Alameda Blaze 12U Win Third Championship

The Alameda Blaze 12U softball squad traveled to Pleasant Hill over the weekend of July 15, 16 and 17, and came away with their third tournament victory this season.

Friday, Game 1, Vallejo Hurricanes v. Blaze

The Blaze took an early 1-0 lead when Meida Tautalatasi led off the bottom of the first with a bunt single, and Victoria Avery drove her home with a booming double. But a fine, five-hit pitching performance by Lily Wilmot for the Blaze was spoiled when the Hurricane got three of those hits in the top of the third, scoring two runs to take a 2-1 lead. The Blaze tied it in the bottom of the sixth when Wilmot led off with a walk and Tatiana Kelly drove her home with a triple over the center fielder’s head. The game ended in a 2-2 tie, as time expired after the seventh inning.

Saturday Game 2, Blaze v. Pleasanton Panthers

The Blaze gave up three runs in the bottom of the first to the Panthers, who held on for a 5-4 victory. While the Blaze bats were coming to life (Tautalatasi, Wilmot, Bella Sheel and Kelly all had hits in the first inning), good defense held them scoreless until the top of the fourth, when they pushed across four runs. Cassie Lumpkin contributed a rally-building single, and Sheel drove in two runs with a solid double to right center. Avery also singled and drove in a run.

Saturday, Game 3, Concord Lady Hawks v. Blaze

In the Blaze’s final game in pool play, Ruby Siltanen held the Lady Hawks to one hit, and the Blaze scored 7 runs in 5 innings to take a 7-0 victory. Tautalatasi had three hits, one a double, and scored 2 runs, Maura Willow reached base twice on a single and an error and scored a run, Aliza Newman had an RBI single, and Wilmot, Avery, Kelly and Siltanen all contributed key base hits.

Sunday, Game 1, Livermore Smoke v. Blaze

The Blaze started Sunday’s single-elimination tournament with a 7-3 victory over the Smoke. Sheel had an RBI single in the bottom of the first to help offset a 2 run top of the first for the Smoke, and then the Blaze put the game away with a four-run bottom of the third. Tautalatasi started that rally with a single, Sheel reached on an error, and then consecutive hits by Avery, Kelly (a double) and Siltanen brought the runners around. The Blaze added two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth on singles by Sheel, Kelly, Newman and Lumpkin to put the game away.

Sunday, Game 2, Blaze v. East Bay Impact

The Blaze prevailed in this tightly fought semi-final game, 5-4, in extra innings. The Impact took a 2-0 lead in the first, but the Blaze scratched out a run in the second and fourth to tie the game. Kelly had a triple to deep left center to lead off the second, and Newman and Willow both added singles (Willow getting the RBI). In the fourth, Willow got her second hit of the game to move Siltanen, who had reached on an error, to third, where she scored on a wild pitch. Both teams scored a run in the fifth, which Tautalatasi leading off with a triple to center, so the game was tied at the end of regulation.

Using international tie-breaking rules (a runner starts the inning at 2nd base), the Blaze scored two in the seventh inning as Wilmot reached on an error that scored Tautalatasi, and Avery hit a rocket to left that went for a triple and scored Wilmot. In the bottom of the seventh, the Impact scored a run and had runners on second and third with no one out, when Sarah Mahler made a twisting, over the shoulder catch of a short pop-up behind second and turned it into a double play, tossing to the covering Kelly at second to get the Impact runner.

Sunday, Game 3, Union City United v. Blaze

The Blaze posted a 9-0 win over the United to win the championship game. Siltanen pitched another outstanding game, giving up only 3 hits, and the entire Blaze lineup contributed key hits. Avery, Siltanen and Newman each had two hit games, Kelly and Newman had RBI singles in a 4-run first, and the team batted around in a 5-run third to secure the championship.