The Deerfield Beach Sharks

Nine games in two days.  That’s a lot of softball!  If you don’t think softball is a physically taxing sport, you missed the rollercoaster

ride that the Sharks gave their parents this past weekend.  The Deerfield Beach Sharks concluded the Fall 2011 Season with a third place finish in the Frosty the Snowman Classic (i.e. that’s my new name for the Snowball Classic).  The Sharks earned a respectable 7 win and 2 loss record over the weekend.

The Final Standings

1. Gold Coast Hurricanes 12U
2. Miami Stingrays
3. Deerfield Beach Sharks
4. West Pines Diamond Dusters 2000
5. Sugar Rush
6. Miami Lady Pirates
7. Coral Springs Panthers (Jaffy)
8. West Boynton Lady Bandits
9. West Pines Diamond Dusters 99
10. Wellington Wild 12U Blue
11. Pines Thunder 12b
12. Miami Stingray 12 John
13. Jupiter Seahawks 12Ub Dave K
14. Miami Stingrays Scott
15. West Boca Diamonds
16. Driftwood Diamond Backs
17. Coconut Creek

The Box Score

• Sharks over Lady Bandits 6-1 (seeding)
• Sharks over Driftwood Diamonbacks 15-2 (seeding)
• Sharks over West Boca Diamonds 12-0 (seeding)
• Sharks over Miami Stingrays [John] 3-2 (elimination)
• Miami Stingrays over Sharks 16-0 (elimination)
• Sharks over Miami Lady Pirates 4-3 (elimination)
• Sharks over West Pines Diamond Dusters 2000 10-2 (elimination)
• GC Hurricanes over Sharks 9-5 (Sharks eliminated from tourney)

 

Day 1 Seeding Plus One Elimination Game
Can you believe it? We played the Lady Bandits, AGAIN, for the 386th time in the first seeding game and squeaked by with a 6-1 victory.  I’m not even sure what to write about Sharks v Bandits.  It feels like groundhog day over and over and over.  The second and third seeding games weren’t as close as the Bandits game because the Sharks thoroughly dominated the Driftwood Diamondbacks and the West Boca Diamonds 15-2 and 12-0, respectively.  About the only interesting thing in these two games was the action in the dugout as the 99 Duster girls came by to say hi and cheer the Sharks during the game versus the West Boca Diamonds; Gianna, Brianna, Alyssa, and Amanda were on hand to talk shop and drink protein shots with the Sharks.  Though watching Alyssa’s face as she ‘drank’ the protein shot it was clear that she would have rather stuck a fork in her eye.

The dugout action may have distracted some of the Sharks and Coach Dawn “Coon” Boothe was rumored to have said: “Sharks, this ain’t no tea party.  So git yer head in the game and play some Shark ball.”  (Actually, I made up that quote, and the spelling is off, but that’s how she talks, LOL). But it was a veritable tea party in the dugout.  Nonetheless, the Sharks beat the West Boca Diamonds with ease despite the fact that the West Boca Diamonds brought in a new pitcher.  It’s funny how we always see new players on many of the teams we play.  Mmm.

On a side note:  Gianna (Dusters 99 catcher) trains with Brooke, Brandi and Sami (Sharks’ 1st baseman) every Wednesday doing weight-training and SAQ training (speed-agility-quickness) with Coach Karla. Rumor has it that she demonstrated some extra speed running the bases as she blasted a 3-run triple against the Hurricanes.  She may have even burned a hole in her shoes because she ran so fast.   So keep up the training ‘G’ and remember, those protein shots help you recover!  And that goes for Alyssa and Brianna too.  Just man up and take your protein ‘medicine.’

A Spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
The medicine go down-down
The medicine go down
Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
In a most delightful way
-Mary Poppins-

Day 1 – Game #4, the first elimination game
In the first game against the Stingrays (John), the Sharks were shutout for the first 6 innings of the game.  They had about as much offense as a snake has legs.  Going into the bottom of the 7th inning, the Sharks were down 2-0.  Dani (the Dusters 2000 pitcher) came by the Sharks’ side of the fence to watch the game.  “It looks like Brandi’s pitching fast,” she said.  “Yeah, it does doesn’t it” I replied.  “She must be mad.  I pitch faster when I’m mad” says Dani.  Before Dani left for the day, she said, “Here’s my lucky quarter.”  “I can’t take your quarter; here take it back” I replied.  “No.  You keep it” as Dani walked away to go home.  I guess the ‘lucky quarter’ worked as the Sharks rattled off three straight runs with Amy knocking in Brandi as the game winning run.  The Stingrays team was a very very good team and it’s a mystery how they were the second to the last seed.  It just goes to show you, seedings can be deceptive at times. Thanks Dani!

On a side note: Former Shark and beloved friend, Tiffany ‘aka Betty’ Saba, came by to say hi to the Sharks on Saturday! Ironically, she was wearing the same bright gold jersey as the rest of the team.  We have missed Tiffany and hope she is doing well in ‘Don’t Mess with Texas.’  She now plays on the Bat Busters which ironically is the team that eliminated us last year at Disney.  We sure miss Tiffany.

Day 2 – Four more elimination games
The second day of play showed just how ‘fickle’ this game can be.  In the first game of the day, the Sharks ran into a buzzsaw known as the Miami Stingrays (this is a different Sting Rays team).  Heck, there are so many Sting Rays that they should just attach Roman numerals after each team’s name so that folks like us can keep ‘em straight.  We played them once in the Fall Ball league barely scraping by them in a 1-0 win.  But this time, the Stingrays delivered a good old fashion beating of the Sharks.  It was as if the Sharks entered a knife fight with pom poms and a box of Cracker Jacks.  They got their tails whooped.  This was the first time the Sharks were run ruled with a final score of 16-0.  In this game, Coach Boothe was like General George Custer taking on Crazy Horse in the Battle of Little Bighorn.  This is one of those games that you just gotta mentally shelve somewhere in your noggin’ and train your rear end off so that it doesn’t happen again. The Sharks managed to regroup quite well and pulled off wins over their next two opponents.

On a side note: The Shark family was happy to see that our former first baseman, Gaby, made a smooth transition to her new team (The Sting Rays – yes, the one that beat the stuffings out of us).  We will miss her softball play and effervescent spirit and attitude.  The Jadotte’s are the most gracious, kind, and classy family.  It was sad to see Gaby leave but we’ll have many ‘reunions’ on the softball field.

In the third and fourth games of the day, the Sharks pulled off a victory against the Lady Pirates and Diamond Dusters 2000 with scores of 4-3 and 10-2, respectively.  Behind solid pitching and defense, the Sharks earned another very close win over the Lady Pirates. The last time the Sharks played the Lady Pirates they won by just one run as well.  The game against the Dusters 2000 featured a blast to left field by Downtown Chelsea Brown.  She knocked Brookie in for a RBI and Downtown Chelsea Brown ended up with a triple.  BTW, that’s not really her nickname, but it does have a nice ring to it.

Our starting first baseman (Sami) was feeling sicker than a dog so we had to make adjustments to our infield with two of the Sharks filling in at new positions (Taco at first and Chelsea at third).  Karissa filled in well as the back-up second baseman while Mia went back to her former position, SS.  It worked out well in retrospect.  Hopefully Sami has a speedy recovery and will be back with a vengeance.

In what turned out to be our final game of the tournament, the Sharks lost to the talented Gold Coast Hurricanes 9-5.  Taco played admirably as the starting pitcher.  The Hurricanes are an excellent small ball playing team and the Sharks had a difficult time adjusting to their play.  The Hurricanes eventually ended up winning the entire shebang beating the Stingrays in the championship game. Congrats to the Hurricanes.

Shark Bytes for the Fall 2011 Season

• Brookie had zero strikeouts the entire Fall season; first time ever for a Shark
• Karissa (Brookie’s other “twin”) made outstanding improvements in outfield, second base, and hitting
• Taco had some great outfield hits and filled in ably as the relief pitcher
• Amy  made dramatic improvements in outfield play catching balls like a dog catches Frisbees
• Jeritza’s positive attitude and hard work ethic is tops; Drink some milkshakes please
• Sami’s switch hitting, improved speed and solid first base play
• Mia’s consistent lead-off hitting and some acrobatic plays at second
• Maegan’s outstanding outfield play with a glove that sticks to the softball like super glue
• Chelsea and Brandi were among the top sluggers on the team, ‘Get my ball’ as Coach Boothe would say

Epilogue
Three first year teams in the 11U/12UB division (Sharks, Dusters 2000, Lady Bandits) have clearly shown that not only are they are competitive with the second year teams but can actually beat them.  That’s a testament to how well these girls have been trained since the 8U days.  The Sharks started off the Fall 2011 season with the hopes that they would be competitive with the ‘older’ girls.’  The highlight of the Fall season was the string of 4 wins in a row at the USSSA Santa Slam eventually defeating the Chobee Firestix (a 14U team) 6-3.  Was there a size difference between the ‘Stix’ and the Sharks?  Is water wet?  Is Africa hot?

What’s funny (as in ironic) is that often times, we’ve seen teams that change rosters more often than a teenage girl changes outfits.  OMG.  A team that we may have played in one tournament, often ends up with new players the next time we play them.  And then you have older teams playing down hoping to beat the snot out of the younger girls.  It’s puzzling how that is supposed to improve the play of the older girls.  But what the heck, to each his own.

The Sharks won two tournaments this Fall season, Fright Fest and USSSA Santa Slam.  Not too shabby for a 11U team.

For the 2011 Fall Season
Overall record 27-6 (0.818)
In USSSA play, their record is as follows:
Record vs. FPGirls14&UB Teams : 1-0
Record vs. FPGirls12&UA Teams : 5-4
Record vs. FPGirls12&UB Teams : 8-0
Record vs. FPGirls13UOpen Teams : 10-1

I think we (parents) should all enjoy this very topsy-turvy roller coaster ride that the Sharks are giving us. They win some, they lose some.  They are an extremely talented and hard-working group of girls.  In the end, they’ll always fight their little tails off and deliver some knockout punches, outstanding performances, and show just how incredibly scrappy they are.  Sometimes these games can be nerve-racking experiences.  “I’m too old for this,” as a few parents would say (with a smile). But hey, imagine if they joined the chess club or did synchronized swimming?  Exactly! You’d be about as excited as an Eskimo shopping for ice cubes.

GO SHARKS! And as Santa Pants would say, HO HO HO and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

The Deerfield Beach Sharks went to the NSA’s Batterball Turkeyfest tournament with no idea who the competition would be.  Well all it took was a cursory glance and it became as clear as a bottle of Fiji water that the Sharks were the smallest and youngest of the 12U teams entered in the tournament.  Our lead-off hitter and starting second baseman, Munchie aka Mia Veliz, couldn’t make the tournament.  Suffice to say that there were many girls on the opposing teams that were at least a foot taller and twice her weight (or shall I dare say, three times her weight).  Many of the girls on the other teams were moving to the 14U division in January. Just sayin’.

So how did the Sharks do?  Did they get their tailfin kicked? Or did they come out fighting and give the ‘big girls’ a run for the money? Like the Greek myth of Sisyphus (he was a king who was punished by having to roll a big ole boulder up a hill, only to have the dang thing roll back down once it got to the top; and he did this for an eternity. Egads!), the Sharks had an enormous task (pun intended clearly) of taking on much older girls in a sisyphean effort indeed.  In fact, on seeding day, the Sharks spanked the older girls with a combined score of 32 to 6.  The Sharks were a scoring machine on day 1.  The other teams probably took one look at the size of our girls and declared to themselves, “look at those little twerps…we could beat them with one hand tied behind our backs.”  Okay, maybe they didn’t say that, but I imagine some were thinking it.

However, on day 2 (elimination day), the SWAT (yes, that is actually the name of the team; not to be confused with that really bad action drama on TV) team came out swinging and outfought the Sharks to a close 7-5 game in which the Sharks fell short.  Either way, it became evident that the SWAT now took the Sharks seriously and they had to fight all the way to the end to preserve their victory over the Sharks.

This weekend taught the Sharks a few lessons.  First of all; they can compete with any 12U team; second, when all aspects of the game are firing (pitching, hitting, and fielding), the Sharks can put on a dominating performance.

Some of the great moments of the game included Chelsea’s 3-run homer, Sami’s “Mia-like” play at second.  For a second there, I thought it was Mia.  But then again the blonde hair and the fact that Sami’s a foot taller kinda killed that thought.  Also, Brooke threw out 5 runners attempting to steal.  Uh uh.  It’s like breaking into a cheese factory and hoping the mice don’t see you.  In addition, Amy made quite the acrobatic catch at left field.  And on the pitching side, Brandi pitched a couple shutouts while Taco came in and pitched a win in the third seeding game; her first 12U win.

Other contributions came from Gaby, who played valiantly with a sprained ankle.  Maegan had nice hits with her new bat against the SWAT and Lady Hawks while Karissa demonstrated solid play filling in at second.  Jeritza had a nice outfield hit against the SWAT and last but not least, Munchie stayed home practicing the Chipmunk Song in preparation for Christmas!

Oh and, Winter the dolphin with no tail was pretty cool.

The Box Score

1st game: Sharks 13, St. Pete Lady Rays 0 (seeding)

2nd game: Sharks 11, SWAT 3 (seeding)

3rd game: Sharks 8, Seffner Lady Hawks 3 (seeding)

Elimination: SWAT 7 – Sharks 5 (elimination)

 

 

Day 1 (Sunday) – Sharks over Alpharetta Fire 14-2, Sharks over Martin All Stars 14-0

Opening ceremonies at the USSSA Road to Orlando Fastpitch World Series can only be described as hotter than Venus and with more humidity than a rainshower in the middle of the Amazon. As the Deerfield Beach Sharks, with their easy to spot flag, made their way into the Champion Stadium, their parents, friends, and various posse cheered ‘em on as they sipped on ice cold lemonade and consumed assorted junk food that may make the taste buds happy momentarily, but make the belly sing the sad song of gastric depression. After departing the stadium (it was just too hot!), the Sharks played their first 2 seeding games that afternoon. In a nutshell, if this was a Muay Thai match, they kicked the stuffings out of the Alpharetta Fire (Georgia) 14-2 and the Martin All-Stars (Tennessee) 14-0. These kinds of games are to say the least not a barometer of how you stack up against the really good teams.

Day 2 (Monday) – Sharks over Sunrise Thunder 7-1

With only one game in day 2, the Sharks got their sh@# together for a streaming live broadcast game (see the Archived footage here, http://www.usssa.com/sports/Stream.asp?GameID=-5&TournID=707411 , against their local rivals, the Sunrise Thunder. The Sharks came out to the stadium early and actually had a very good warm-up; the girls were more serious than a heart attack.  Even Mia didn’t talk a mile a minute.  LOL.  Mysteriously, the Thunder warm-up lasted about as long as sunlight lasts in the Alaskan winter. So how did this game turn out? The Sharks pounded Sunrise for the fourth time in a row, beating them 7-1 in 5 innings. The Sharks scored three runs in the fourth on an error and a fielder’s choice. Amy put herself in scoring position with two extra-base hits for Sharks. Amy also homered in the second inning and doubled in the fourth inning. Gaby, the Sharks’ 1st baseman, stole home after a throw from the catcher to 3rd errantly went by the 3rd baseman

who made a critical error in not stopping the pinpoint throw. Brandi handled Sunrise’s lineup racking up seven strikeouts. Karissa, Amy and Mia each got hits for the Sharks with Amy the ‘Offensive MVP of the Game’ with her timely hits. In a story behind the story, the Sunrise coach made a concerted, albeit somewhat underhanded and sad attempt, at convincing the ump that Brandi was pitching illegally. Notwithstanding the fact that she has been pitching this way for the past 80 games (and the last 2 years) and her pitching coach (who is also the pitching coach of Nova Southeastern University and was a college pitcher for a Division I school) not only pitched that way in college but also teaches Brandi the same technique.  But nooooo…middle-aged men who have never pitched a game in their life apparently know better than that.  Go figure.  Interestingly, other coaches have resorted to this tactic (act of desperation perhaps) in other tournaments as well as this one to no avail.  What does it say when coaches from other teams make an a priori attempt at convincing the umps that the Sharks’ pitcher is pitching illegally?  Trying to get into the mind of an 11 yr old in an attempt to disrupt her rhythm; Is that how you want to win a game?  Really?  Coach Kevin, Mark, and Karla have always believed in letting the girls play ball and see where the dust settles.

Final score: 7-1. Nuff said.

Side Bar – For those coaches who have not taken the time to read the USSSA Fastpitch Rule Book:‘The pivot foot may remain in contact with or may push off and drag away from the pitching plate prior to the front foot touching the ground, as long as the pivot foot remains in contact with the ground.’  Perhaps one of the most intellectually bankrupt and lazy comments we’ve heard all year (vis a vis supposed illegal pitching) is this:  “It just looks illegal.”  Are you kidding?  It ‘looks’ illegal?  If that’s the most compelling argument one can make, then for Pete’s sake, read the rule book.

Day 3 (Tues) – Rest. Movies. Pool. Sleep. Eat.

Harry Potter – what the heck was that movie about?

Day 4 (Wed) – Sharks over Thunder Chix 17-0

The Sharks racked up 16 hits and 17 runs against the team from Ohio, the Dixie Chicks…oops, I mean the Thunder Chix. Heck, the Sharks coulda batted Snow White and 7 Dwarfs and probably still managed 8 hits and a few runs. This game featured some monster hits by Brandi and Chelsea (who was filling in for the injured catcher, Brooke). Brooke slid into 3rd base only to have her shin smashed like a mashed potato by the 3rd baseman. Ouch! So in the dugout was our injured first catcher (Brooke and her shin), our injured second catcher (Tiffany, aka Betty, with a bum shoulder); so Sami (our 2nd baseman) came in and filled ably for the both of them. If Sami gets hurt, then we may have to pull a Sharks’ mom from the stands and have her catch!

Heck, in catcher’s gear, Sami looks like Brooke. So good enough, eh?

Day 5 (Thurs) – Blazers over Sharks 2-0

In what was perhaps the worst offensive outing of the Sharks’ 2010-11 season, Brandi Antonio had a solid day of pitching, but the

Sharks’ bats were quieter than a funeral in a 2-0 loss to Blazers. Brandi surrendered three hits, but providing enough offense to notch a victory proved more difficult than finding a tanning bed in the Amazon jungle, as the Sharks fell to Blazers 2-0 at World Series. Blazers’ pitcher kept the Sharks off the scoreboard for all seven innings allowing no runs on two hits while striking out nine. This was the second meeting between these two teams.  We’re 1-1 against them and are itching to play them again in 12U!

Day 6 (Friday) – Sharks over Illinois Outlaws 11-6, Sharks over Jacksonville Storm 01 7-4, Fort Worth Batbusters over Sharks 8-7 (eliminated from tourney).

In perhaps the absolute worst demonstration of defense, the Sharks were riddled with defensive error after error and eventually it came back to bite them on the tail fin and KO them out of the Disney World Series. In fact, the Sharks’ defense had more holes than Swiss cheese. True dat.

In the first game of Day 6, the Sharks gave up 6, yep, count ‘em seis, unearned runs against the Outlaws in the top of the 1st inning with 2 outs on the board. It was one of the worst showings of defense they’ve made. And a bad omen indeed. Nonetheless, after being down 0-6, the Sharks showed what they were made off and rattled off 11 straight runs.  Brookie hit a home run and drove in two runners as she led Sharks to an 11-6 victory over Outlaws Illinois in five innings at World Series on Friday. The Sharks had 12 hits with Brandi leading the way with 3 hits while Amy, who had one of the hottest bats of the series, had 2 as did Tiffany.

In the 2nd game of Day 6, the Sharks faced the Storm 01 (second meeting between them). And indeed the Storm 01 played the way we expected. They got some bunters, base-runners and small ballers that’ll just give you fits. Karissa drove in three runners as she spurred the Sharks to a 7-4 victory over Jacksonville 2001 in five innings at World Series on Friday. The Sharks had 11 hits with Mia, Amy and Karissa each getting 2 each.

In the 3rd game of Day 6, it can only be described as the Keystone Cops meets the Chinese Fire Drill. What the heck happened? Bobbled balls, dropped pop flies, and just poor defensive execution took the focus way from an excellent offensive demonstration and a pitching duel. The Sharks again fell behind in this game. They overcame a deficit to take the lead at 7-4. Sami, our 2nd baseman slugger, did all she could to give the Sharks a boost, but it wasn’t enough to get past the Fort Worth Batbusters, as the Sharks lost 8-7 in five innings at World Series on Friday. Sami racked up four RBIs on two hits for the Sharks. Sami singled in the third and fourth innings. The Sharks managed 7 hits; however, the almost miraculous comeback ended as the Sharks gave up 4 runs to lose 7-8. This game had an ignominious end as the umps reversed a ‘safe’ call at first (Mia not only beat the throw but the first baseman never had possession of the ball).  The ump behind the plate admitted that he ‘didn’t see it’ (yet apparently felt compelled to reverse the call).  Mmm…perhaps they just wanted to go home?  What the heck!?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Season Recap

The Sharks entered 18 tournaments in the 10U season and earned first place titles in 15 of them. Not too shabby. Many thanks to Coach Kevin and Mark and the supportive parents and families of the little Sharks. Who can forgot moments like:

• Mia- Clutch hit against Storm 00 in Ocala tournament. Bases loaded, 2 outs, need run to win and Mia pops one over the SS to win the game.
• Brookie- 2 triples against Dusters in State Championship game.
• Sami- Homerun against Gold Coast in Davie tournament after Coach Joey yelled at her.
• Taco- Powerful hitting at Sailfish Classic with 4 singles, 1 double, 1 triple and 1 homerun. Also hit the World’s Fastest Triple that weekend with less than one minute left to play. Taco ran to the plate to get a swing in before time expired and belted the first pitch into the outfield.
• Brandi- Pitching in Championship game and winning against Dusters in State championship by throwing them off with junk pitches after getting beat by throwing just fastballs in previous game.
• Betty- Clutch hits at State tournament against Blazers to drive in runs. Betty stepped up and contributed greatly with her bat after injuring her throwing arm near the end of the season. We will miss Betty greatly.
• Amy- Home run at World Series in the stadium and also had winning hit against Blazers in extra innings at the State tournament.
• Karissa- Stole home against Sarasota in the Swamp Classic to win the game and move us into the Championship.
• Maegan- Amazing diving catch to end the game against Wellington in the Mother’s Day tournament. Also drove in winning run against Dusters in World Series Warm-Up.
• Gaby- Home run against Storm 00 in Ocala tournament to drive in badly needed runs.
• Chelsea- Powerful triples against the Lady Bandits in World Series Warm-Up and against Thunder Chix at the World Series. We look forward to many more great hits from Chelsea.
• Shelli’s tracking of the Sharks’ stats on Gamechanger.
• Christa keeping the books and telling us who was up, where they would hit to, and just total support and encouragement.
• Regla and Louis’ high decibel support of the Sharks!  As Regla would say, “Defense wins championships!”  How prophetic those words are…
• Kevin getting kicked out of the WW of Sports park after telling the ump #$%^&*&^**. Hey I was there. In fact, the ump admitted he didn’t see the play (i.e. the frickin’ ball that was never caught). It looked like they were tired and just wanted to go home. Sigh.

Next up 12U baby!

 

The Deerfield Beach Sharks captured the Florida State USSSA ‘A’ State Title with a sharp-toothed victory of over their arch rivals, the Diamond Dusters. In a weekend that was longer than sitting in a dentists’ chair waiting for that drill to hit enamel, the Sharks overcame the heat, a close call with the Blazers, and an initial defeat in the hands of the Dusters, to prevail with a resounding 9-2 win over the Dusters in the Final Game of the USSSA State ‘A’ 10U Championships.  The Sharks outhit the Dusters in the Championship game 11 to 1.  Brooke Antonio’s two triples in that game served as the coup de grace forcing the Dusters to resign, tap out, and head home with the second place trophy.

The 3-day State USSSA Championship tournament started off better than drinking an ice-cold lemonade at the beach laying in the hammock.  Yep, the Sharks played two teams they’d never seen before, and to borrow the words of President Barack Obama (regarding the Dem’s defeat in the mid-term elections), the Sharks delivered a ‘shellacking’ to the Vipers and the St Pete Fury 13-0 and 12-0, respectively.  This set up the Sharks as the #1 seed heading into double-elimination play.  Their first game in the elimination round was against the Sunrise Thunder.  Sami Restrepo kept the Thunder on its heels with a triple in the first inning and a single in the third. Thus, the Sharks posted the 3rd straight shut-out of the Thunder, 4-0.  Then the Sharks had perhaps one of the most difficult (and long) games in their 2010-11 season.  Facing the Blazers, it was a back and forth struggle for 7 innings.  I mean a crazy Texas style shoot-out and struggle.  It was like watching a fight between a mongoose and cobra.  Somebody just had to lose.  Tiffany Saba was solid at the plate going 2 for 3 and driving in a run.  But the clutch hit of the game goes to Amy Robbins who with 2 outs, bottom of the 7th inning, winning run on 3rd (Maegan), blooped one over the 2nd baseman sending the winning run in.  The Sharks bench erupted in cheers as they mobbed Amy at first base.  That game was as close as Romeo and Juliet on a good day. Too close actually.  After the Blazer game, the Sharks faced Wellington (the other top seed) and dominated them with a 9-1 victory.  The Sharks managed 7 hits to the Wild’s 3.  With nine runs scored in the first 3 innings, the Sharks left no doubt as to the eventual outcome.

The Championship game then pitted the Dusters vs the Sharks.  The Dusters need to win two in a row while the Sharks needed just one victory to seal the deal.  In the first game, the Dusters played stellar defense and had their bats come alive outhitting the Sharks 8 to 2 and ultimately beating them 5-0.

This led to the ultimate and final showdown of the State Championship. However, this time, the Sharks played the way they have been all year.  They outhit the Dusters (who went through 3 pitchers) 11 to 1.  Brooke Antonio sent a message to the Dusters with two triples.  Also, Sami Restrepo and Amy Robbins contributed to the hitting bonanza.  Brandi Antonio displayed pitching versatility by allowing only a single hit in the final game.  For the rest of the story, see the Box Score and ESPN Highlights of the Weekend!

The Box Score

http://www.usssa.com/sports/Tournament3.asp?TournamentID=725596

• Sharks over West Coast Vipers 13-0 (seeding)
• Sharks over St Pete Fury 12-0 (seeding)
• Sharks over Sunrise Thunder 4-0 (elimination)
• Sharks over Blazers 3-2 (elimination)
• Sharks over Wellington Wild 9-1 (elimination)
• Diamond Dusters over Sharks 5-0 (elimination)
• Sharks over Diamond Dusters 9-2 (Championship Game)

ESPN Highlights of the Weekend

• The Sharks won the USSSA ‘A’ States Championships!
• The Sharks allowed 10 runs but scored 50.
• The Sharks outhit their opponents 62 to 18.
• Amy knocking in the game-winning run (Maegan) versus the Blazers (Kansas City tiebreaker).
• Brooke’s two Triples in the Championship game against the Dusters.
• Sami’s triple against the Sunrise Thunder and her double play against the Blazers.
• Tiffany knocking in timely runs against the Blazers.
• Mia’s stellar batting and her 2 timely hits against the Sunrise Thunder.
• Brandi’s dominating performance at pitching and 2-run double against Wellington.
• Jordyn lead the team with 2 hits against the Blazers.
• Karissa had 2 hits in the Championship game.
• Maegan had a beautiful delayed steal against the Vipers.
• Gaby had great leaps and stretches for outs at first base.