July 3, 2005 - 18U Texas Sting Gold coached by Rick Bentley and 18U Arizona East Valley
Pride met in a pm Saturday game in the Silver Bracket at Olympic Park in Westminster,
Colorado to decide who would advance to the Looser Bracket Championship game. Texas
Sting Gold reached the game by defeating
CS Express National from Alabama
(10-3), Texas Explosion (14-0),
California Tornados (9-3), loosing to the SMI Texas
Steelers (0-1), beating Washington Rainer Jets (4-3).
Texas Sting Gold finished the highest of any Texas team in the Sparkler, Fireworks or Louisville
Slugger in Colorado during the fourth of
July weekend this summer. Texas Sting's 4th place finish was better than the 5th or
6th place finish by Impact Gold at the Fireworks or the 7th or the 8th place finish by the Houston
Power at the Louisville Slugger in Boulder.
Arizona East Valley Pride broke the shut-out in the 3rd inning. Gabbie Wydogen led off
the inning with a line drive single to center field. Pitcher Debbie Shisler then reached
1st base on a bunt single. Michelle Pulsipher struck-out for out No. 1. Short stop
Kalie Germaine walked to load the bases. Amy Gaines then hit a the ball up the middle
bringing home Gabbie and Debbie for a 2-0 lead. Pitcher Lauren Highsmith then struck-out
Taylor Hoffman and got Dana Johnson to ground out to her for the last two outs of the inning.
Texas Sting tried to rally in the 5th inning. With two outs, Erica Acosta from Tomball, Texas
reached 1st base safely on an error by the short stop. Michelle Ege singled to right field.
Lisa Bentley reached 1st base on an error by the pitcher and Erica scored on the play to bring
the score to 2-1 in favor of Arizona East Valley Pride. Amy Pizzitola flied out to center
fielder Michelle Pulsipher to end the inning.
Lauren Highsmith pitched the whole game for the Texas Sting. This was her
6th game of the tournament and she was quite tired.
Lauren finished the tournament with a
6-2 win-loss record. College Sports Exposure radar Lauren throwing between 59 and 60 mph
in this game. In prior games in the Sparkler, Lauren was radared between 61 and 63 mph. Lauren
is primarily a rise ball and screw ball pitcher but sprinkles in a curve ball, change and turn-over drop.
Her screw ball is her go-to-pitch when she is behind in the count. Lauren struck-out 7 batters, walked
two batters and gave-up 6 hits in this
game.
Debbie Shisler, Kalie Germaine, Amy Gaines and Gabbie Wydogen got the five hits for the
Arizona East Valley Pride. Debbie had a bunt single in the 3rd inning and another single in the gap
between 3rd base & short stop in the 6th inning. Kalie hit a line drive in teh gap between 3rd base and
short stop for a single in the 5th inning. Amy had a 2 RBI single up the middle in the 3rd inning.
Gabbie had a line drive single up the middle in the 3rd inning and another single in the gap between
3rd and short stop in the 6th inning.
Debbie Shisler pitched all six innings for Arizona East Valley Pride. Debbie struck-out 4 batters, walked one
and gave-up 4 hits.
2nd Baseman Izzy Glowney, short stop Lexi Stephens and Michelle Ege got the four hits. Izzy led off with a single
up the middle in the 1st inning. Michelle hit a line drive single up the middle in the 1st inning and singled
to right field in the 5th inning. Lexi singled in the 3rd inning.
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