Fear the clover: Shamrocks win 12U PONY title -- again
By Brendan McEvoy
(Appeared in the Loudoun Times-Mirror 07/29/2003)
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The Shamrocks navigated through stiff competition, and with solid pitching and relentless hitting, the Shamrocks racked up a 10-0 record including a 6-0 championship victory over the Pittsburgh Power Red on Saturday at Claude Moore Park. For the last eight years, Loudoun County has hosted the 10-, 12- and 14-and-under PONY National Softball Championships. The tournaments have become as synonymous with this area as the Little League World Series is with Williamsport, Penn. But related almost as closely has been the dominance of the Shamrocks organization, which has won either the 12-and-under or 14-and-under PONY National Championship in the last two years and a 14-and-under title every year from 1996 through '98.Last summer, four teams from Loudoun County made it to the finals; the Shamrocks won the 12-and-under title and placed second in the 14-and-under group. When the injury-riddled 14-and-under Shamrocks bowed out of the competition Friday, the pressure was squarely on the shoulders of the 12-and-under team to carry on the tradition. The Shamrocks passed their most difficult test with a 2-1 victory in the semifinals – a game understood as the real championship -- against the Ashburn Shooting Stars. Either team could have handled the opponent in the finals. The Ashburn Shooting Stars were the only team in the tournament that could match the Shamrocks' power in both the hitting and pitching departments. The Shooting Stars had won all nine tournaments they played in this year. Their ace pitcher, Caitlyn Delahaba, was undefeated this season, and she dominated her opponents this week, allowing no runs before the semifinals. With two evenly matched teams, it is fair to say that the most important play could have been the coin toss before the game that gave the Shamrocks the chance to draw first blood. They were the visitors, and Michelle Clohan's RBI-triple scored Kelsey Green before the Shooting Stars could record an out. Two batters into the game, and the pressure was off the Shamrocks. "It was a lot easier to hit after that," Thomas said. "It just made the game more fun." The Shooting Stars came back in the fourth when Delahaba's sacrifice fly scored Dee Dee Fryer to tie the game. But the Shamrocks immediately answered by scoring in the top of the fifth on Jessica Thomas' RBI-single that scored Stephanie Fredrigo. Twice the Shooting Stars left runners in scoring position with their most dangerous hitter, Fryer (2 for 3 with a triple), waiting on deck. Shamrocks pitcher Brittney Black pitched out of jams in the fifth and sixth innings, both times with a runner on third and one out. And still, Shamrocks coach John Clohan left the game in her hands in the seventh. "She showed me before she could get out of it," Clohan said. "And she did." With another national championship, that spectacular green and white uniform continues to carry the weight of Yankee pinstripes when it comes to East Coast softball. What is it about that uniform? "You feel like you're one of the best," said Shamrocks second baseman Michelle Clohan. "You get more respect. People are always watching us play, and we're a target for every tournament. It's not that we know we're gonna win, but we just believe in each other so much." "You know you must be good if you're chosen to be one of the Shamrocks," said pitcher Brittney Black. This week's highlights: In the 10-and-under age group, the Ashburn Shooting Stars returned to the championship game for the third time in three years. They defeated the Fairfax Blue Jays 10-4 in the semifinals, but lost in the championship to the Tampa Mustangs, 4-0. In the semifinals, pitcher Kate Fowler struck out 10 batters and, at the plate, was 2 for 3 with four runs batted in. Brittany Clendenny, Karlie Johnson, Sarah Danner, Miranda Kemp and Toni MacReynolds all chipped in with two hits each. "This group has become a true team of sisters," said Shooting Stars coach Bobby Kemp. "They worked hard and it paid off. They challenged themselves every time they stepped onto a field." Kemp said his team's best game was a 7-0 victory against the Jersey Witches. Nearly everyone contributed, especially on the defensive side. The Shooting Stars were 9-1 in the tournament, including two victories against defending U-10 champs South Jersey Sting. The 14-and-under Amherst Lightning (N.Y.) were the tournament's Cinderella story. As a team comprised of players from one town – not a countywide or region-wide team like many in the PONY Nationals – it managed to eliminate the Shamrocks by beating them twice in less than six hours. The fluid delivery of Lightning pitcher Chelsea Plimpton baffled the Shamrocks hitters for 14 innings, allowing only seven hits. The Lightning outgrew the glass slipper in the next 24 hours and were eliminated in the first round of medal play. The Vienna Starz won the 14-and-under age group with a 6-0 win over the Maryland Tornadoes. The Shamrocks are playing in the ASA Nationals in Illinois this week without two of its key players: catcher Kelly Haller who separated her shoulder sliding into second base Saturday and Carolyn Jones who broke her leg on Thursday. Fire and Ice pitcher Courtney Steele led her team to a 4-1 victory over the Central Jersey Black Magic to force a rematch for a spot in medal play. Steele struck out seven batters in seven innings of work. Sarah Fedak was 2 for 3 with a run scored and two runs batted in. In the second inning, Neta Thomas stole home when the catcher threw the ball back to the pitcher. The return throw beat her, but Thomas' slide jarred the ball loose. Shamrocks' 12-and-under pitcher Jessica Thomas pitched a masterful championship game, going seven innings, striking out seven and allowing only four hits. PONY National Champions The 12-U Shamrocks roster: Brittany Beam Brittany Black Christina Bumpus Colleen Carty Michelle Clohan Tessie Evans Stephanie Fedrigo Kelsey Green Kelly Miller Seana Sullivan Jessica Thomas The championship path: Shamrocks 1, Stratford (Conn.) Breakers, 0 Shamrocks 16, Long Island Chargers 0 Shamrocks 7, Rampage (N.J.) 0 Shamrocks 6, Fairfax Firebirds 1 Shamrocks 1, Delaware Storm 0 Shamrocks 7, Delaware Storm 4 Shamrocks 6, Lower Perkiomen (Penn.) X-treme 2 Shamrocks 7, Sterling Fire and Ice 3 Shamrocks 2, Ashburn Shooting Stars 1 Shamrocks 6, Pittsburgh Power Red 0 How local teams fared 14-and-under Fire and Ice t-17th Shamrocks t-17th Shooting Stars t-65th Baseliners White t-81st Baseliners Blue t-113th 12-and-under Shamrocks 1st Shooting Stars Gold t-3rd Sterling Fire and Ice t-5th Shooting Stars White t-9th Loudoun Storm t-65th Baseliners t-113th Sterling Spirit t-113th 10-and-under Shooting Stars 2nd Baseliners t-5th Sterling Spirit t-33rd |
