Galaxy team sweeps up
Published 10:08 pm Tuesday, October 7, 2014
The Galaxy Fastpitch 12U Red team followed up its perfect weekend in Newport News near the end of September with another perfect Saturday and Sunday in Elizabeth City, N.C. this past weekend.
The squad won four games on Saturday in pool play and three on Sunday in the playoffs to become the 12U Gold Division champions of the Softball Nation Carolina Fall Shootout.
“Pitching pretty much dominated the weekend — pitching and defense,” Galaxy 12U Red coach Allen Wetmore said. “We did get some timely hits when we needed them.”
His team’s offense was not quite as strong as it had been the previous week in the Softball Nation Fall Championship, he said. But the 10-field team of the Carolina Fall Shootout was also more challenging.
Adding to that challenge was fatigue.
“Our last game on Saturday, I think we just ran out of gas,” Wetmore said.
Despite competing in their fourth game of the day, the 12U-Red squad produced a 3-1 win against a very good Carolina Bombers team.
“To muscle out that win was a pretty good deal for them girls,” he added.
For its first three wins of the day, the Galaxy team defeated High Voltage 5-1, Shock Fastpitch 7-2 and Virginia Legends Southside 9-1.
The 12U Red team started the playoffs with a rematch against Virginia Legends Southside.
“We had their number for Sunday,” Wetmore said, as the game resulted in another 9-1 score.
A 12-2 victory over Shock Fastpitch set up a championship game against Virginia Elite Fastpitch out of Chesapeake.
“That Elite was a very good team, and we got charged up for them pretty good,” Wetmore said.
Galaxy 12U Red won the contest 5-1.
“I think our defense shut them down, because they had a couple opportunities to score and a couple of our girls stepped up and made some great plays,” Wetmore said.
Those girls were Aryn Kinsey and Julie Jones, both of Suffolk.
They were also productive at the plate over seven games, as Kinsey had nine singles, one double and one triple, while Jones went 8-for-14, with two singles and five doubles.
“We used two pitchers the whole weekend, and they did phenomenal,” Wetmore said, referring to Reese Byrd and Cali Hinnant, both of Suffolk.
He also had high praise for his catcher, Jordyn Green, who excelled defensively and offensively. She went 11-for-21 at the plate, with seven singles, two doubles and three triples.
Anni Groves of Suffolk contributed by going 14-for-24, with 10 singles. Byrd had three singles and three doubles.
The team performed well, though it missed Suffolk’s Sidney Adcock on one day, and McKenzie Presson on both days.
Pointing out three other key contributors, Wetmore said, “I have several guys that help me coach that help make all this click,” alluding to Jimmy Byrd, John Penland and Joey Holland.
The Galaxy 12U Red team (16-2) returns to action on Oct. 25 and 26 in Richmond for Softball Nation’s Halloween Cup.