Hollister finishes with a 3-3 record in Nationals
The Hollister Heat 12U softball team came within a passed ball from placing in the top 10 in the ASA Nationals in Moline, Ill last week.
The Heat (3-3) finished in 17th place out of 80 teams after losing their final two games of the tournament.
“If you would have asked me at the start of the year if I would take 17th in the nation, I probably would have said ‘yeah,'” said manager Todd Freitas. “But playing in the fourth round in the winner’s bracket and losing on a passed ball is tough. I thought it was a good finish considering it is the first time a Hollister 12A team has been there.”
On Friday against the Texas Heat, the Texans scored a run in the first inning to win 1-0.
But Hollister had its chances though. Mary Luna hit a double in the second inning but was stranded. In the fourth inning, Kourtney Kientzy drew a one-out walk and was sacrifice bunted to second by Marissa Ibarra but was also stranded.
In the sixth inning, J.C. Clayton singled but was thrown out stealing second on the next pitch after a perfect throw.
“I wanted to have two chances to try to tie it up,” said Freitas on the decision to send his speedster. “It was the first time she has been thrown out all year. She is my main threat on the basepaths.”
In the seventh, Kientzy reached on an error and was moved over to second on a sacrifice bunt by Luna. But Kientzy was left at second as the game ended.
“There is no doubt in my mind that we beat that team in extra innings because I felt we were a better team,” Freitas said.
In the final game against the Tampa Mustangs, of Florida, Hollister lost 7-3.
“We just didn’t play good defense,” Freitas said.
After Tampa scored two unearned runs in the first inning, Hollister came back and tied the score in the third.
Luna, Kientzy and Ibarra walked to set the table for Bre Fata, who hit a long two-run double.
The back-breaking hit of the day came in the fifth inning when the Tampa No. 4 batter hit a three-run home run.
Hollister scored its final run in the sixth inning. Kientzy was hit by a pitch. Ibarra reached on a fielder’s choice and then scored on a double by Chelsea Freitas.
“When you go down to the loser’s bracket, that very next game is the hardest game you have to play in a double-elimination tournament,” Freitas said. “And we just didn’t play well.”
The Heat finished their season with a 68-18-3 record.
