GOLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Sunday, August 14, 2005
This report will be updated after each game.
SHAMROCKS 1, HOTSHOTS 0
Ace to ace, Hotshot Katie Cotta, considered by many to be the best pitcher in the tournament, versus sought-after Shamrock senior Megan Elliott – Shamrock power against pitching finesse.
The Shamrocks drew first blood; in the top of the 3rd, Reba Tutt reached on an error by Kelsey Starr at 3rd. With two out, Maddy Coon doubled inside the left field foul line, scoring Tutt. Through three, the Hotshots had 3 hits, the Shamrocks 2 hits, and Cotta had 6 Ks.
Cotta issued her second and third walks in the 4th but shut off the rally with her ninth K. The Hotshots went down in order, twice on strikes. The 5th saw Dani Gonzales collect the fourth Hotshot hit but the rally died on a K, Elliott’s fourth.
Cotta struck out the side in the 6th. Casey Goldsand walked and Starr singled to center, the ball dropping in front of Tutt. Shortstop Courtney Bures bobbled Stephanie Ewing’s grounder but made the throw to 1st for the second out, both runners advancing. Jaci Hull worked the count to 3-2, and looked at a third strike, Elliott’s 6th K.
Samantha Card became Cotta’s 13th victim, on a 3-2 count. Jessica Everhart = #14. Tutt was #15; Cotta had struck out the side for the second time in two innings.
In the bottom of the 7th, Caylyn Carlson popped to Coon at 3rd. Gonzales ground out to Card at 2nd, who dropped to her knees but made the throw. Casey Willow popped to short.
For the second time in three years, the Shamrocks advanced to the Championship game. They will play the winner of the game between the Hotshots and the winner of the Batbuster-Impact game.
Elliott gave up 5 hits, with 6 Ks, one walk. Cotta pitched a 2-hitter, with 15 Ks, and no Shamrock reached base after the two walks in the 4th.
OC BATBUSTERS 2, TX IMPACT GOLD 0
Kimmy Wong pitched the shutout; Megan Gibson took the loss. Haley Gilleland and Nicole Kajitani scored. Danielle Kinley had an rbi.
The Batbusters now play the Hotshots for the opportunity to meet the Shamrocks in the title game. Should the Batbusters defeat the Hotshots, that would set up a rematch of the finals in Salem two years ago, when the Shamrocks emerged from the loser’s bracket only to fall in the final to the Batbusters – who now must come out of the losers bracket and defeat the Shamrocks twice to win.
HOTSHOTS 3, BATBUSTERS 1
Katie Cotta, who defeated the Batbusters 2-1 on Saturday, returned to the mound for the Hotshots, facing Batbuster Mandy Pongs.
The first two innings belonged to the pitchers, each having two Ks. In the top of the 3rd, Brittany LaStrapes reached on a throwing error by Kelsey Starr at 3rd, and advanced on a hard-hit single to right by Katie Schroeder. Danielle Kinley struck out, but the ball went astray and LaStrapes scored on the error. Casey Willow aroused the Hotshot faithful with a sinking liner into right field – but Danielle Kinley raced over and dived under the ball for the out. The Hotshots had gone down in order for three innings.
Francesca Enea led the 4th with a walk, but the next three Batbusters went down, two on strikes (Cotta 6). With one out, Casey Goldsand walked – the first Hotshot baserunner. Kelsey Starr doubled Goldsand home, aided by a fielding bobble which allowed Starr to reach 3rd. Stephanie Ewing, who has had trouble stretching solid knocks into singles on her surgically repaired knee, followed the old maxim – hit it far enough and you don’t have to run – swatted the first pitch over the left center fence for a 3-1 lead.
Katie Schroeder walked with one out in the 5th (Cotta’s third pass). Cotta struck out two and Danielle Kinley went down. Shannon Thomas pinch hit for Pongs (K), heralding a pitching change. Batbuster ace Amanda Williams took the mound. Williams struck out the first two batters she faced. Ashley Hansen drove a ball deep to center; Schroeder made the catch which carried her over the fence.
Michelle Smith started the 6th with a single which skipped past the bag at 3rd. Danielle Maricle came in to run. Nicole Kajitani lofted a deep fly to left which Willow slid under for the out. Maricle was thrown out by Hansen attempting to steal 2nd. Jessica Mapes beat out an infield hit to 2nd. Goldsand struck out. Mapes stole 2nd. Starr struck out. Ewing went deep again but this time Schroeder was playing over and pulled down the drive.
Starting the Batbuster 7th, her team trailing 3-1, Haley Gilleland looked at a third strike. Tiffany Huff was out, 1-3. LaStrapes hit a drive into left. Schroeder hit a fly ball to center, ending the game.
The Batbusters, champions in 2002 and 2003, and fourth in 2004, finished third.
Cotta gave up three hits, striking out 10. The Hotshots had three hits. Pongs had 3 Ks and Williams 4.
The Hotshots would now get a rematch with the Shamrocks, whom they must defeat twice for the title.
SHAMROCKS 3, HOTSHOTS 1
The Shamrocks-Hotshots contest is the first-ever Gold championship game which did not involve a California team. Second in 2003, the Shamrocks are the only East Coast team to reach the Gold finals.One of the larger crowds in finals memory flowed over into outfield bleachers brought in for Sunday’s games.
Both teams started their #2 pitchers – Jenny Clohan for the Shamrocks, Kim Reeder for the Hotshots. Clohan was quite effective in her previous Gold Nationals appearance.
Kelsey Starr singled at the top of the 1st, but was thrown out stealing, catcher Sarah Himan to Courtney Bures at short. Bures led off with a single to short, advanced on a groundout by Maddy Coon, and scored on a passed ball (a problem for the Hotshots in both Sunday games)..
With one out in the 2nd, Jaci Hull beat out a grounder to short, but was stranded. In the Shamrock half, Jessica Everhart hit a two-out single to right. Sarah Himan walked. Both advanced on a wild pitch. Reba Tutt ground out to 2nd.
Casey Willow opened the 3rd with a single into right field, and was stranded. Bues bounced a ball through shortstop Caylyn Carlson’s legs, and stole 2nd. Maddy Coon doubled to center, scoring Bures. Dani Woods worked a 3-2 count, then stroked a single to left. Arizona put Katie Cotta on the mound. Maddy Coon scored on a passed ball. Dorian Shaw walked. Samantha Card became Cotta’s first K. Everhart became her second. The Shamrocks led 3-0.
The Hotshots got their fourth hit when Hull singled sharply to center with two out in the 4th. Carlson hit a single deep to the hole. Dani Gonzales ground out to 2nd. Bures bunted for a hit but could not advance.
With two out in the 5th, Jessica Mapes singled deep to short. Second baseman Card had an instant of difficulty with a ground ball hit by Goldsand but recovered for the out. The Shamrocks went down in order.
The Hotshots tallied a run in the 6th. Hull doubled to left over the shortstop. Carlson singled to center, the ball caroming off Gardner’s glove, Hull scoring. Gonzales followed with a single deep to short. The Shamrocks brought in ace Megan Elliott to hold the 3-1 lead. With two on, Willow ground out to 1st.
Cotta struck out the side (7 for 3.5 innings).
The 7th was make or break for the Hotshots. And they let Katie Cotta bat. She ground out to Elliott. Mapes ground out. Goldsand flew out to short.
The “Elite of the East” as they proclaim on the parents’ shirts, the Shamrocks were Gold National Champions.
Correction
Gold Coast Hurricanes 1, IN Magic 0. Rising 9th grader Sam Soltis drove in pinch runner Kori Rivera after a single by Tiffany Defelice.