Fastpitch Softball : Local Teams Have Work Cut Out in Final Round
The jockeying for positions is over.
The real games begin today, when the American Fastpitch Assn. International Friendship Tournament enters the championship round.
And talk about unenviable positions. All four of Orange County’s teams will have to beat the odds to continue play in the four-day, 18-and-under tournament at Anaheim’s Maxwell Park.
The local teams also must work through a field of 15 teams, scrambling to continue and to get a shot at the top seeds, the ones that received byes to begin the championship round.
If any of the Orange County teams survive, they eventually will face one of four teams that emerged from flight play as the top seed.
Included among the top finishers is the only team to win all four games in pool play, the Texas Illusions, from Pasadena, Texas. On Saturday, the Illusions recorded a 2-1 victory over the La Crescenta Condors. The Camarillo Breakers also went undefeated, but played only three games.
The Illusions got a clutch sacrifice fly from Shannon Jones, scoring Annette Bourque in the bottom of the seventh for the victory. They also defeated the Arizona Westerners, 1-0, Saturday.
The Santa Ana Cardinals had a chance to win their flight, but couldn’t hold a 3-0 lead against the Sylmar Las Diablas, and eventually lost, 4-3.
Earlier Saturday, the Cardinals defeated the Texas Silver Streaks, 5-4.
“It doesn’t matter (who we play),” Santa Ana coach Mike Rouston said. “We’re here to play softball. We’ll play anybody.
“We’ve got to win the first one though.”
Today at 1:15 p.m., Santa Ana will play the Condors, who finished second in their flight.
The Cardinals will have to do it without pitcher Rachel Veloz. Veloz, who earned a victory Friday but became ill overnight, was taken to the hospital and advised not to play the rest of the tournament.
The Laguna Hills Blasters also had the opportunity to win their flight going into their final game Saturday. But a 2-1 defeat to the Downey Vikings evened the Blasters’ pool play record at 2-2. Downey won the pool with a 3-1 record.
The Anaheim Wolverines, after winning just one game in two days, will play the Wildfire today at 9:45 a.m. Saturday, the Wolverines defeated the Texas Cobras, 4-2, but were defeated by the Breakers, 4-1.
The Westminster Marauders split two games Saturday to finish pool play with just one victory. They defeated the Lightning, 2-0, but were defeated by the Westerners, 2-1. Westminster will play the Phoenix Falcons today at 9:45 a.m.