 |
Admin
LLB Datacenter
Last updated
12-28-09 04:23 PM
 
Palmdale Little League
(661) 285-2166
P.O. Box 900732
55th Street East & Avenue R-4
Palmdale, California
93590
|
|
|
|
Wednesday, August 17
2005 World Series Big League Softball - One to spare
One to spare Now 3-0, District 51 will advance from pool play at the World Series
This story appeared in the Antelope Valley Press on Wednesday, August 17, 2005.
BY STEVE UNGREY Special to the Valley Press
KALAMAZOO, Mich. - A single tall tree sits on the east side of Vanderberg Park, the host site of the Big League Softball World Series. Teams that play in the World Series often sit underneath this tree after games and talk about things that went right and wrong. The Antelope Valley's District 51 team hasn't had a chance to analyze what's gone wrong yet. So far, the postgame analysis has been short, sweet and successful. Antelope Valley won its third game of the tournament on Tuesday, topping the Philippines 7-1 and improving to 3-0 in pool play. The team previously knocked off the Netherlands (6-1) and Michigan District 2 (3-2). Antelope Valley, which has one more pool game remaining today, has locked up a spot in Thursday's championship bracket. It is the first time in three years an Antelope Valley team has been in contention following the pool round. "We had a really good hitting game," Antelope Valley manager Scott Rutledge said. "This was a pivotal game for us and we knew it. The worst we could do was finish pool play with a 3-1 record if we won here, and the girls' bats were hot-hitting all throughout the game." The scoring was done quickly, as Antelope Valley put a run on the board in the first inning and then unlocked the vault with six runs in the second. "Once we got a few hits going, we were pretty hard to stop," pitcher Ashley Thomas said. "We knew the Philippines had just had a pretty tough game with West Virginia and we were watching." The Philippines had to complete a game with Charleston, W.V., a game suspended due to darkness Monday night with the teams tied 0-0. The Philippines eventually won, 2-1, in 12 innings, but they used ace pitcher Cloieye Muyco in the process and Muyco could not pitch against Antelope Valley. "The girls hit the ball really well and had tons of contact," Rutledge said. Thomas tossed a three-hitter for Antelope Valley, allowing all singles, while her teammates backed up on offense with 11 hits. Katie Cornelison singled in the first inning and later came home on a base hit by Thomas. In the second inning, Antelope Valley put six hits on the board, the key blast coming off a three-run double by Kelsie Blankemeyer. Cornelison, Brooke Stix and Nikki Cordova each had two hits. With three quick wins under its belt, Antelope Valley is not content to settle down and relax. The team can't relax, not when momentum is on its side and the first appearance in bracket play since 2002 is on the horizon. "We're confident," Blankemeyer said. "We're hitting the ball well and playing strong defense, and our pitching has been solid so far. "I think we're operating on a higher level of intensity now. We know we have a spot in bracket play locked up, but we don't want to let up now." The final pool game is today at 10 a.m. (PST) against West Virginia, which has been battling teams throughout the tournament. West Virginia upended Michigan District 2, one of the perennial tournament contenders, 1-0 on Tuesday. After that, Antelope Valley has either a 12:30 p.m. or 3 p.m. bracket game on Thursday, but Rutledge isn't talking about that yet. He won't until he holds one more meeting under the lone tree. Rutledge hopes the meeting occurs with a perfect 4-0 pool record. "The girls are playing up to their potential and they're finally coming together," Rutledge said.
|
|
