South Dakota Fusion Black Wins SEFSA Memorial

Sioux Falls SD-June 21-22

They say luck is when preparation meets opportunity. South Dakota Fusion Black used some of each to squeak out a win in the all South Dakota Fusion Sioux Empire Fastpitch Softball Association Memorial championship game late Sunday afternoon.

Fusion Black started off the tournament Saturday with a pair of wins that advanced them quickly to within one game of Sunday's championship.

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Sunday afternoon's first match up brought the Black face to face with longtime rival Sioux Falls Heat, who had also gone undefeated Saturday. Fusion went up 4-0 early, but the Heat caught fire and battled back to tie the game. Fusion managed to push in two runs late in the contest to get the 6-4 win and advance to the championship game.

In the championship game, Fusion Black faced our Fusion Orange team, who had been battling back since early in the day, knocking off nearly every other team and arriving ready to scrap for the title.

Fusion Orange scored the first run of the game early, and then added another in the middle innings to go up 2-0.

Despite Alison Daly's near home run in the first inning, it took Fusion Black until the fifth inning to score when they were finally able to push two across against the Orange's stingy defense to tie the game at 2-2. Time was winding down in the sixth when Fusion Black's Laura Hurley doubled down the third base line. Black's Kayla Taylor then hit a rocket to Fusion Orange shortstop Carly Peterson who fielded the ball cleanly and threw Taylor out at first. In the meantime, Hurley was diving for third base and as Fusion Orange attempted to throw her out in a close play, the ball got by, Hurley snapped to her feet and scored the winning run.

Following the game, players from both teams crowded together for pictures in what our whole organization hopes will happen many more times...an all South Dakota Fusion final.

Fusion Black will be back in action again over the July 4th weekend for the Ringneck Invitational in Sioux Falls.