Energy U-16's win Council Grove Tournament; Chase County baseball team has 5 honored
By The Emporia Gazette (Contact)
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
The U-16 Emporia Energy softball team overcame a slow start in pool play to win the Council Grove Memorial Day Tournament held last weekend.
The Energy showed a little rust in playing its first game of the season, as the team fell to the Flint Hills Stampede, 3-1. After allowing three unearned runs in the first inning, the Energy held the Stampede scoreless the rest of the game but could not muster enough runs to catch up.
In the second game of pool play, the Energy again got off to a slow start against the T-Birds before tying the game by scoring three runs in the fifth inning. In extra innings, the Energy scored first, but then gave up two runs in the bottom of the final inning to lose the game, 5-4.
Melissa Heinitz scored the first run for Emporia and was followed home by Lauren Kimble and Chris Zumbrumm.
In bracket play, the Energy got its bats going as the team defeated the Rebels, 5-2, with Kaylee Hatch and Heinitz recording RBI.
Emporia then faced the top-seeded Blaze. The Energy came out strong, scoring one run in the first and adding three in the third with help from a double by Lacie Schumann, who drove in two runs.
The Energy held off a late surge from the Blaze — which scored two runs in the fifth — to take a 4-2 victory.
The championship game featured a rematch with the Flint Hills Stampede. The Energy struck first with two runs in the first and added an additional two runs in the third.
The Energy was helped by outstanding defense, which included good plays from Maryann Bennett at third, Whitney Page at second and Lydia Roemer in left field.
Abby Hammel started the game, going 2 2/3 innings before giving way to Cassandra Huth, who went 2 1/3 innings while pitching in her fifth game of the day. The two combined for a shutout as the Energy won the game, 4-0.
Emporia was led offensively by Zumbrumm, who drove in one run with a triple in the third before scoring on a single by Abby Hammel.
The Energy will resume action on Saturday, playing in the Emporia Tournament.
Flint Hills Stampede softball takes 2nd
The Flint Hills Stampede 16-and-under softball team took second at the Council Grove Memorial Day Tournament, posting a 3-2 record in its first games of the season.
In Game One, the Stampede took a 3-1 victory over the Emporia Energy. Taylor Rains picked up the win, as she posted 12 strikeouts in the five-inning contest. She allowed just one run on two hits while walking two.
Robin Grokett led the Stampede offensively with two hits, an RBI and stolen base.
Flint Hills dropped its next game, 5-2, to the Louisburg T-Birds.
The Stampede was hurt by errors, as four miscues in the first three innings were too much to overcome.
Kelly Hannigan allowed three earned runs while striking out two and walking one.
Ashley Cahoone went 3-for-3, while Rains went 2-for-2. Heather Duncan also added a double.
In the third game, the Stampede took a 12-3 win over the Tri-County Braves from Council Grove. Briana Talkington picked up the win in the circle.
All nine Stampede batters had a hit, with Duncan going 2-for-2 with a double. Megan Burton contributed a 2-for-3 performance with three RBI, while Cahoone added a triple and Rains chipped in a double.
Next, Flint Hills picked up an 11-3 victory in a rematch against the Louisburg T-Birds. Rains took the win, striking out six while walking none and giving up just one earned run.
Rains also helped herself at the plate, going 4-for-4 with three RBI. Cahoone contributed a 3-for-4 effort with a double, while Brenna Riley also went 3-for-4 with two runs scored.
The Stampede fell, 4-0, to the Emporia Energy in the championship game. Hannigan took the loss, and Cahoone picked up five strikeouts in her relief outing.
Flint Hills managed just three hits in the final game.
For the tournament, Rains led the way with two wins in the circle, 18 strikeouts, and a .727 average at the plate. Cahoone (.583) and Riley (.533) also finished the weekend batting over .500. Burton had a combined six RBI as well.
The Stampede’s next action comes this weekend in the Emporia Energy Tournament.
Chase Co. baseball team takes State honors
Five members of the Chase County baseball team picked up postseason honors earlier this week.
Second baseman Brian Palermo, outfielder Cole Starkey and pitcher Shawn Talkington all were named Class 2A first-team All-State, while first baseman Greg Davis took second-team honors and catcher Nate Phipps was an honorable mention selection.
Palermo took the state’s Triple Crown, leading all classes in home runs (7), RBI (46) and batting average (.634).
Starkey hit .444 with 42 runs scored, while Talkington finished with a 7-1 record, compiling a 1.05 earned-run average. He also recorded 94 strikeouts.
Davis hit .457 with 40 RBI, and Phipps added a .409 average with 16 RBI.
Palermo and Starkey will play in the State High School All-Star Game at Kansas State on June 11. CCHS coach Jay Talkington also has been named an assistant coach for their team.
• Attention summer league coaches! Submit your summer league youth baseball and softball results to The Emporia Gazette after each game. All you need to do is write up a short summary of the game and e-mail it to sports@emporiagazette.com. All leagues are welcome to submit articles.