BRIEF

RIPTIDE MOVES ON

The Newport Beach 18 and under Riptide softball team is on their way to the American Softball Assn. 18 National Tournament which kicks off on July 29th in College Station, Texas.

The Riptide qualified by going 5-1 and finishing third at the California State Championship Tournament in La Habra last weekend.

“We are pretty excited,” Riptide Coach Barry Grumman said. “This is a major, major tournament.”

Michelle Tolfa, of Corona del Mar High, is a Princeton bound ace pitcher and also a member of the Daily Pilot 2007 Softball Dream Team. Tolfa was a major part of Riptide’s success by pitching three wins, including two shutouts and delivering clutch hitting all weekend.

“She pitched three great games for us in [the state tournament],” Grumman said.

Tolfa is followed by highly touted pitcher Ryan Crowe, a junior pitcher who won the qualifying game.

Grumman sets high goals for his team, and accomplished two main ones this year.

“We set two goals every year,” Grumman said. “Get all my seniors signed [to play in college] and go to ASA Nationals.” “We have 11 signed seniors and the 12 offer I in the mail.”

The tournament, which runs from July 29 through Aug. 5.

It will feature 125 teams all of which are of great quality, Grumman said. The Riptide finished 13th in the country in 2004 and in the top third in 2006. This is the team’s third visit in four years

— Jason Kornfeld