Where the Little League Spirit Meets the Rockies!

By The Montana Standard Staff - 08/15/2009

ROXANA, Del. — Jill Tanaka pitched a two-hitter and her teammates scored twice on Butte throwing errors as Makati City of The Philippines won 2-0 Friday evening in the fifth-place game at the Senior Little League Fastpitch Softball World Series.

The game was played at the Connie Mack Field in the Lower Sussex County Little League Complex.

Singles by Hattie Thatcher and Kelcie Boltz were the only hits allowed by Tanaka. Butte had just three baserunners in the game as Boltz also reached on an error.

Butte pitcher Micaul McClafferty nearly matched Tanaka's performance as she faced no more than five batters in any inning, and only that many twice. Both times, Makati City, champion of Asia Pacific scored.

"We didn't hit the ball, that's for sure," Butte assistant coach Tim Bosch said. "We played pretty good defense. We made some nice catches and plays, but the overthrows killed us. It was disappointing, too, that we didn't hit the ball." Still, it was the best showing in a Little League baseball or softball season ever by a Montana team. The Butte All-Stars wound up sixth in the world, going 2-3 in the World Series after qualifying as champions of the West Regional.

"Just two unearned runs (was the difference)," Bosch said about coming close to the win on Friday.

The World Series championship game is set for 9 a.m. (MST) on Saturday and will pit host Laurel, Del., against Southwest Regional champion Calhoun, La. Laurel defeated defending champion Maunabo, Puerto Rico, on Friday, and Calhoun advanced with a semifinal-round win over South Bend, Ind.

The Butte girls will be at the ballpark for the championship game and will take part in the closing ceremonies, Bosch said. The title game is slated to be televised nationally by ESPN2.

The Butte All-Stars will travel to Philadelphia after the closing ceremonies and will spend the night there before flying back to Montana on Sunday. They are to land in Missoula on Sunday afternoon and then arrive in Butte by car caravan. A public reception for the Butte All-Stars is planned for 6 p.m. on Tuesday at Scown Field on Caledonia Street, Little League official Keith Miller of Butte said.

"It's no rest for the wicked," Bosch said with a chuckle. "These girls have to report to volleyball practice on Monday morning." Bosch said he thought the Butte girls showed fatigue after a summer of playing Little League and Amateur Softball Association competitions.

"It's been quite an experience," he said of the journey to Delaware. "I've never been to the East Coast before. The people in Delaware are pretty friendly. It's kind of a rural area where they hold this.

"The girls got to go to the beach and go shopping at outlet stores. They keep them pretty busy here. I think they've had a good time." The Butte All-Stars accomplished their run to the World Series even after losing pitching ace Jaimee Paffhausen to a knee injury earlier this summer. She suffered the ACL tear at a basketball camp.

McClafferty stepped in as the No. 1 pitcher and was backed by Jordan Richards and Jaci Hanley. Richards and Hanley also played in the outfield. McClafferty and Boltz saw duty at first base, Hattie Thatcher at second base, Alex Thatcher at third base, Calley Bosch at shortstop, and Maria Robinson, Boltz, Hanley, Kelsey Alley and Richards all put in time in the outfield.

Tim Bosch said "some really nice catches were made by Butte outfielders on Friday" and that Calley Bosch came up with a superb play at shortstop.

"It was pretty good ride," he agreed. "I think we did more than expected after we lost Jaimee. The kids did a really good job of playing without her in there." No stats or other details from the Butte-Makati City game Friday were available at presstime.