Breakers, Crush earn tourney titles

The HB Crush, a 12-and-Under Silver All-Star team from South Huntington Beach Girls Softball, won its second straight tournament by capturing the Placentia/Yorba Linda All-Star Tournament in Yorba Linda last weekend.

Poise was what helped guide the Crush ? coached by Butch Fleck, Dwain Pautsch and Craig Bradford ? to the title, which came a week after the team rolled to the championship at the Oceanside Riptide Tournament.

The Crush had to come from behind to win three of their five games. They lost their first game to Chino Hills, 12-3, but bounced back to edge Mission Viejo, 4-3. In their next two outings, they rallied from two-run deficits to knock off Murrieta Valley and Canyon Hills.

In the championship game ? a rematch against a Chino Hills team it had lost to by nine runs in its first tournament outing ? the Crush came up with six runs in the seventh inning to wipe out another two-run deficit to claim the title with a 12-8 victory.

Casey Africano and Lauren Deats led a Crush offense that also received contributions from Carly Bradford, Jordan Herman, Maddie Moore and Jessica Plaza. Shannon Nye pitched all five games and was backed up by strong defensive play from Brenda Bott, Autumn Davis, Morgan Pautsch, Carissa Sherman and Sarah Wood.

In previous tournament action, the Crush cruised to the division championship at the Oceanside Riptide All-Star Tournament May 21. In five games, they outscored their opponents, 55-10.

The Crush began the tournament with a 2-2 tie against Carlsbad and ended the tournament against Carlsbad in the final, which they won, 12-4.