Emporia Energy U-12s tie for 3rd at Summer Slam
By The Emporia Gazette (Contact)
Originally published 01:58 p.m., June 24, 2008
Updated 01:58 p.m., June 24, 2008
The Emporia Energy U-12 softball team tied for third this weekend in the Mike’s Sporting Goods Summer Slam Tournament. The team went 3-4 over the weekend, winning once on Saturday and twice on Sunday.
Emporia had two wins against the Cougarz from the Lincolnville area, once on Saturday (14-0) and another on Sunday (6-2). The Energy also defeated the Wichita Cyclones on Sunday by a score of 9-8.
The Topeka Attitudes gave Emporia two of its losses by scores of 7-3 and 10-2. Emporia also fell to the Abilene Ikes on Saturday, 13-3, and to the Wichita Impact by a score of 13-0.
Emporia opened pool play on Saturday by taking on the Topeka Attitudes. The Energy cranked out 3 hits and was able to get three runs out of it. Ashley Jackson and Emily Giffin each had a single, while and Amanda Crone belted a triple. Giffin, Crone and Alix Boulanger all scored runs.
Giffin pitched Game One and took the loss.
In Game Two, Emporia stepped out of pool play and played the Cougarz. Emporia scored 13 runs on just seven hits, as the Cougarz pitching struggled and allowed 11 walks.
Jackson, Paige Turney, Boulanger and Alexis Tabares each scored twice, and Crone, Giffin, Katie Weiser, Kate Decker and Lexie Herb each added a run. Crone was credited with the win.
Emporia came back to pool play in Game Three to face the Abilene Ikes and couldn’t generate much offense. The Energy scored only three runs on four hits, and it wasn’t enough to match the 14 hits of the Ikes.
Emporia ran out of steam in its last matchup on Saturday against the Impact and only mustered two hits through the four innings of play.
Bracket play began on Sunday morning, and Emporia got back on track against the Cougarz. Giffin went 2-for-2 and scored twice. Crone hit two doubles and scored once. Turney also added two runs. Boulanger also chipped in a run and got the win in the pitching circle.
The Energy advanced on to play the Wichita Cyclones in what turned out to be a close battle. Emporia saw Wichita score three runs in the first, but the Energy answered with three runs of its own when Jackson and Weiser scored on a double by Crone. Crone later scored on a sacrifice by Decker.
Emporia kept the Cyclones off the bases in the second, and in the bottom of the inning, Jackson, Belford and Brooke Perry each tallied a score that allowed the Energy to take a 6-3 lead.
Turney and Belford each scored again in the third inning, before Emporia allowed Wichita to score five runs in the fourth to tie the game.
Emporia answered in the bottom of the fourth, as Weiser reached home on a hit by Crone to win the game, 9-8.
Emporia advanced to the semifinal game to once again face the Attitudes. Topeka jumped out early by scoring six runs in the first inning and never looked back, as the Attitudes cruised to the 10-2 win.
Emporia will play this upcoming weekend in Parsons in its Regional Tournament before playing in the State Tournament to be held in Emporia on July 18-20.