huntington showed exceptional heads-up play in left field by backing up infield defensive plays and throw downs to third base. When asked what the key factor was that led to the WildFire win, Kathleen Warner summed it up best when she said, “We all believed in each other.”
Maddogs
Despite limited pre-season practice opportunities due to rain, the Maddogs played well during their first match up against the Warrenton Wildfire. For the Maddogs, Jayme Fairfax did an outstanding job as pitcher, made picture perfect slides as she tore up the base path with stolen bases, and scored runs by stealing home. Meghan Payne helped the Maddogs defensively by making several good fielding plays at short-stop. The Maddogs played hard throughout the game and never gave up!
14U Fast pitch Junior Division
Maddogs
The 14U Maddogs opened the season with a solid infield performance and gutsy play by the entire team under adverse circumstances. With their starting pitcher not available for the game, the team rallied to support the pinch pitching of Aryn Emswiler and Kaitlin Akacki. In a gritty display of determination, both pitchers stepped into the pitching circle to face a tough opponent, the Stealers. The team was also led by the strong defensive play of Christine Chipman at third base and Lindsay Merriken at both short stop and first base. Offensively, the Maddogs hitters stepped up to the plate to face a travel team pitcher, with almost all the Maddog hitters getting a bat on the ball! Although the Maddogs lost the double header to the Stealers, they played with a surprising depth of team character and tenacity. Look for great things to come from the Maddogs in future games!
Thank You to Our Team Reporters
Thank you to the following team reporters who contributed reports for the week of April 7-12:
Melanie Brown – 10U Wolves
Cheryl Warner – 12U WildFire
Sharon Friend – 12U Maddogs
Jim Warner – 14U Maddogs
Submitting Team Reports
Just as a reminder, weekly team reports are due by Sunday evening each week, and will be posted on the FGSA website each Monday. For questions or to submit reports, please contact
.
Volunteer to be a Team Reporter
We are in search of team reporters to contribute weekly game highlights for each team. It is easy and it is fun! If you would like to volunteer to be a team reporter, please contact Cheryl Warner at
.
4/21/2008
FGSA Team Reports and Game
Highlights
The week of April 13-19 marked the second full week of games for the 2008 Spring Season. With make-up games added to the scheduled, many teams played 2 games this past week. Below is a recap of game highlights from around the FGSA league.
10U Fast pitch Pigtail Division
10U5 Tusanmi
Friday night was a real nail-biter of a game between Team Tsunami and the Wolves. After being down by several runs, Team Tsunami managed to squeak out a win in the very last inning. Each and every girl fought hard throughout the entire game for this very difficult win. Great job by all!
10U5 Tusanmi
Saturday brought yet another win for Team Tsunami! In our game against the Royalettes, Caroline Silas, Bianca Dodson and Lucinda Swartzentruber all scored home runs. The Tsunami had some fantastic pitching by Katie Heenan & Bianca Dodson. We are lucky to have such a hardworking group of girls & we are looking forward to another great week!
10U6 Cougars
All the girls did a great job in their 2nd game of the season! They got off to a strong start in the first inning with 4 runs and 2 strike outs by pitcher, Grace. The Cougars had so many base hits, stolen plates, perfect pitches, and good plays in the outfield. Carleigh did a great job on 1st base and Logan got her first base hit of the season! The girls are proud with a win over Glory 12-3. The perfect ending was cupcakes for all for a very special Birthday girl, Victoria.
10U7 Wolves
The Marshall Wolves battled in losing efforts Friday evening and Saturday morning. Coach Brown says that the back to back games were a lot for the team to overcome. However, the girls were able to play in a lot of different positions while learning the game which will make the team stronger in the future. In Friday night’s game against the Tsunamis, Macy Matthews, Angelle Marshall, and Leann Brown led the team in their hitting abilities. Hailey Place and Kate Loveless led the team in hitting on Saturday morning against the Wildcats. Coach Brown was very proud of Alice Yarborough for getting her first hit of the season. The final scores were: Tsunamis 10, Wolves 9 and Wildcats 11, Wolves 9.
12U Fast pitch Ponytail Division
12U1 WildFire
In their second game of the season, the Warrenton WildFire defeated the Lightning Boltz by a score of 8 to 3. Michaela Miller was on fire from the pitcher’s mound, recording 15 strikeouts and limiting the Lightning Boltz to 2 hits. Offensively, the WildFire was led by the bats of Cody Huntington and Michaela Miller who had 2 hits each. Callie Smith and Ashley Gill torn up the base paths with aggressive base stealing, avoiding tags, and sliding under the catcher’s mitt to score at home. Ashley Gill at catcher and Michaela Miller at pitcher worked together to make several outs at home plate. Kathleen Warner scooped up hard hit grounders at second base and center field to make outs.
12U1 WildFire
The Warrenton Wildfire continued their winning streak, defeating the Warrenton Warriors by a score of 10 to 6. Michaela Miller played another excellent game at pitcher, fanning 18 batters and limiting the Warriors to 4 hits. Lacey Hanback hit a booming double to centerfield to lead the WildFire offensively, while Kellie Seeley, Callie Smith, and Ashley Gill scored runs through aggressive base running. On defense, sure-handed Lacey “Stretch” Hanback made several clutch catches at first base. Coach Miller noted that the WildFire outfield continued to play as a solid defensive unit, anticipated plays, covered throw downs, and fielded hits to hold runners to single bases. The WildFire team spirit could not be crushed, and the undefeated team marches on.
12U2 Lightning Boltz
In their first complete game of the season, The Lightning Bolts played hard against the Wildfire. With a couple of players missing, the whole team pulled together, both in the field and at bat. There was strong pitching from Isabella Tinkham, tough defense from second baseman Samantha Dietz, who got three girls out at first, and a solid hit from Taylor Penn. While we weren’t victorious, it was a strong showing and got the team off to a great start.
12U2 Lightning Boltz
The Lightning Boltz won 19-6 against the Eagles with all of the players putting forth a great effort. There were lots of hits, with Mackenzi Wilsonhitting a hard line drive to left field and Hannah Preston getting on base in all of her at bats, and lots of aggressive base running. Defensively, Shea Ankers was tough behind the plate and Amanda Vogatsky recovered froma stumble to make the out at first.
12U3 Maddogs
Although the Maddogs lost to the Herricanes by a score of 13-6, there were many notable plays to cheer and celebrate. Shannon Friend hit a home run. Meghan Payne made several good plays at shortstop. The Maddogs team played an overall good defensive game as a team, but the Herricanes had several key hits. Amanda Dwyer pitched for the first time and did a great job, as did the Maddogs other pitcher, Jayme Fairfax.
12U3 Maddogs
The Maddogs won against the Flames, 12-5. Jayme Fairfax had an excellent pitching game, striking out the first 4 batters that were up. Sydney White did a very good job at third base, fielding several grounders. Beth Sheehan made several good stops in the outfield. Shannon Friend hit a double, and Amanda Dwyer hit 2 singles. Natalia Roldan, Emily Henry and Gulia White all had basehits. Nicole Scalzo had a good day stealing bases. Meghan Payne had another good defensive game at shortstop and hit a single.
12U5 Herricanes
Even with a late Friday night game and the heat on Saturday afternoon, the Herricanes continued to rumble with a 13 to 6 win over the Blue Jays. Infield and outfield were always on their toes with exceptional plays by Josie Adgate from 3rd base. With a Megan Enswilers triple and great hits by Karlie Harless the team stayed on top of their game. With total team effort in both offense and defense the Herricanes stay undefeated with their 3rd straight win.
12U5 Herricanes
What an exciting game!! With a 0 to 0 score Hollie Hurdlesacrificed a base hit for an RBI bringing in the first run of the game. Meghan Emswiler, with relief of Krista Darnell,did superb pitching throughout the game. With a 6 to 6 tie, Elizabeth Wilcox hit a triple bringing in runs to rally and pump up the Herricanes to a 13-6 win over the Maddogs.
14U Fast pitch Junior Division
14U3 Maddogs
In a close, hard fought contest, the Maddogs were victorious over the Titans by a score of 5 to 4. Both teams played well, but the pitching of Amber Friend and team hitting carried the day for the Maddogs. Amber Friend pitched a great game, striking out 11 batters, giving up only 3 walks, and limiting the Titans to 5 hits. At the plate, the Maddogs rallied behind the strong hitting of Christina Warner (1 homerun , 1 double, 1 single), Kayla Bennet (1 triple, 1 single), Aryn Emswiler (2 singles), and Julia Blevins (a hard hit, RBI).
14U3 Maddogs
The Maddogs lost to the older 18U Freedom team by a narrow margin of 9 to 6. Kayla Bennett (1 double, 1 single) and Lindsay Merriken (3 singles) led the Maddogs in hitting. Defensively, Kristine Chipman at 3rd base and Aryn Emswiler at shortstop made several outs in the infield, Christina Warner at catcher tagged several runners out at home plate, and Julia Blevins showed great hustle in the outfield. Kaitlin Akacki went the distance on the mound for the Maddogs, with 3 strikeouts.
Thank You to Our Team Reporters
Thank you to the following team reporters who contributed reports for the week of April 13-19:
10U5 Tsumani – Karen Lehmann
10U6 Cougars -- Dawn Williamson
10U7 Wolves -- Melanie Brown
12U1 Wildfire -- Cheryl Warner
12U2 Lightning Boltz -- Eileen Houck
12U3 Maddogs -- Sharon Friend
12U5 Herricanes -- Lisa Hurdle
14U3 Maddogs -- Cheryl Warner
Submitting Team Reports
Just as a reminder, weekly team reports are due by Sunday evening each week, and will be posted on the FGSA website each Monday. For questions or to submit reports, please contact
.
Volunteer to be a Team Reporter
We are in search of team reporters to contribute weekly game highlights for each team. It is easy and it is fun! If you would like to volunteer to be a team reporter, please contact Cheryl Warner at
.
FGSA Team Reports and Game Highlights
4/28/08
The week of April 20-26 marked the third full week of the 2008 Spring Season. Below is a recap of game highlights from around the FGSA league.
10U Fast pitch Pigtail Division
10U2 Wildcats
The Wildcats started Friday night against the Shamrocks with a bang. Christie pitched the first inning, great job, got them out fast. Jesse pitched for the first time and struck out her first batter. Sharon, another great pitcher, showed her power during the game as well. Taylor caught a pop fly to third, and the twin magic Christie and Sydney worked very well together on a throw from 3rd to 1st for another great play. All the girls were on their game and seemed to work as a great team. Paige had the first slide of the season for the Wildcats. (Her prize was a large bag of gum and, yes, she did share with the team.) Hayley had the second slide of the season in the same game. WAY TO GO!!! Paige and Nichol were catchers for the game, you should both be proud. All the players did a great job to put the Wildcats on top to win the game.
10U2 Wildcats
The Wildcats played a real nail-biter of a game against the Cougars. Christie pitched the first inning and struck the first 3 players out. Taylor had her first slide of the season. Way to go!! Jesse on third threw the ball to Tess on first for an out. Sharon and Jesse pitched great innings. All of our pitchers do such good job you should all be proud of yourselves. Paige was the catcher for the entire game, way to go. With the game tied at the last inning, the coaches and the umpires held a quick meeting!!! On to another inning we went again and still the game was tied with no movement for either team!! Man it was hot and what did we do? We played another inning! At the end of the last inning, the girls on the field had pride (and the sun) in their faces. The other team prevailed but with pride in our hearts knowing we played the best we could, we have to say great game to the cougars and thank you for the challenge.
10U6 Cougars
What an exciting weekend for the Cougars! Friday night they won against the Hawks, 6-0. Leah got a single in the third, stole second, and ran home to score the first run. Carleigh threw the ball to Samantha at third and she tagged the runner trying to steal out!
10U6 Cougars
Saturday's game went into overtime ending 8-6 against the Wildcats. The teamwork was outstanding. Brenna made a great catch from Carleigh at home plate to get them out. Daryn, Sidney, Eve and Mackie were hitting singles, stealing bases and playing great defense. In overtime, Meridith and Victoria hit one in the outfield bringing in the winning runs! Last but not least, Grace pitched her team to a victory only to catch the final out! All the girls are improving their skills and having so much fun. Go Cougars!
10U7 Wolves
Good pitching by Leann Brown, Rachel Taylor, and Kate Loveless led the Wolves in their efforts in Saturday’s win against Glory, 14-2. Coach Brown was excited about defensive efforts; especially, when Macy Matthews threw out the stealing base runner at second base in the 5th inning. Taylor Fay, Lindsay Schmidtmann, and Leah Cate had strong efforts at the plate. The players were able to play in new positions in the 6th inning for more experience which makes for a better Wolves team in the future.
12U Fast pitch Ponytail Division
12U1 WildFire
Under the Friday night lights at Vint Hill, the Warrenton WildFire defeated the Blue Jays by a score of 2-0. The WildFire played a good defensive game as a team. Short stop Courtney Clatterback, third base Ashlan Bloodworth, and second base Callie Smith made outstanding plays on hard hit grounders to get the runners out at first. Offensively, Michaela Miller hit a double and got on base twice, and Callie Smith brought Michaela home on 2 sacrifice RBIs to score both of the team runs. Ashlan Bloodworth, Callie Smith and Emily Fitzwater did a good job on running bases, but the Blue Jays made some excellent run downs and defensive plays. In the final innings, pitcher Michaela Miller sealed the win by striking out the heart of the Blue Jays offensive line-up.
12U1 WildFire
Called for Rain – At the top to third inning, with the scored tied at 0-0, the game with the Herricanes was called for rain. The game will be rescheduled and will resume play where the game left off.
12U2 Lightning Boltz
The Lightning Boltz played a hard game against the Maddogs and came out victorious with a score of 9-2. There was lots of activity at the plate. Amanda Vogatsky and Anna Houck got big hits and MacKenzi Wilson had a solid double, as well as four successful steals at home by Isabella Tinkham, Sarah Pasley, Amanda Vogatsky and Anna Houck. Samantha Dietz gave a strong relief performance in her pitching debut with the team.
12U2 Lightning Boltz
In their second victory of the weekend, The Lightning Boltzbeat the Flames 20-7. The whole team put in a solid effort both defensively and offensively. The team continued to be strong at the plate with Hannah Preston hitting aline drive to right field and Amanda Vogatsky getting abig double which brought in 3 runs.
14U Fast pitch Junior Division
14U2 Stealers
The 14U Stealers kept their undefeated record going with a 2-1 defeat against the 18U Freedom, in a nail-biter Saturday. The Freedom was up 1-0 at the bottom of the third inning, when a walk for Dani Dietz brought in the tying run; as third-base runner Maddie Houck slid into home on an attempted second-base throw down. The game continued tied until the bottom of the sixth inning. With Riley Miller getting first base on a single, then stealing second and third, a well-placed hit by Melissa McCann brought her home for the go-ahead run. Congratulations to Stealers pitcher Riley Miller for pitching a no-hitter. Riley struck out 19 of 20 batters! Way to go, Stealers.
14U3 Maddogs
The Maddogs battled the Titans in a close game, losing a heartbreaker in the by a score of 4-5. Leading the Maddogs in hitting, Lindsay Merriken went 3 for 3 at the plate with 3 singles, Christina Warner hit 1 double and 1 single, Kristine Chipman hit 2 singles, and Kaitlyn Akacki contributed with 1 single. On the pitcher’s mound, Amber Friend struck out 8 batters.
14U3 Maddogs
In their second game of the day, the Maddogs batters picked up 10 hits and 3 sacrifice RBIs to defeat the Stingers by a score of 12-3. Lindsay Merriken, Aryn Emswiler, and Christina Warner each had 2 singles; while Julia Blevins, Kayla Bennett, Kaitlyn Akacki and Kristine Chipman each had 1 single. Lacie Hurdle, Julia Blevins and Kayla Bennett also drove in runs with hard hit, sacrifice RBIs.
14U4 Stingers
In their first game of the day the Stingers were triumphant over the Sliders by a score of 18 - 11. After a rough start, rookie pitcher Kathryn Johnson settled in and struck out 4 batters and threw 1 out at first in the 2nd and 3rd innings effectively shutting down the offensive game for the Sliders. The game was capped in the 4th when Ellen Mulholland came home on a strong hit by leftie Michelle McClanahan scoring the 18th run and sealing the Stingers victory.
14U4 Stingers
In their second matchup, the Stingers lost a hard fought game to the Maddogs by a score of 12-3. Despite going 2 for 2 with strong smacks to the outfield by Emma Wiberg and Katie Angell, the Stingers just couldn't seem to get anyone across home plate. Defensively, the team had errors but also saw a nice double play when a Maddogs runner failed to tag up on a fly to second baseman Emma Wiberg and also got caught stealing third by Kristen Allen and catcher Ashley and then by Carolyn Dotson and Ellen Mulholland in back to back innings. In an interesting twist both teams' pitchers were called on an illegal pitch while the other pitcher was at bat.
Thank You to Our Team Reporters
Thank you to the following team reporters who contributed reports for the week of April 13-19:
10U2 Wildcats – Nichol Dudley
10U6 Cougars -- Dawn Williamson
10U7 Wolves -- Melanie Brown
12U1 Wildfire -- Cheryl Warner
12U2 Lightning Boltz -- Eileen Houck
14U2 Stealers – Odetta Dietz
14U3 Maddogs – Cheryl Warner
14U4 Stingers -- Debbie Albrecht
Submitting Team Reports
Just as a reminder, weekly team reports are due by Sunday evening each week, and will be posted on the FGSA website each Monday. For questions or to submit reports, please contact
.
Volunteer to be a Team Reporter
We are in search of team reporters to contribute weekly game highlights for each team. It is easy and it is fun! If you would like to be a team reporter, please contact Cheryl Warner at
.
5/6/2008
FGSA Team Reports and Game
Highlights
The week of April 27-May 3 marked the fourth full week of the 2008 Spring Season. It is hard to believe that we are already in the last half of the season! Only a few weeks remain before the end-of-season FGSA Tournaments begin for 10U, 12U and 14U age divisions.
Below is a recap of game highlights from around the FGSA league this past week.
10U Fast pitch Pigtail Division
10U6 Cougars
The Cougars had another exciting night with a win over the Royalettes. Victoria stopped the first ball and threw it to Sydney for the first out! Eve had a strong base hit in the bottom of the 2nd and came in to score. Mackie hit well and came in to score in the 3rd. Samantha had a long single in the 3rd that brought in a run and a great assist to Daryn on 1st making the out in the 4th. Daryn had a great night on first and a good batting game. Logan stopped a ball in the outfield in the 2nd and she and Leah got base hits in the 4th. Good work Cougars!
10U6 Cougars
Cougars pulled it off with a win over the Wolves 5-4. Meredith and Grace started off the game with base hits and a run. In the bottom of the 1st Daryn stopped the ball and got it to Carleigh on 1st to get the out. Brenna did an awesome job as catcher, and knocked one into the outfield in the 2nd. Sydney made an awesome tag at first in the bottom of the 3rd. Grace pitched another great game! It was a close one, all the girls worked hard under pressure.
10U7 Wolves
The Wolves lost to the Cougars by a small margin, 5-4. The Cougars' strong pitching efforts dominated the contest. Each game is a learning experience. Coach Brown is very proud of all of the players.
12U Fast pitch Ponytail Division
No regular league games were held this week in the 12U Division.
12U1 WildFire
In the continuation of a game previously called for rain, the Warrenton WildFire resumed the battle with the Herricanes in what proved to be a close, nail-biter game that went a full 6 innings. Both teams were evenly matched and played well throughout the entire game. But the WildFire prevailed in the final inning. Led by the bats of Michaela Miller and Courtney Clatterback, the Wildfire team came out hitting in the bottom of the 3rdth inning and continued to hit throughout the rest of the game. Kellie Seely came across the plate in the bottom of the 5th inning to give the Wildfire the critical go-ahead run. On defense, Kellie Seely made a crucial, heads-up back-up play at first base that prevented the Herricanes from scoring any additional runs in an already tight game. Second base Cody Huntington scooped up a tough grounder to make the final defensive out of the game and ensure the WildFire win. Thank you Herricanes for a great game!
12U Fusion Tournament Team
Over the May 3-4 weekend the Fauquier Fusion 12U tournament team competed in the May Madness USSSA Open Tournament in Sterling, VA. For their first tournament of the year, the Fusion 12U team performed very well earning a 3rd place finish and earning the respect of the other teams.
Overall, the Fusion 12U earned the title of “Best Scoring” team of the Tournament, tallying a total of 61 runs scored with an average runs per game of 7.625. The Fusion 12U team also proved to be the most tenacious team of the tournament, playing a total of 8 games (in 2 days), including a tournament record of 5 back-to-back games in one day (with only 15 minutes rest between games). Despite being dead tired, the Fusion team showed their determination in winning 2 of the back-to-back games under International Tie Breaker rules.
For the cumulative 8-game tournament total, the Fusion had an impressive team batting average of .494 and an on base average of .579. The Fusion offensive charge was led by Shea Ankers, Allison Dyer, Jenn Moreland, and Haleigh Kilby who each hit home runs. Five Fusion batters hit over .500 for the tournament, including Michaela Miller, Ashley Gill, Jenn Moreland, Shea Ankers, and Jayme Fairfax. Showing a determination to win, Kathleen Warner made a daring and successful delayed steal from third base to home in an effort to bring the final Fusion game within one run of tying the game and going onto the championship game.
In the outfield, Jayme Fairfax and Emily Smith each caught 2 fly balls, Callie Smith hung on to a difficult short fly ball at the edge of the infield, and Izzie Tinkham hustled to cut-off a hard hit ball down the right field base line. Shea Ankers and Emily Smith also made key, game saving back-up plays to keep runners from advancing and scoring winning runs.
In the infield, Shannon Friend at catcher teamed up with short stop Haleigh Kilby and 3rd base Jenn Moreland to pick off 11 runners attempting to steal 2nd and 3rd. Throughout the tournament, Haleigh Kilby continuously fielded hard hit grounders from short stop to throw runners out at first.
On the mound, pitchers Michaela Miller, Shannon Friend, Jayme Fairfax and Samantha Dietz worked together to go the distance over a grueling 8 game schedule.
All in all, the Fusion 12U team turned in a truly outstanding tournament performance.
14U Fast pitch Junior Division
No regular league games were held this week in the 14U Division.
Thank You to Our Team Reporters
Thank you to the following team reporters who contributed reports for the week of April 27-May 3:
10U6 Cougars -- Dawn Williamson
10U7 Wolves -- Melanie Brown
12U1 Wildfire -- Cheryl Warner
5/20/2008
FGSA Team Reports and Game
Highlights
The weeks of May 4-May 18 saw of flurry of rescheduled make-up games due to rain, rain and more rain. But thanks to a dedicated group of coaches and parents who worked together to get the fields back into playing condition, and to all the players and their families who juggled changes in rescheduled game dates, all of the teams were able to complete the final games of the regular season. Final standings for the 2008 Spring Season are available on the FGSA website (click on the “Standings” button).
The teams are now busy preparing for the end-of-season, single elimination FGSA Championship Tournaments, which begin May 19 and continue through May 29 for 10U, 12U and 14U age divisions. Tournament brackets and schedules are available for viewing on the FGSA website (click on the “Schedules” button). Seeding for the tournament brackets are determined by final standings of the regular season games.
Below is a recap of game highlights from around the FGSA league from the final 2 weeks of regular season play.
10U Fast Pitch Pigtail Division
10U2 Wildcats
Wildcats vs. Royalettes. Great game girls!!!!!!!!!!! First inning Jesse and Paige madeit home and Christie made it to second. Tess caught a throw from Jesse to get first runner out at first and Paige struck out 2 other batters. Taylor was our first catcher of the game and did a great job. Christie caught a pop fly to third base. Emily was next to come home. Sharon was next to pitch and Courtney was the catcher. Sharon caught another pop fly. Tess, Nichol, Emily, and Jesse came home WAY TO GO GIRLS!!!!!!!!!! Sharon pitched another great inning and Nichol was the catcher. Christie caught another pop fly and Victoria caught her first pop fly of the season. WAY TO GO Victoria!!!!! Tess, Christie, Sydney, Taylor, Victoria, and Hayley all made it home. WAY TO GO GIRLS!!! Christie pitched and Paige was the catcher for the last inning. All of the Wildcats should be proud that at the end of a Thursday game when all have had a long day we prevailed to win the game.
10U2 Wildcats
Wildcats vs. Tsunami. Paige was the first on the pitcher’s mound and struck out the very first batter of the game, with Taylor behind home plate to catch. Jesse was the first one at bat; she slid into second losing her helmet on the slide, but she did make it home with a smile on her face. Paige was next to come home and Tess almost made a home run with one swing of the bat--WOW what an arm! Sharon was pitcher with Paige as the catcher ready to get someone out on a steal. The next inning Sharon and Jesse both came home. Victoria, Hayley and Nichol made it home. Nichol hit a beautiful pop fly and it just missed the infield mitts. Jesse finished the game aspitcher with Courtney as another great catcher. We did not come out on top to win the game but I think we all learned that not everyday is a good day and that is ok as long as you love the sport. And the Wildcats love softball!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
10U6 Cougars
The Cougars won over the Shamrocks 7 - 3. In the first inning Grace struck out 3 batters! All the girls batting and running skills have improved. Meredith was hitting the ball and stealing those bases to bring in the runs! Eve hit a single in the 2nd and a double in the 4th running the bases and scoring. Samantha hit one into the outfield in the 3rd. Daryn hit a double in the last inning to bring in the final point. And let’s not forget Carleigh, batting well and playing catcher the whole game and doing an awesome job!!!!
Cougars had a 6-3 victory over the Hawks. In the first inning Eve caught three balls at first base to make all three outs, with great throws to her from Meredith and Grace -- good teamwork Cougars!! Meredith, Samantha and Carleigh got doubles in the bottom of the first. Samantha did a great job in her first pitching game! She struck out her first batter in the top of the 2nd! In the bottom of the 2nd third baseman Carleigh stopped the ball and threw it to Brenna at home to make the out! AWESOME! Grace hit a double in the 4th and pitched another great game to add to her list! Mackie and Victoria got base hits and played well at 2nd base. Leah and Logan worked hard in the outfield, getting the ball infield to make the outs. Good Work Cougars!
10U5 Tsunami
It was another exciting weekend for Team Tsunami with a win over the Wildcats! All of the girls stepped up and gave their best to the team to bring in this win. Thanks to every girl for the jobs they did playing their positions so well. Samantha Borgstrom, Kirby Lewis & Lucinda Swartzentruber were fantastic playing 1st, 2nd & 3rd bases respectively. Caroline Silas was awesome as catcher. Great fielding by Olivia Andrews, Bianca Dodson & Kiara Walker as well as Shawna McCann at shortstop. Thanks to both of our pitchers: Katie Heenan and Lucinda Swartzentruber! Great job girls! And none of us will ever forget that UNBELIEVEABLE catch by Melissa Ramer in the 5th inning! Team Tsunami's hitting game was on as well with doubles by Katie Heenan, Lucinda Swartzentruber, Brittany Conde, Katie Heenan and Kiara Walker. Anna Lulis began the 5th inning with a beautiful single!
On to the Tournament! Good luck to everyone! Go Team Tsunami!
10U7 Wolves
The Wolves triumphed against the Hawks with the final score of 12-2. The Wolves were led by Leah Cate, Rachel Taylor, and Taylor Fay’s hitting. Sarah Chrisp had a nice double play in the fourth inning after catching a fly ball and tagging second base to end the inning. Pitching was led by Leann Brown, Rachel Taylor, and Macy Matthews.
The highlights of the Wolves vs. Shamrocks game were two excellent throws made by Macy Matthews and Rachel Taylor while catching. In the 2nd inning, Macy threw out a stealing base runner at third with a nice tag made by Sarah Chrisp. Rachel Taylor pinpointed a throw to shortstop, Leann Brown, to stop a stealing runner to 2nd base in the 4th inning. The hitting efforts of Rachel Taylor, Kate Loveless, Macy Matthews, and Leah Cate led the Wolves to a 10-5 victory.
12U Fast Pitch Ponytail Division
12U1 WildFire
In their second match-up of the season, the Warrenton WildFire came from behind to win a close game over the tough, well-coached Lightning Boltz team. Courtney Clatterback turned a great catch on a rising line drive up the middle into heads-up double play, while Katie “Duckie” Link did a great job at second base. The WildFire hitting attack was led by Ashley Gill with 2 singles and 2 walks, and Ashlan Bloodworth and Kathleen Warner each with 1 double and 1 single. Kelly Seely provided great heads-up base running with the presence of mind to run on a drop 3rd strike that allowed a run to score, stole second, and came across home plate on a passed ball to record the game tying run.
12U1 WildFire
The WildFire took on the Eagles to record their 7th win of the season. The WildFire hitters were led by Courtney Clatterback who pelted a clean triple to deep left field. With the Wildfire trailing the Eagles, Cody Huntington hit a clutch double that brought both the tying and winning WildFire runs across home plate, and broke the game open for the WildFire. The WildFire scored a few more runs, and held the Eagles defensively to secure the win.
12U1 WildFire
In their final game of the regular season, the WildFire defeated the Flames by a score of 22-5 to finish undefeated in regular season play. The win over the Flames was largely attributable to all around heads-up base running and stolen bases by the entire WildFire team. Defensive highlights included a great throw by Ashley Gill at catcher and a great catch by Ashlan Bloodworth at 3rd to pick off a runner attempting to steal third. Emily Fitzwater did a great job in her first 12U pitching debut.
12U2 Lightning Boltz
The Lightning Boltz lost a real heartbreaker against the Wildfire in the bottom of the 6th inning. The LBs were an extraordinarily strong team this evening; defense was tight and Amanda Vogatsky made an amazing catch at first base. On the offensive side, Anna Houck hit a long triple to right field and Shea Ankers had an impressive slide. The Lightning Boltz were ahead by 3 runs going into the bottom of the last inning when the umpire reversed a call at home which, instead of giving the Wildfire a second out, kept a runner on third. The Lightning Boltz, shaken by the questionable call, lost their momentum and allowed a Wildfire rally, giving the opposing team a win.
12U2 Lightning Boltz
The Lightning Boltz played tough but couldn’t overcome a strong showing by the Herricanes. There was action at the bat, with Hannah Preston’s big hit to left field, but most of the hits were overturned by the opposing team’s exceptionally strong defense.
12U2 Lightning Boltz
The entire Lightning Boltz team came together as they resumed an extremely close game against the Warriors in the bottom of the 3rd inning. They were down by 1 run at today’s start but came out victorious. Samantha Dietz was strong on the mound with 3 strikeouts in the 4th inning, which turned out to be the Warriors’ only at bat. During the brief rematch, there were hits by Hannah Preston, Anna Houck, Isabella Tinkham, Mackenzi Wilson, and Amanda Vogatsky; Melissa Basye, Sarah Pasley, and Amanda Vogatsky all scored runs after getting hit by pitches. It was a great finish to our regular season!
12U3 Maddogs
The Maddogs finished out the game with the Eagles previously postponed due to lightning. We started in the top of the 4th, with the score of Maddogs 7 and Eagles 5. The Maddogs held the Eagles in the fourth, and then came in to hit, scoring 6 runs in one inning. The Eagles battled back with some good hits, but the Maddogs responded with good hits also and the final score was Eagles 10, Maddogs 19. Emily Henry hit her first home run of the season. Also having hard base hits were Amanda Dwyer and Natalia Roldan. Jayme Fairfax went the distance on the mound, with Shannon Friend doing a good job at catching. Beth Sheehan gave a great effort in left field, where several hard hit balls came her way. Everyone on the Maddogs should be proud of themselves for a great game.
12U3 Maddogs
The game did not turn out as the Maddogs hoped, but the girls gave a great effort. The Herricanes hit very well and did a good job with baserunning. Natalia Roldan had a great hit that went straight up the middle for the Maddogs. Jayme Fairfax and Shannon Friend laid down some nice bunts. Syndey White made a good infield stop and threw to first base for an out. Emily Henry put the tag on a Herricane base runner for an out at third base. The Herricanes hit several balls to the outfield and Giulia White, Beth Sheehan and Natalia Roldan did a good job with getting the ball in to the infield. Meghan Payne had a good stop at shortstop, and Amanda Dwyer showed her versatility by playing catcher and first base during the game. The final score was 19-3, with the win going to the Herricanes.
That was the Maddogs last regular season game and our final record is 3 wins and 4 losses. The girls are fun to work with and always give a great effort. Coach Friend would like to say a big thank you to assistant coach Debi Fairfax, scorekeeper Sharon Dwyer, and to Tim Sheehan, Keith Mitchell and Dave Friend for helping out with practices and third base coaching. We're looking forward to the tournament.
12U5 Herricanes
The rain may have stopped, but the Herricanes blew into Grace Miller with a great end of the season weekend. They came out with 2 wins on a double header. In the first game Herricanes had a 10-2 win over Lightning Bolts with total team effort all the way to the end! With a short break in between games the girls came back out on the field with the same smiles & attitudes for their second win 19-3 over the Maddogs. The girls did tremendous hitting, keeping teammates rounding the bases!
Coach Harless says "I am very proud of all the girls and the accomplishments that they have made as individuals & as a team!!" Great Season Herricanes!!
14U Fast Pitch Junior Division
14U3 Maddogs
In their second match-up of the season, the Maddogs defeated the Stingers by a score of 12-2. Showing great commitment to their Maddogs teammates, Amber Friend, Kristine Chipman, Lindsay Merriken, Kaitlyn Acacki, and Aryn Emswiler rushed straight from their middle school softball games in order to help the Maddogs field a team. Lindsay Merriken led the Maddogs hitting attack with a beautiful homerun hit to deep left field. Julia Blevins continued to shine in the outfield with great defensive plays on several hard hit balls to hold the runners to single base hits.
Thank You to Our Team Reporters
Thank you to the following team reporters who contributed reports for the week of May 4-18:
10U2 Wildcats -- Nichol Dudley
10U5 Tsunami – Karen Lehmann
10U6 Cougars -- Dawn Williamson
10U7 Wolves -- Melanie Brown
12U1 WildFire -- Cheryl Warner
12U2 Lightning Boltz – Eileen Houck
12U3 Maddogs – Sharon Friend
12U5 Herricanes – Lisa Hurdle
14U3 Maddogs – Cheryl Warner
5/24/2008
FGSA Tournament Game Highlights
The week of May 19-May 23 marked the start of the single elimination, end-of-season FGSA Championship Tournaments for 10U, 12U and 14U age divisions. What a great week of tournament games! Below is a recap of game highlights from the first week of tournament play.
10U Fast Pitch Pigtail Division
10U6 Cougars – First Round of Playoff Games
The Cougars first playoff game against Glory ended in a victory! The girls worked well as a team to win their first game in the tournament. In three innings Grace, under pressure, struck out the batters with bases loaded and two outs! Eve wacked the ball into the outfield to get a double and bring in the runs. As always, Meredith did a great job as shortstop and at bat. Daryn had great assists on 2nd base. Mackie got some walks and stole bases. Carleigh played good defense as hindcatcher. Good work girls!
10U6 Cougars – Second Round of Playoff Games
The Cougars had a great season! A special thank you to coaches Randy, Bobby, Kenny, and Kathy for doing such a wonderful job with the girls and taking them so far! Two of the players were first time softball players and many of the girls were in there first season of U10. Unfortunately, the Cougars lost to the Wildcats on Thursday. The girls played hard but just couldn't get their normal game going. No matter what, all of the Cougars should be proud of themselves. Way to go Cougars!!!
12U Fast Pitch Ponytail Division
12U1 WildFire – First Round of Payoff Games
The Warrenton Wildfire beat the Eagles by a score of 13-7 to win their first round of playoff games. Pitcher Michaela Miller faced 17 batters in 4 innings, striking out 11, walking 1, and holding the Eagles to 3 hits. Relief pitcher Kathleen Warner struck out 2 hitters, and Ashley Gill put in another great performance at catcher. Courtney Catterback, Lacey Hanback, Cody Huntington, and Kathleen Warner each had 2 hits, while Katie “Duckie” Link hit a solid double to left field.
12U3 Lightning Boltz – First Round of Payoff Games
The Lightning Boltz won an excitingly close, hard fought match against the Warriors in overtime. The whole team put forth great effort behind the strong pitching of Samantha Dietz, who was on the mound for the entire game. The LBs were ahead 5-0 when the Warriors battled in the top of the third to score 6 runs. Hits by Hannah Preston, Samantha Dietz, and Sarah Pasley brought in a run to tie the score in the bottom of the sixth. The Warriors scored two in the top of the seventh, but the LBs came out fighting. Sidney Stone started things off by getting on base as the first batter. Amanda Vogatsky and Isabella Tinkham kept up the momentum with singles bringing Sidney home and Anna Houck followed with a big hit that brought in two runs winning the game!
12U3 Maddogs – First Round of Payoff Games
The Maddogs lost to the Bluejays by a score of 7-8. Even though the Maddogs lost, they played very well. Shannon Friend and Emily Henry teamed up for a great double play. Jayme Fairfax also made a double play. Natalia Roldan had a great catch out in centerfield, as did Emily Henry at third base. Our hitting was awesome. Jayme Fairfax had a homerun, Amanda Dwyer had 2 triples, and Beth Sheehan, Meghan Payne and Natalia Roldan all had singles. Meghan Payne and Shannon Friend each had a successful delayed steal in the last inning to bring the Maddogs within one run of the Bluejays. The players should be extremely proud of themselves. They showed great improvement, and never gave up. I hope everyone had a good time and that they come back to play fall ball!
14U Fast Pitch Junior Division
14U3 Maddogs -- Second Round of Payoff Games
Under the Friday night lights of Vint Hill, the 14U3 Maddogs faced the 14U2 Titans in their opening playoff game. Both teams finished the regular season in a dead even tie with each team having a record of 5 wins and 3 losses, and a split game decision of 1 win and 1 loss (by a score of 5-4 and 4-5) in head-to-head competition against each other. The two teams could not have been more evenly matched!
The game came down to a classic pitching duel, with both teams backing up their pitchers with virtually error-free defensive play in the field. But the combined effort of pitcher Amber Friend and the bats of the Maddogs hitters ultimately carried the game for the Maddogs by a score of 2-1, advancing the Maddogs to the championship game.
Maddogs pitcher Amber Friend was impressive on the mound, recording 9 strikeouts, giving up only 1 walk, and holding the Titan batters to only 1 hit (9-1-1). Defensively, the Maddogs shut down the Titans batters through the first 4innings with 3 up and 3 down, allowed only 4 batters and 1 run to come to the plate in the 5th inning, and retired the first 3 Titan batters they faced in final 6th inning. The Maddogs offensive charge was led by Lindsay Merriken (2 singles), Christina Warner (1 double), and Kaitlyn Acacki, Kristine Chipman, and Aryn Emsweiler (1 single each). Kristine Chipman and Lindsay Merriken crossed home plate in the top of 4th inning to score the Maddogs game-winning runs.
For the Titans, Natalie Lester put in a great performance on the mound, striking out 9 batters, giving up only 1 walk, and holding the Maddogs to 6 hits (9-1-6). Joanna Morsi hit a high fly single over second base for the Titans only hit off the Maddogs pitcher.
Congratulations to both teams for a close, well-played tournament game. It was a game for the record book, and a game of softball played at its finest!
14U3 Maddogs – Regular Season Make-Up Games
After days of rain and rescheduled games, the Maddogs finally faced the Sliders in a double header make-up game. The Maddogs were victorious in both games by a score of 14-5 and 14-1. In the first game, Kristine Chipman hit a triple, Kayla Bennett hit 2 singles, and Lacie Hurdle contributed with a nice single. In the second game, Christina Warner led the Maddogs batters with 2 hits (1 double and 1 single), and Kayla Bennett hit a solid double.
Thank You to Our Team Reporters
Thank you to the following team reporters who contributed reports for the week of May 19-23:
10U6 Cougars -- Dawn Williamson
12U1 WildFire -- Cheryl Warner
12U3 Lightning Boltz – Eileen Houck
12U3 Maddogs – Sharon Friend
14U3 Maddogs – Cheryl Warner
6/1/2008
FGSA Tournament Game Highlights
During the week of May 24-June 1, the Wildcats emerged victorious as 10U Champions!! In the 12U Age Division, the Warrenton Wildfire and Herricanes won their semi-final playoff games and will face each other in the final Championship game. In the 14U Age Division, the Stealers won their semi-final game and will face the Maddogs for the Championship.
10U Fast Pitch Pigtail Division
10U2 Wildcats – Championship Game
In what proved to be our most exciting game of the year, the Wildcats walked away with a 9-8 win over the Tsunami and the title of 10U Tournament Champions. Great softball was played by both teams and good sportmanship was in abundance. Things were looking bleak for the Wildcats after 3 innings of play when they were down by 6 runs with a score of Tsunami 7, Wildcats 1. Paige Grimes got the party started for the Wildcats in the 4th inning with a homerun! The Wildcats went on to have a 6 run inning with strong hitting by Tess Miller, Haley Minter, and Lauren Folker. Tess Miller was able to keep the Tsunami scoreless in the bottom of the fourth striking out 3 out of 4 batters. Going into the 5th inning, the score was tied 7 to 7. The Wildcats were able to score 2 runs off a great hit by Sharon Blevins and yet another homerun by Paige Grimes! In the bottom of the 5th, Sydney Cahoon made a crucial out by catching a pop fly at first base. With the tie run on third base, and the winning run on second base, Tess Miller struck out the last two batters for the win. Tess Miller pitched an incredible game and struck out 12 batters! This was a great way to end our season with a very fun group of girls and parents. Go Wildcats!
12U Fast Pitch Ponytail Division
12U1 WildFire – Semi-Final Playoff Game
The Warrenton WildFire continued their drive to the Championship game, defeating the Blue Jays by a score of 16-2 in the semi-final playoff game. Michaela Miller put in another strong pitching performance at the mound, striking out 8 of 9 batters and holding the Blue Jays scoreless through the first 3 innings. Lacey Hanback made an outstanding catch on a blistering line drive to 1st base. The WildFire hitting attack was led by the bats of Ashlan Bloodworth, Courtney Clatterbuck and Ashley Gill who each hit a solid double to the outfield. Every member of the WildFire team contributed to the score through stolen bases and heads-up base running. The Warrenton WildFire now have their sight set on the Championship game!
6/12/2008
FGSA Championship Game
Highlights
In the final week of championship games, the Wildcats emerged victorious as 10U Champions, the Warrenton Wildfire took the 12U Age Division Championship, and the underdog Maddogs fought hard to claim the 14U Age Division Championship.
10U Fast Pitch
Pigtail Division
10U2 Wildcats - First Round of Tournament Game
The Wildcats first tournament game against the Royalettes was a close victory. The Wildcats squeaked out the win in a tough, high scoring game; Wildcats 13, Royalettes 11. The Wildcats struggled on defense but made up for it with strong at bats. The runs were driven in by the hitting efforts of Tess, Christie, Sydney, Victoria, Haley, and Nichol. The Wildcats manager, Janet, fashioned a pitching rotation of Paige, Tess, and Sharon which created the right mix.
10U2 Wildcats - Second Round of Tournament Game
The second tournament game against the Cougars ended in another Wildcat win, with a final score of 8-1. The Wildcat's victory over the Cougars was a spectacular team effort. Tess pitched her second game of the year, pitching all 5 innings, striking out 12 batters! Taylor caught an infield pop fly and Christie turned it into a critical double play at first base picking off a Cougar base runner who failed to tag up time. The Wildcats' 6-run inning, thanks to great hits by Jessie, Paige, Sharon, Tess, Victoria, Haley, and
Lauren, sealed the win. We also had smart base running by the entire team. Overall, the Wildcats played an enthusiastic, smart game of softball (and the pink hair didn't hurt).
Tsunami vs. Wildcats – Championship Game
In what proved to be our most exciting game of the year, the Wildcats walked away with a 9-8 win over the Tsunami and the title of 10U Tournament Champions. Great softball was played by both teams and good sportmanship was in abundance. Things were looking bleak for the Wildcats after 3 innings of play when they were down by 6 runs with a score of Tsunami 7, Wildcats 1. Paige Grimes got the party started for the Wildcats in the 4th inning with a homerun! The Wildcats went on to have a 6 run inning with strong hitting by Tess Miller, Haley Minter, and Lauren Folker. Tess Miller was able to keep the Tsunami scoreless in the bottom of the fourth striking out 3 out of 4 batters. Going into the 5th inning, the score was tied 7 to 7. The Wildcats were able to score 2 runs off a great hit by Sharon Blevins and yet another homerun by Paige Grimes! In the bottom of the 5th, Sydney Cahoon made a crucial out by catching a pop fly at first base. With the tie run on third base, and the winning run on second base, Tess Miller struck out the last two batters for the win. Tess Miller pitched an incredible game and struck out 12 batters! This was a great way to end our season with a very fun group of girls and parents. Go Wildcats!
12U Fast Pitch Pigtail Division
Herricanes vs. Warrenton WildFire – Championship Game
The 2nd place Herricanes faced the 1st place Warrenton WildFire in the final Championship game of the 12U Age Division. Both teams were evenly matched and the game remained close throughout all six innings. But in the end the Warrenton WildFire emerged victorious, by a narrow score of 2-1, to claim the 12U Championship.
From the first pitch to the last pitch of the game, the Herricanes came out fighting and battled throughout the entire game. In the top of the 2nd inning, Karlie Harless scored the first and only run for Herricanes when she drew a walk, stole second, then came home on a dropped third strike with the assistance of heads-up base running by Josie Adgate. Later in the game, Krysta Darnel added a nice hit to left field.
The WildFire rallied in the bottom of the 2nd inning to score their first run when Ashlan Bloodworth got on base with a single, stole second and third base, and then scored on a single by Katie “Duckie” Link. The WildFire added a second run in the bottom of the 3rd inning when Ashley Gill got a base hit, stole second base, advanced to third based on sacrifice bunt by Kathleen Warner, and scored on a single by Michaela Miller.
The WildFire made several great defensive plays in the field to hold the Herricanes to a final score of 2-1. Second base Cody Huntington made a beautiful catch on a hard hit line drive up the middle, caught 2 infield fly balls, and covered first base on 2 bunts to secure the outs. First base Lacey Handback caught 2 fly balls and scooped up 2 grounders to make 2 unassisted outs at first base. Catcher Ashley Gill and third base Ashlan Bloodworth worked together to shut down the Herricanes bunting game, pouncing on 4 bunts and making nice throws to first base to make the outs. Short stop Courtney Clatterbuck caught a line drive and Emily Fitzwater deftly handled a fly ball hit to left field to hold the batter to a single.
Both the WildFire and Herricanes played well throughout the entire season and should be proud of their accomplishments as a team. It was a great end to a great season for both teams.
14U Fast Pitch Junior Division
Maddogs vs. Stealers – Championship Game
With only 8 players, the underdog Maddogs team took on the first-place Stealers in the final Championship game of the 14U Age Division. Despite the odds, the Maddogs took the field ready to play with the same gritty determination and unquenchable team spirit that they showed all season.
During their first up at bat, the Maddogs jumped to an early 1-0 over the Stealers when lead-off hitter Kristine Chipman got on a base with a single, quickly stole second, advanced to 3rd on a sacrifice hit by Christina Warner, and came home on a RBI by Lindsay Merriken.
In the third inning the Maddogs scored again when Christina Warner hit a single to get on base, stole second, advanced to third on a sacrifice hit by Lindsay Merriken, and stole home on a daring delayed steal. The Stealers responded in the bottom of the third inning, scoring 1 run off of two singles by Madeline Houck and Kelly Quick. The 3rd inning came to a close with the Maddogs leading the Stealers by a narrow margin of 2-1. The score remained unchanged through the 4th inning.
In the top of the fifth inning, the Maddogs led off with a 2 run rally when Kristine Chipman hit a triple and came home on a RBI by Christina Warner. Lindsay Merriken hit a single to get on base, stole second, and came home on a double hit by Amber Friend. The Stealers rallied in the bottom of the fifth, scoring 2 runs off a triple by Riley Miller and a double by Priscilla Storey. The 5th inning came to a close with the Maddogs maintaining their narrow lead over the Stealers by a score of 4-3.
But in the 6th and final inning, the Maddogs batters put the game out of reach with a spirited 5 run rally. Kaitlin Akacki led off the inning with a clean single and scored on a solid double by Lacie Hurdle. Kristine Chipman hit Lacie Hurdle home with a back-to-back double, and then scored off 2 sacrifice hits by Christina Warner and Lindsey Merriken. With 2 outs, Aryn Emswiler drew a walk and came home on a booming triple by Amber Friend. Before the inning was over, Amber Friend stole home to bring the final score to 9-3.
In the field, the Maddogs continued to make good defensive plays to prevent the Stealers from scoring. Lacie Hurdle, Kayla Bennett and Kaitlin Akacki took turns splitting the daunting job of covering all three outfield positions between only 2 players. When not covering outfield, Kaitlyn Akacki and Kayla Bennett also took turns at second base, and made 3 outs from that position. Short stop Aryn Emswiler threw 2 runners out at first, and Lindsay Merriken continued to make unbelievable stretch plays at 1st base.
Amber Friend gave another outstanding pitching performance at the mound, recording 8 strikeouts, giving up 4 walks, and was backed by the Maddogs defense to hold the Stealers to only 4 hits. For the Stealers, Riley Miller also pitched a great game, fanning 6 Maddogs batters, giving up 3 walks and 1 hit by pitch. But the critical difference was the Maddogs hitters who collectively earned 11 hits, with 6 out of 8 Maddogs batters getting at least one hit off the Stealers.
Congratulations to the Stealers for winning first place in the regular season, and to the Maddogs for capturing the 14U Championship Title. Both teams played well and should be proud of their seasons.
Thank You to Our Team Reporters
Thank you to the following team reporters who contributed reports for the week of May 24-May 31:
10U2 Wildcats – Janet Rathbone
12U1 WildFire – Cheryl Warner
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