The 18U Shamrocks are off to an impressive 10-1-1 start this season but if you asked head coach Tommy Orndorff, now in his 30th anniversary season with the organization, about his best starting lineup – chances are he would be lost for words. That is for two reasons – first, the 2002 roster contains perhaps the most talent since the ’95 team (76-5) that finished 4th at ASA Nationals and second, due to several of his players leading their respective high school teams deep into postseason play, Orndorff has rarely had his full compliment of personnel on hand so far. But nevertheless, the Shamrocks have claimed the big prize in their first two tournaments and seem to be playing better than recent teams have at this point in the season.

      In the opening BRYC Early Bird Pony Qualifier tournament on June 1-2, the Shamrocks went 5-0-1 as they outscored their opponents 32-1 including a 4-0 championship win over the Fredrick Heartbreakers. Caitlin Murphy (Madison) led the offense as she went 11 for 19 (.579); Keri Lounge (Spalding) and Brooke Sorber (Mount Vernon) were nearly as impressive batting .533 and .500 respectively. All Met Courtney Bures (Stonewall Jackson) led the power department as she batted .385 with a triple and hit a home run in the championship game. And All Met P Christy Anch (Broad Run) dominated from the circle as she went 3-0 with 31 strikeouts in 19 innings, did not allow a run or a walk and pitched a “perfect game” in the championship game with 11 strikeouts.

      Last weekend, June 8-9, the “Rocks” won the June Jamboree in Glen Burnie, MD with a 5-1 record and again defeated the Heartbreakers in the championship, this time 2-1. The offense was again led by Caitlin Murphy (Madison) as she batted .571 followed by Christy Anch (Broad Run) at .444. Courtney Bures (Stonewall Jackson), Dani Woods (McDonough) and Annie Dell’Aria (Notre Dame University) all batted .300 or better. Christine Sheridan (Spalding) and Dani Woods had two home runs apiece with Woods’ second providing a big exclamation point on the weekend as she launched a walk-off solo shot in the bottom of the 7th inning of the championship game to give the Shamrocks the 2-1 win and the tournament title. Due to high school play-offs, Brittany Detwiler (Souderton-PA) was called upon for extra duty from the circle and responded nicely as she went 3-1 with a 0.84 ERA and 22 strikeouts. Christy Anch (Broad Run) returned in time to pitch the championship game where, after allowing a run on two hits in the first inning, she retired 20 of the next 21 batters as she struck out 13 and picked up the 2-1 come from behind victory.

      It gets tougher this weekend when the Shamrocks travel to Yardley, PA to defend their Pennsbury Invitational Tournament title versus some 80 teams from across the country and Canada. The Shamrocks open on Friday night at 6pm vs. the Tampa Mustangs out of Florida. Next weekend the team travels to Indianapolis for an 18U Gold ASA National Qualifier where they will again face some of the top competition in the country.