ALBANY - The Six Rivers West All-Star softball team bashed its way to an All-Star doubleheader sweep of the East squad Wednesday night at Albany.
The West All-Stars completed the sweep by tattooing the East for 22-3 and 9-1 wins.
"I just told them we didn't come down to lose," said West coach Wade Winkers of River Ridge. "My girls definitely know I didn't come here to lose. We came down here to represent the West. Bottom line is it's an exhibition game and we had a good time."
The West pounded out 21 hits in the first game and had six-run innings in the first, fourth and fifth, batting around the order each time.
"They came out and just raked," Winkers said. "It was pretty amazing."
The nail in the first game's proverbial coffin came in the fifth inning, when River Ridge's Trinity Breuer blasted a two-run homer over the portable potties and a car in center field. The big blow came when Alecia Montgomery crushed a grand slam to left.
"It felt really good after I struck out the first time," Breuer said. "It felt good to hit the ball. We got the timing down really quick. We were just ready to rip into the ball."
Montgomery was a hitting machine with runners in scoring position, spraying the ball all over the field and leading the West by going 3-for-4 with six RBI and a home run, finishing just a triple shy of the cycle.
Montgomery was speechless after the game.
"I don't know what to say," she said. "It was just right down the middle. It felt like it was over."
The West had six other players with multi-hit games, including Kelly Koelker (4-for-5), Jenna Buss (3-for-4, two RBI and four runs scored), Breuer (3-for-4, two RBI and three runs scored), Ashlee Kirschbaum (2-for-4, two RBI), Katie Kluesner (2-for-3, three RBI) and Tia Niffenegger (2-for-4).
"They were not shy," East coach Connie Wunschel said. "They were going after the first pitch. You really couldn't do anything to stop them."
Wunschel stressed the last prep fastpitch softball games were about having fun with competitors who became teammates.
"It wasn't about winning the game," Wunschel said. "It was to bring everyone together and have some fun."
The East struck right away in the first inning in the nightcap of the doubleheader. Albany's Tara Walz, who was 2-for-2, singled with one out. Fellow departing Comet Amy Golz walked to set up a scoring opportunity. The East capitalized when Argyle graduate Kelli Fischer delivered a two-out RBI single.
The West answered in its half of the first when Walz gave up back-to-back doubles to Breuer and Kirschbaum to tie the score. Walz sailed through the next two innings, retiring six straight.
"It was nice to see her pitching as well as she has all year," Wunschel said.
The game was locked in a 1-1 tie until a dreaded eight-run fourth that saw the West bat around the order again. Breuer led off with a single. One batter later, Niffenegger singled. Kirschbaum reached on a fielder's choice. Both runners moved into scoring position after a wild pitch. Becky Myers reached on a fielder's choice, when Kirschbaum scored the go-ahead run by beating a play at the plate. Montgomery and Brooke Morrissey delivered RBI-singles to extend the West's lead to 5-1. The dagger in the fourth came on Buss' three-run triple. Buss also raced around third to score on a wild throw to give West a 9-1 bulge.
"The score doesn't really show what was going on," Wunschel said. "We just couldn't quite finish."
Morrissey of Belmont pitched two complete games to earn both wins. She gave up three runs on six hits in the first game, while striking out three and walking two. She pitched a three-hitter in the second game and gave up just one run.
"I think any team in the East would gladly take her to pitch for them," Winkers said.
The West All-Stars completed the sweep by tattooing the East for 22-3 and 9-1 wins.
"I just told them we didn't come down to lose," said West coach Wade Winkers of River Ridge. "My girls definitely know I didn't come here to lose. We came down here to represent the West. Bottom line is it's an exhibition game and we had a good time."
The West pounded out 21 hits in the first game and had six-run innings in the first, fourth and fifth, batting around the order each time.
"They came out and just raked," Winkers said. "It was pretty amazing."
The nail in the first game's proverbial coffin came in the fifth inning, when River Ridge's Trinity Breuer blasted a two-run homer over the portable potties and a car in center field. The big blow came when Alecia Montgomery crushed a grand slam to left.
"It felt really good after I struck out the first time," Breuer said. "It felt good to hit the ball. We got the timing down really quick. We were just ready to rip into the ball."
Montgomery was a hitting machine with runners in scoring position, spraying the ball all over the field and leading the West by going 3-for-4 with six RBI and a home run, finishing just a triple shy of the cycle.
Montgomery was speechless after the game.
"I don't know what to say," she said. "It was just right down the middle. It felt like it was over."
The West had six other players with multi-hit games, including Kelly Koelker (4-for-5), Jenna Buss (3-for-4, two RBI and four runs scored), Breuer (3-for-4, two RBI and three runs scored), Ashlee Kirschbaum (2-for-4, two RBI), Katie Kluesner (2-for-3, three RBI) and Tia Niffenegger (2-for-4).
"They were not shy," East coach Connie Wunschel said. "They were going after the first pitch. You really couldn't do anything to stop them."
Wunschel stressed the last prep fastpitch softball games were about having fun with competitors who became teammates.
"It wasn't about winning the game," Wunschel said. "It was to bring everyone together and have some fun."
The East struck right away in the first inning in the nightcap of the doubleheader. Albany's Tara Walz, who was 2-for-2, singled with one out. Fellow departing Comet Amy Golz walked to set up a scoring opportunity. The East capitalized when Argyle graduate Kelli Fischer delivered a two-out RBI single.
The West answered in its half of the first when Walz gave up back-to-back doubles to Breuer and Kirschbaum to tie the score. Walz sailed through the next two innings, retiring six straight.
"It was nice to see her pitching as well as she has all year," Wunschel said.
The game was locked in a 1-1 tie until a dreaded eight-run fourth that saw the West bat around the order again. Breuer led off with a single. One batter later, Niffenegger singled. Kirschbaum reached on a fielder's choice. Both runners moved into scoring position after a wild pitch. Becky Myers reached on a fielder's choice, when Kirschbaum scored the go-ahead run by beating a play at the plate. Montgomery and Brooke Morrissey delivered RBI-singles to extend the West's lead to 5-1. The dagger in the fourth came on Buss' three-run triple. Buss also raced around third to score on a wild throw to give West a 9-1 bulge.
"The score doesn't really show what was going on," Wunschel said. "We just couldn't quite finish."
Morrissey of Belmont pitched two complete games to earn both wins. She gave up three runs on six hits in the first game, while striking out three and walking two. She pitched a three-hitter in the second game and gave up just one run.
"I think any team in the East would gladly take her to pitch for them," Winkers said.
