RISING STARS GAME NOTES
SPY could not see more than a fraction of the more than 200 teams playing at five sites. Rather than concentrate exclusively on the stronger teams, SPY focused on games involving teams he had not seen at earlier fall tournaments. BTW, the Sunday schedule was not played; the sun was shining brightly when we left Ft Lauderdale but the fields were soaked Saturday night. Remember: Saturday games were shortened to 1:15.
WA Lake Breeze 3, New Jersey Pride 0
The Pride didn’t support pitcher Melissa Rand with much offense, but their defense has some standouts. The diving catch in right field by 09 Jen Keller was of the highlight reel variety . Nikki Osofsky (who let me know she is Polish, not Russian) made sharp throws at short to down batters at 1st. But, they Pride hitters couldn’t solve Cory Mattson’s curve; Cory is one of the better 08 pitchers who should be a mid-level D1 recruit. Cory’s single to center in the top of the 2nd started the scoring; pinch runner Jessica Tanigawa scoring on a passed ball. With Amanda Stacevicz on the Pride mound, in the 3rd, Alexandra Hudson 09 tripled and scored on a bunt by Jordan Birch. Tanigawa reached in the 4th on an error at 1st; pinch runner Birch scored on a sac fly.
NY Proswing Pride 3, TN Fury Fastpitch 3
The New Yorkers did not have a roster in the coaches’ book. Their #7 jacked a 3-run homer off Fury’s starting pitcher, 08 Kelly Troglin. After that, the excitement was in the other dugout. Shelly Burchell (who had homered in Fury’s first game) jacked one homer with two out, then a 2-run blast to tie the game. Burchell is committed to Tennessee.
The attraction for the SEC coaches in the stands was a 15 year old pitcher (15 in July) from Scottsboro, Alabama. Hilary Mavromat (2010) is one of those “unpolished gems” who emerge from time to time, and you know you will be seeing her come up through the ranks, as she polishes a screw, rise, drop, change and promising curve. Her fielders helped her out of the one tough situation with a play at home and another at 3rd. Hilary, a 4.0 student, will play 16U for the Fury this coming weekend at a regional tournament in Murfreesboro, TN. Hilary has just started being tutored by Ernie Parker, Rick and Sarah Pauly. SPY encouraged her in her decision against an early verbal. Still, you can predict who will be in the stands on Saturday; could hold an SEC convention.
Shamrocks 1, Gold Coast Hurricanes 0
An end of the night squeaker between two of the top Gold powers in Rising Stars. Kara Clauss 08 matched up with Caitlyn de la Haba (Villanova). Both were stingy with hits In the penultimate inning before time expired, Michelle Clohan (James Madison) reached on an error at 1st, fleet-footed Hayley Grabner in to run. After an out, Krystyn Sandberg (Georgia) reached on a dropped third strike, Erin Leddy in to run. Jessica Thomas’ sac fly decided the game. (The Shamrock’s next game was to be the last of the night, but the heavens opened, and it rained like an East Texas steer peeing on a flat rock.)
Davie Power-Black -3 Arizona Storm-2
3 Run walk -off home run Kristen Froelich; all other games washed out.
Arizona Outlaws 3, Wichita Mustangs 2
Two 08 pitchers – Breanna Beckel and Audrey Workman – pitched for the Outlaws, against Katie Armagost.
Rhode Island Thunder 3, Team New Jersey 2
Erin Wade (Hofstra) took the mound against Kaley Coonce (2010). Thunder took a first inning, 2-0 lead on a two-rbi single by Amy Leal (09). In their second at-bat, TNJ got a one-out walk by Coonce, and a two-out single by Caitlin Schultze. Stephanie Speierman reached on a pitcher’s error (rbi) and Koutney Salvarola (2010) drove in the tying run. Jayme Mask walked and advanced on a passed ball before scoring on an rbi by Kyllie Magill. (Why is that handouts during the tournament have different numbers than coaches provide for the tournament book, ala Leal).
Spokane Sliders 2, Intimidators 0
Bartow started with Courtney Putnam (09), finished with Tiffany Rowlette (2010) and Lindsey Martin, a 2010 with an impressive curve. The Sliders started with Samantha Skillingstad (Oregon) and finished with Randi Parks (08). Jennifer Rambo (2010), as dangerous as her name, drove in the first run to start the game, and, three innings later, drove in China Frost with the final run. We continue to like the work of Ali Warren at 3rd,an 09 whose hitting has improved since the summer.
Team New Jersey 1, Wichita Mustangs 0
Stephanie Speierman (Michigan) outdueled Nikki Armagost (09) – but the Mustangs had the bases loaded when time expired. A potential home run by TNJ’s Lauren Gibson was caught as it cleared the fence. Rising Stars uses a restricted flight ball – a Dudley.
Jersey Intensity Gold 1, TX Magic 0
Come the spring, the focus in Gold will be on such establishment champions as the Firecrackers, Batbusters, Shamrocks, Cruisers, etc. but there are some good teams flying just under the radar whom SPY thinks will be in the hunt. WA Bulldogs is one, Jersey Intensity is another. Intensity went undefeated at Rising Stars and at Surf City. Intensity used three pitchers: Deanne Algeo (08), Kristen Dolan (08) and Cara Stecher 09. Magic countered with Courtney Repka 09 and Nicole Gremillion 2010. Kasey O’Connor (Notre Dame) scored the only run on an rbi by Melissa Mancuso 09. Magic loaded the bases but didn’t score. Intensity will be even stronger in the summer when Brittany O’Donnell (Notre Dame) returns from TNJ.
Intensity Gold
Rising Stars Scores
Intensity Gold 1-0 Texas Magic Gold
Intensity Gold 5-0 Broward C.C.
Intensity Gold 6-0 Surge
Intensity Gold 2-1 Diamonds
Surf
City Scores
Intensity Gold 7-0
Intensity Gold 8 Sting 0:
Intensity Gold 3 Wa. Bulldogs 0:
Intensity Gold 3 American A’s 2:
Intensity Gold 6 Cal Dynasty 4:
Intensity Gold 3 Cal Rage 1
Intensity Gold 8 Wa Hurricanes 6:
Intensity Gold 9 Ca Chaos 0:
Colorado Stars 6, Virginia Legends 0
Giana Zimmerman 2008 (no commitment) pitched a no hitter and hit a 3 run home run.
Colorado Stars 10, South Carolina Bandits 3
Colorado Stars 0, Pennsbury Gems 0 after 2 innings; rainout
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