FRIDAY GOLD GAME NOTES

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Break with the past: only 3 West Coast teams among eight in winners bracket

Sorcerer 9, Worth Firecrackers 2

WP Jen Holtz.  Save Jessica Moore  LP Rebecca Patton

The Katy Cruisers did it; the OC Batbusters did it; but this year there will be no repeat champion at Gold.  The 7^th inning opened with the defending champion Firecrackers trailing 6-5, but timely hits and poor ball handling yielded three more runs to the Sorcerer.  The Firecrackers rallied for two runs but Jessica Moore came on in relief and yielded an rbi but stifled the comeback.

The game was scoreless until Sorcerer scored 5 runs in the 3^rd, three off starter Ensley Gammel.  Kostreba was hit by a pitch; White singled and stole 2^nd; Suitos reached on a fielder’s choice, Kostreba out at home.  Allard reached on a fielder’s choice, White scored.  Suitos scored on Decker’s single; two runs scored on Burns’ single; with bases loaded, Moore was hit by a pitch, rbi; Patton, who had relieved Gammel, gave way to Akamine.  After Sorcerer stranded two in the 4^th, the Firecrackers fought back.  Shults hit a home run for the first score; Wilson walked; E Reid doubled; Wilson scored on a passed ball; Reid scored on Acosta’s single.  5-3. Sorcerer scored a run in the 5^th and Gammel returned to the circle.  In the bottom half, after a walk to Hansen and a Koria single; Holtz relieved Williams.  Shults belted a 2-run double. 6-5 Sorcerer.  When the 7^th began, the Firecrackers were a run away from a tie and a renewed chance to defend their title.  But, the Sorcerer scored three runs. Moore singled, stole 2^nd and scored on White’s one-out single.  White advanced on a passed ball and groundout; Allard reached on an error by Gammel, White scoring.  Allard scored on Decker’s single. 9-5. In the bottom half, Arriola singled; Koria flied out; Shults walked and Arriola scored on Wilson’s single. Moore returned to the circle.  Reid hit into a fielder’s choice, forcing Wilson; Kirker singled, driving in pinch runner Skinkis but Gammel grounded out to Moore, ending the comeback and the Firecracker season.

Shamrocks 2, Batbusters 1 (8)

WP Ashlyn Williams  LP Teagan Gerhart

Two former national champions drew a crowd from what was left of Friday’s sparse attendance, and they saw a very good game.  The teams prodded and poked for three innings; the hits were scarce and the one Shamrock effort was  snuffed by a 6-4-3 double play in the 2^nd.  The Batbusters scored in the 4^th.  Starting pitcher Spigner doubled to center; Aguirre in to run.  Harrison singled.  Lastrapes brought in the run with a sac fly.  In the bottom, the Shamrocks got singles from Shaw and Sandberg with one out but stranded both.  Spigner hit another double to left in the 6^th with two out; no score.  The Batbusters had put Gerhart in the circle in the 5^th; in the 6^th, she made a pitch too good and Shaw jacked a mighty home run over left field.  The Batbusters went down in order in the 7^th;  the Shamrocks had two on, thanks to walks by Fryer and Clohan and left both on base.  In the 8^th, with Lane as the ITB runner, Bell grounded to Clohan at 2^nd, who made a good play on the ball; Schroeder lined out to left; and Chavanne bounced back to the mound.  The Shamrocks started with swift Reba Tutt as the ITB runner, who moved to 3^rd on a sac bunt by Heon.  The Batbusters elected to play for the force, and issued walks to sluggers Shaw and Powell.  Sandberg popped up to short, two down.  On a 2-2 count, Fryer launched a single into center for the winning run, ending the Batbuster season and keeping Shamrock hopes alive in the losers bracket.

AZ Hotshots Gatti 3, Atlanta Vipers Vallery 1

WP Dallas Escobedo.  LP Pepper Gay

Escobedo, a 2010 who has committed to ASU, hurled a two hitter.  Dyson singled in the bottom 1^st; advanced to 2^nd on a wild pitch and to 3^rd on a sac bunt and scored the Vipers run on a wild pitch.  The Hotshots, who struggled at the plate, racking only four runs, put together a 3-run rally in the 6^th.  Buchanan singled; Harro was hit by a pitch; both advanced on Boyd’s groundout; DelPonte singled in a run; Haro scored; Lockwood walked; Arevalo walked; with the bases loaded, Caramusso reached on an error, Lockwood scored.