Fusion 12U Finishes 2nd At Quakes Tournament

The SD Fusion 12U team began its season in the 2008 Mizuno Quakes Classic tournament in Omaha, NE on April 26-27.

Pool play began on Saturday with the girls facing the 2007 State Champions from Nebraska, the Nebraska Blue Diamonds. Although the Fusion was able to score a run in the top of the first inning, the bases were left loaded. The Diamonds went on to tie the game in the second inning and scored 2 more unearned runs in the fourth inning, eventually winning 4-1. Regan Sheldon pitched a very effective game for the first outing of the year.

The second game saw the Fusion battling the Suburban Pride squad from Omaha. We were able to score runs early, and behind a solid pitching performance from Anna Nichols, the defense showed how the early season practices are beginning to take hold in a 6-0 Fusion victory.

The day’s final pool play game came against the tournament host team Omaha Quakes. The pitching duties were shared between game 2 winner Anna Nichols and game one starter, Regan Sheldon. Once again the defense was very solid, and timely hitting led by Michaela Mayer’s hook slide triple provided enough fire power to fuel a 9-3 victory. The 2-1 pool play record was good enough for the 2nd seed in the overall tournament standings.

In-climate weather forced the cancellation of play in single elimination games on Sunday morning, leaving the Fusion facing the Nebraska Blue Diamonds in the championship. A very tight game through 3 innings slipped away in the fourth and fifth, with unearned runs ultimately being the undoing in a championship game loss.

A chilly 4 game start to the season provided a second place tournament finish and a national tournament birth for the Fusion. The Brandon Early Bird Tournament the weekend of May 17-18 is the next action for the organization’s youngest squad.

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