Hollister won its first game in the bracket and is 2-1
overall
The Hollister Heat 12U team have put themselves in a good position to make a run at a championship in the ASA Nationals in Moline, Ill this week.
After going 1-1 in pool play, the Heat won their first game of the double-elimination bracket and face the Untouchables, from Southern California, tonight at 6 p.m. Central Standard time.
The Untouchables, who finished first in their pool and have a 3-0 record, defeated the Heat 3-1 in a tournament earlier this year. The Heat team members plan to go to the movies together today to try to keep cool before the game, said manager Todd Freitas.
Finishing second in their pool pitted them against the Texas Panthers, also a No. 2 seed, on Wednesday. The Heat won 4-2 in their first bracket game thanks to a late rally.
Hollister was going into the sixth inning down 2-1 but quickly got something going after a leadoff triple by Mary Luna.
Vanessa Santoya walked and was moved over on a sacrifice bunt by Bre Fata. And Vanessa Farias singled to drive in a run. After Courtney Scarlett was hit by a pitch to load the bases, J.C. Clayton walked to force in the second run.
Chelsea Freitas hit a line drive off the first baseman’s leg. Freitas was out at first but still managed to get the final run in.
Hollister scored its first run in the third inning. Freitas led off the inning with a walk. Kourtney Kientzy moved her over with a sacrifice, and Marissa Ibarra doubled. Texas answered in the bottom of the inning to score two runs with two singles.
Sarah Solis pitched five innings, and Ibarra closed it out.
The second game against the Texas Gold on Tuesday, which was scoreless after two innings, eventually had to be postponed because of a good old-fashioned lightning storm. After a long rain delay, the decision was made to finish the game on Wednesday morning.
With the international tie-breaker rule in place in the seventh inning, the Texas Gold put across two runs to win 4-2. Hollister had a chance to score in the bottom of the inning with the bases loaded and no out.
Scarlett started the inning at second base for the Heat. Clayton walked, and Freitas had a bunt single. But all three were stranded.
Hollister took the lead in the second after Luna singled and was sacrificed to second with a bunt from Santoya. Farias hit a two-out double to bring in the run. Hollister got its second run in the third inning. Kientzy walked, and Ibarra hit a two-out double.
Mary Hernandez pitched the first four innings for Hollister, and Ibarra pitched the final three.
In the first game of the tournament on Tuesday against the Oak Park Huskies from Illinois, Hollister won 1-0 behind a complete-game shutout by Ibarra.
The Heat scored its only run on an infield hit by Santoya. Kelsey Russell came in as a courtesy runner for Kientzy and crossed the plate as the winning run.
