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June 9, 2002 - This weekend in Killeen, 33 teams
competed for the right to play in the 18U Gold Nationals to be held at in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma during July 29-August 4. Paradise Valley, Colorado Comets and Fear This captured the three available berths for the National Tournament.
Probably more important was that Fear This became the first Texas non-Greater Houston area team to qualify for a berth in the 18U Gold Nationals in at least the past 4 years.
Fear This captured at least 3rd place in the Killeen Qualifier by eliminating Phoenix Storm by a score of 1-0 in a International Tie Breaker. Fear this reached this game for at least 3rd place by beating Texas Storm Gold
Friday night. Saturday, Fear This defeated Lady Wranglers, Katy Express and then lost to Paradise Valley. In the
losers bracket, Fear This easily defeated Houston Power in a Sunday 8:00 am game.
Pheonix Storm beat the Spring Klein Hawks 3-2 in a Friday night game. Saturday, Pheonix beat Texas Vipers from San Marcos and then lost to Paradise Valley. Pheonix Storm then beat Texas Storm from Houston and the Spark Plugs from Fort Worth. Sunday morning they beat the Lil Saints in a 8:00 am game.
The game between Fear This and Pheonix Storm went 0-0 before the tie was broke in a
International tie breaker inning. Pitching and good defense were responsible for the close game.
Nicoles Denes (Oklahoma Signee) was the pitcher for Fear This. She pitched the whole game. Nicole had 6 strike-outs in the 8 inning game. She walked two batters and gave up 3 singles. Nicole pitches were
radar between 58 and 62 mph.
Courtnay Foster pitched the whole game for Phoenix Storm. She was more impressive than Nicole, striking-out 13 Fear This batters in 8 innings. She gave up one intentional walk and scattered 4 hits. Courtnay pitches were
radar between 57 and 59 mph.
In the International Tie Breaker Inning, Pheonix Storm batted first. Michelle Lemons started at 2nd base. Adrienne Acton popped up to 3rd baseman Jessica Rodgers for out No. 1. Katie Logan popped up to catcher Melaney Torres for out No. 2. Megan Schwab popped up to the right fielder for out No. 3.
Mary Jane Callahan started at 2nd base for Fear This. Pheonix Storm intentionally walked Falon Kwasnick. Rachelle Corriddi laid down a sacrifice bunt. Courtnay Foster fielded the ball and threw to the second baseman covering first base to get the out. The second baseman then threw the ball in the dirt to the short stop covering 2nd base trying to get Falon. Mary Jane scored on the throwing
error to win the game.
Katie Logan led Pheonix Storm with two singles. One in the 1st inning and the other in the 6th inning. Adrienne Acton and Shannon Carmien hit the other two singles.
Falon Kwasnick led the Fear This Hitting attack. Falon had a single in the 1st inning and a triple in the 5th inning. Nicole Denes hit a single to left field in the 6th inning. Jessica Rodgers hit a line drive single to right field in the 4th inning.
Fear This joins the Katy Cruisers as the only two Texas teams qualified for 18U Gold Nationals in this early part of the summer season. The Katy Cruisers qualified by winning the 18U Gold National Championship last summer in Marietta, Georgia. The Cruisers are the 2001 and 2002 National Champions.
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