12U Blaze Win Trip to National Tournament

The Alameda Blaze 12 and under tournament softball team faced a tough uphill challenge in the Regional Championship on July 7-8, as they were forced to battle 10 of the top teams in northern California, as well as the suffocating Sacramento heat. They finished the weekend 4-1 and came away with an impressive 2nd place finish and their first ever trip to the National Championship, to be held in Las Cruces, New Mexico on August 1-5.

The Blaze opened the double elimination tournament with a dominating 7-1 victory over the Tulare Thrill. The Blaze seemed poised for a few big innings, but led only 3-1 until putting the game out of reach with a 4-run fourth. Carrie Lee was the starting pitcher, giving up only 1 unearned run through the fourth inning before being forced out with a finger injury. Gia Morten was brilliant in relief, earning the victory with 3-1/3 innings of no-hit ball, walking only one. Keilani Finley-Jensen provided the offensive firepower with 3 hits, while Drew Jones cracked two hits and an RBI. Gianna Ratto went 1-2 with 3 RBI.

The Blaze opened Sunday play by overwhelming the San Carlos Force 12-0 in the winner’s bracket semifinal, winning by the "mercy rule" after 5 innings. The Blaze scored in every inning, including a 4-run second and a 5-run fourth. Michelle Popelka led the offensive fireworks with a two run home run to center, while Kayla Simonson belted a double and a long triple and drove in two runs. Erika Boeckling and Drew Jones each smacked two hits with two RBI. Carrie Lee pitched a complete game two-hitter, striking out five.

The Regional Championship Game pitted the Blaze against the San Ramon Valley Stompers. This epic battle saw the Blaze take an early 3-0 lead, fall behind 5-3 and 7-5 only to tie the game 7-7 in the bottom of the fifth. After the Stompers took a 10-7 lead in the 6th, the Blaze staged a magnificent two out rally to tie the game at 10-10. But the Stompers were not to be denied this day, pushing another 4 runs across in the 7th to win the game 14-10. With time limits removed, the game turned into a nearly 3-hour marathon in the 100+ degrees mid-day Sacramento heat. The Blaze belted out 14 hits for the game, led by Michelle Popelka’s 4-4, and Kayla Simonson 3-4 with a triple and 4 RBI. Gianna Ratto had two hits. Anastasia Scheichl came through with a clutch pinch hit single. In spite of the dramatic comebacks in this game, the Blaze left the bases loaded in three separate innings.

After dropping the exhausting championship game, the Blaze still needed to play immediately after and beat the winner of the consolation bracket to clinch second place and an automatic berth in the National Championship tournament. The Blaze left no doubt in the 2nd place game, jumping all over the Burlingame Flames. The Blaze scored 8 runs in the top of the first, en route to a 12-2 victory, their second “mercy rule” win of the tournament. The day’s hot hitting continued, led by Gia Morten’s two hits and 3 RBI, including a long triple to left center. Carrie Lee belted a double and had 2 RBI, while Gianna Ratto, Michelle Popelka, Kayla Simonson, and Keilani Finley-Jensen each smacked two hits for the Blaze.

The Blaze took their well deserved trophy and their tired bodies home to cool Alameda to celebrate their wildly successful run through the Regional Championship.

 

The Blaze shut out the Belmont Blast 3-0 in the second game and advanced to the winner’s bracket semifinals, as Kayla Simonson hurled a complete game 4-hitter. The Blaze scored all their runs in the fourth inning, as Keilani Finley-Jensen and Gianna Ratto belted back to back doubles for the deciding run. The Blast had their biggest threat in the top of the fifth, putting runners on 2nd and 3rd with no outs. Shortstop Gianna Ratto made a quick throw to home to nail one runner for the first out; Michelle Popelka snagged a hard hit line drive at first; and Simonson killed the rally for good by fanning the last Blast hitter.

The Blaze opened Sunday play by overwhelming the San Carlos Force 12-0 in the winner’s bracket semifinal, winning by the "mercy rule" after 5 innings. The Blaze scored in every inning, including a 4-run second and a 5-run fourth. Michelle Popelka led the offensive fireworks with a two run home run to center, while Kayla Simonson belted a double and a long triple and drove in two runs. Erika Boeckling and Drew Jones each smacked two hits with two RBI. Carrie Lee pitched a complete game two-hitter, striking out five.

The Regional Championship Game pitted the Blaze against the San Ramon Valley Stompers. This epic battle saw the Blaze take an early 3-0 lead, fall behind 5-3 and 7-5 only to tie the game 7-7 in the bottom of the fifth. After the Stompers took a 10-7 lead in the 6th, the Blaze staged a magnificent two out rally to tie the game at 10-10. But the Stompers were not to be denied this day, pushing another 4 runs across in the 7th to win the game 14-10. With time limits removed, the game turned into a nearly 3-hour marathon in the 100+ degrees mid-day Sacramento heat. The Blaze belted out 14 hits for the game, led by Michelle Popelka’s 4-4, and Kayla Simonson 3-4 with a triple and 4 RBI. Gianna Ratto had two hits. Anastasia Scheichl came through with a clutch pinch hit single. In spite of the dramatic comebacks in this game, the Blaze left the bases loaded in three separate innings.

After dropping the exhausting championship game, the Blaze still needed to play immediately after and beat the winner of the consolation bracket to clinch second place and an automatic berth in the National Championship tournament. The Blaze left no doubt in the 2nd place game, jumping all over the Burlingame Flames. The Blaze scored 8 runs in the top of the first, en route to a 12-2 victory, their second “mercy rule” win of the tournament. The day’s hot hitting continued, led by Gia Morten’s two hits and 3 RBI, including a long triple to left center. Carrie Lee belted a double and had 2 RBI, while Gianna Ratto, Michelle Popelka, Kayla Simonson, and Keilani Finley-Jensen each smacked two hits for the Blaze.

The Blaze took their well deserved trophy and their tired bodies home to cool Alameda to celebrate their wildly successful run through the Regional Championship.