FINAL BOULDER NOTES
Apologize for the delay. I arrived in Surrey BC at midnight Sunday (2 hour delay at the border). My bags with my Boulder notes arrived 10am Tuesday, minus my fancy new baggage tags, and only after I challenged the parentage of every one at United Baggage Services who makes over 50 cents a day. Ridiculously incompetent. There were dozens of bags at Seattle which were supposed to be in Frankfurt. Instead of forwarding Monday via United, the bags were put on Air Canada, sent to Vancouver, then returned to Seattle.
Championship Game
Beverly Bandits 7, GA Elite 1. The Bandits scored 5 runs in the 3rd to secure the championship for pitcher Sarah Olson (Indiana). Kristin Graham pitched 2.1 innings and was charged with four runs. Monica Perry (08) finished the inning and was charged with one run. The game started well for the Elite against the much more senior Bandits. Graham struck out the side in the 1st. The Elite’s Sara Sikes (08) hit a one-out single in the bottom. Ashley Razey (08) reached on an error at 2nd. Nicole Yancey (08) singled for the 1-0 lead. But, that was the last stand for the Elite offense.
Semi-Finals
Beverly Bandits 5, TX Eclipse Gold 3 (9). The Bandits started Sara Olson (Indiana). Eclipse gave the ball to Amanda Crabtree (Oklahoma State). Olson, every bit as much a threat at bat as on the mound, drove in a run with two out in the top of the 1st. Emily Bledsoe (08) singled but was stranded in the bottom, and Olson struck out the side in the 2nd. In the 3rd, Olson drove in another run and scored herself for a 3-0 lead. An Eclipse rally in the 3rd died in the confusion over the infield fly rule which resulted in a double play. However, Eclipse got to Olson in the 4th. Meagan Weldon (Baylor) and Chandler Hall (08) singled, and both advanced on a sac bunt by Shelby Camline (09). Weldon scored on a passed ball, and Hall scored on an rbi single by Mary Tyler Dobson (08). The fourth Eclipse single of the inning prompted Bandits coach Bill Conroy to insert Lauren Delaney, who racked 190 strikeouts and a 19-2 record during her freshman year at Northwestern, limiting Big Ten and other competition to a .172 batting average. Delaney struck out Bledsoe and Brittany Walker (09) ground out. Eclipse gained a tie in the 5th. Amber Anderson beat out an infield hit and ultimately scored on a passed ball. In the 9th, Lynsey Ciezki (DePaul) started on 2nd; Colleen Biebel grounded to short but no play. Megan Lilly (Northwestern) walked with one out to load the bases. Olson was hit by a pitch, forcing in the go-ahead run. Biebel scored the final run.
GA Elite 7, OK Eagles 1. The Elite scored 5 runs in the 1st.
Quarter-Finals
GA Elite 13, CA Strikkers 8
OK Eagles 4, FL Gold 2 Game was once tied 2-all. For the game, Emily Jones (Arkansas) had 2 solo home runs. Katie Norris (Oklahoma) had an rbi. Hillary Bach (ASU) started for the Eagles; Kasha Kolb got the win in relief. Kolb, who is very athletic, has to be one of the better unsigned 2008 pitchers. Florida Gold scored in the 1st on a double by Kendall Dawson (08). Janine Richardson (South Florida) scored the second run.
Beverly Bandits 15, NC Cardinals 2
TX Eclipse 5, CA Choppers 2
Round of 16
Beverly Bandits 7, AA Sports Academy 3
NC Cardinals 1, NC Lady Blues 0
CA Choppers 5, Valley Breeze 2
TX Eclipse 3, Victory USA 0
CA Strikkers 2, CA Batbusters 1. Jessica Ferri started against the Strikkers. The Strikkers scored two runs in the first. Molly Medeiros started the game for the Strikkers and was relieved by Jackie Hill. They kept the Batbusters off balance as they held the Batbusters to one run.
GA Elite 5, Corona Angels Tony 4 Morgan Bullock (09) pitched for Elite. Dana Waldusky (09) pitched for the Angels.
OK Eagles 3, CA Cruisers 2
Florida Gold 9, CA American Athletics 2
OTHER GAMES
Batbusters 6, Explosion 2. Cat Hosfield, recovering from a sprained ankle suffered in the State High school tournament, pitched her second game of the tournament against the CA Explosion. Restricted to pitching only a few innings, she pitched the first three innings of the game against the CA Explosion and was relieved in the fourth by Hannah Williams. The Explosion struck first scoring two runs but the Batbusters quickly tied with a shot to the fence by pinch hitter Shelby Burchall (2008 Tennessee verbal). Aja Paculba homered to score an additional 3 runs to bring the final score to 6 - 2.
Unsafe. Lost track of the number of people hit by foul balls at the three Boulder complexes. Tournament officials said money had been appropriated but the additional screens were not installed. The potential for disaster was underscored when Tommy Sotelo’s 3-year old son was hit in the head. A number of ballparks like Softball City in Surrey BC not only have the high screens, they installed a curved screen on top to keep the ball on the field. Boulder is fast to apologize but that doesn’t cut it. SPY is still receiving therapy for the concussion suffered two years ago. Boulder should start a fund – and every coach would contribute. In the movie Chisum, gunfighter Jess Evans (Richard Jaekel) is manning a barricade when Chisum (John Wayne) stampedes cattle down the street; Evans shouts “to hell with this” and runs. Three foul balls landed near me on Friday at main Stazio and I did a Jess Evans. Survived a lot in my life, but Stazio scares hell out of me.
Batbusters 4, VA Legends 1 The Batbusters started Cat Hosfield again against the VA Legends. The Batbusters scored four runs in the first inning but remained scoreless for the remainder of the game. Cat Hosfield being on restriction, was relieved by Hannah Williams after pitching three innings. The VA Legends threatened several times towards the end of the game but they were limited to one lone run scored in the fourth. Final score 4 - 1.
Correction. In one article, SPY noted how well TX Storm had played at New Jersey. The reference to Storm Dixon was incorrect; the Storm DeMarini was at TNJ and did indeed play well.
Houston Power 9, KC Peppers 2. Brittany Mack (LSU) pitched for Houston. Hollie Pinchback (Illinois) had an rbi double. Alex Hupp (Nebraska) and Jamin Landreth (Johnson County Community College) shared the Peppers mound.
CA Cruisers 5, KC Peppers 4. Absolutely one of the best games at Boulder. The Peppers staked started Eranne Daugharthy (Colorado State) to a 2-0 lead on a 2-run homer by Haley Brown (UIC) off Cruiser 2009 phenom Jenna Rich (who attracted beaucoup college coaches). The Cruisers responded with two tying runs. Vangie Galindo (08) walked; Rich singled. With one out, Christina Zambrana (ASU) hit an rbi single to left, and Justeen Maeeva (08) hit an rbi sac fly. The Peppers threatened two innings later; Laura Vickers (2010) singled; Abby Hughes (Nebraska) sacrificed. The Cruisers missed a possible double play on a line drive to Rich. Molly Garst (08) walked to put runners at the corners. Brown hit a high fly; Zambrana, back to the infield, raced into right and made a highlight catch to end the threat. In the Cruisers turn, Maeeva hit a drive deep to the fence snagged by Carleigh Berry (Iowa State). Brittany Minder (Stanford) singled, and Nikole Afusia (ASU) doubled but the rally died. The Peppers Maria Schweisberger (Missouri) doubled to open the Peppers 5th, went to 3rd and was stranded. In the bottom, Rich singled with one out, Krista Donnenwerth (ASU) doubled in the tie-breaking run. Abby Hughes walked with one out in the Peppers 6th and rode home on Berry’s 2-run homer, putting the Peppers ahead. Ammanda Bush (Cadh) hit a double down the line with one out. Galindo laid down one of those three-foot bunts hitting coaches dream about. Rich fouled off two pitches then singled in a run, to tie the game 4-4. The game went to ITB in the 7th, time having expired. The Peppers couldn’t plate Sarah Espy (09), the ITB runner. Adrena Anderson (Tennessee), the ITB runner for the Cruisers, advanced on a sac bunt by Zambrana, and Maeeva singled in the winning run.
North Carolina Cardinals 1, FL Lady Gators 0. Faith Sutton (North Carolina) pitched for the Cardinals. Jenee Loree (08) pitched for the Gators. Whitney Williams (UNCC) scored the only run.
TX Eclipse 3, Shamrocks 2. Game produced one of the more unusual plays. If you ever watched Eclipse, you know that #’s 11-12-13 can burn you – Emily Bledsoe (08), Meagan Weldon (Baylor) and Mary Tyler Dobson (08). The Shamrocks started well behind lefty Ashlyn Williams (Troy), with Allie Heon (Villanova) who wielded one of the hottest bats at Boulder rapping a single, followed by a walk to Dorian Shaw (Michigan) but no score. Christie Cuadra was out on a hard line drive, but Bledsoe reached on a grounder to short. Amber Anderson (08) stroked a single to right – and Bledsoe took off for 2nd while the throw went to 1st – and just kept on running until she scored. Stunned the Shamrocks. Erin Merrone got one back. Trailing 2-1 in the top of 5th, Carla Powell (08) drove in Shaw to tie 2-2. Amber Anderson (08) drove in Kelsey Goodwin (08) for the winning run. Amanda Crabtree (Oklahoma State) was the winning pitcher.
MORE TO COME