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ABGSL STING 10U GAME NEWS

Martinez Tournament September 19-20 2009

Game 1: ABGSL Sting 2, Benecia Outlaws 5

Robyn Wampler led off a game that started at six in the evening. She singled, sole second, went to third on a lovely bunt by Tatiana Jellinek, and then came in on a shot by Graham Griffin. In the field Bonnie Coulman became maybe the first fielder forced to battle a ferociously setting sun to make a play (successfully) on a ground ball. Derby Gill made two fantastic, jaw-dropping plays at third base--saving runs in both cases- and exhibited the quick release that left opposing runners wondering how their hits had been turned, as if by magic, into outs

With strong fielding behind her, starting pitcher Robyn Wampler held Benecia scoreless for the first two innings. In the top of the 3rd Wampler scored again, on a nifty bunt by Lila Simpson, and the game looked all but over. But it's impossible for any softball team to sustain perfection and in the bottom of the third, and final inning, Sting faltered. A hard fought contest ended in darkness.

Game 2: ABGSL Sting 5, East County Hotshots 16

Before taking the mound Graham Griffin turned to a reporter and said, "walks will kill you." She then went out bravely, and pounded the strike zone, despite facing a lineup of terrifyingly strong hitters. She gave her team a chance, which is all you can ask a pitcher to do. Facing adversity from the start Sting showed great pluck. In the bottom of the first Bonnie Coulman drove in Lila Simpson with a shot to the outfield. In the second inning Raleigh Williams knocked in a run, and Quinn Lewis, making her Sting debut, singled at her first at bat.

As she had done the evening before, Skye Salas controlled the tempo of the game from behind home plate. Over and again EC runners threatened to bolt only to find themselves startled back to their bases by a catcher with a fighting spirit and a rocket arm. The look in their eyes was, unmistakably, fear.

Game 3: ABGSL Sting 2, Vacaville Swat 9

Sting went down quickly in the first inning but rallied in the second, after Skye Salas laid down a drag bunt and beat it out, then basically stole every base there was to steal--until she was driven in by Quinn Lewis. On the mound for the second time in two days Robyn Wampler did a fair impression of a vacuum cleaner--hoovering in every bunt, ground ball and fly ball in a shocking wide radius. Lila Simpson and Graham Griffin drove the ball hard for hits.

Isabel Lavrov made a neat play on a popup, and also threw a runner out at third base. The cheering from the incessant dugout, admirably incessant, reached a deafening crescendo when Adi Saaf came to the plate. ("I get on! You get on! Adi! Adi!") The Swat left with a victory that they will pay for with hearing loss in old age.

The Sting are 0-3 in games but 2-0 in tears: twice now opponents have left the field in sobs, after colliding in one way or another with Sting players. Sting players have not yet wept.

Game 4: ABGSL Sting 0, Benecia Outlaws 7

The Outlaws, always a title contender, obviously learned a lesson from their close brush with death in their first meeting with Sting. Rather than save their surprisingly tall ace for the final they wheeled her out today. Robyn Wampler broke up the no-hitter with a line drive to center in the 4th. Apart from that, Sting bats were silent.

Sting had to celebrate some great play in the field, instead. In the bottom of the second, Bonnie Coulman made a long throw from third base to nail a runner, and then, in the third, caught a tough pop fly. Sting may have lost this battle, but it left its opponents a little bit worried about the next time.