By By GREG KATSKI
Staff Writer
The Washington 12U Babe Ruth softball all-star team came up just short of scoring a huge upset win over World Series defending champion Hamilton, N.J., falling 13-12 in eight innings.
The all-stars found themselves in a 9-1 hole after two innings of play, before mounting a huge comeback to take the lead in the top of the third, 10-9.
Catie Dority started the rally, as she does so often, with a slap bunt single to third base. Haley Wright doubled to left center, moving Dority to third. No. 3 hitter Adrianna Tyson followed with a double down the left field line, scoring Dority and Wright. Kelsey Lang reached first on an error before Kaylee Jackson singled to left, scoring Tyson. Hutchins followed with an RBI groundout, then Anna Hardison executed a slap hit single to the Hamilton, N.J. pitcher. Hudson singled to deep short, scoring Jackson before Dority walked in her second at-bat of the inning. Wright hit a shot to the wall, plating Hardison and Hudson. Tyson got her second double of the inning down the left field line, scoring Dority and Wright.
Hamilton, N.J., showed the resolve of a champion, bouncing back with a run in the bottom of the frame to tie the game at 10. Washington scored two more of its own in the top of the fourth to go up 12-10 before Hamilton, N.J. tacked on a run in the fifth and sixth innings to send the game to extra innings at 12-12.
Hamilton, N.J., scored the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the eight after a player belted a ball to the base of the left field fence to easily score a runner on second.
Washington can still advance to the 2009 World Series tournament, which starts later this week, with a win over Lodi, Ca., on Monday at 11 a.m. and at least one win by Hamilton, N.J. in its last two games of pool play.
“There’s still a lot of fight left in the team,” said Washington Babe Ruth softball league president Greg Dority.
Lang took the tough luck loss for the all-stars, giving up nine hits and notching two strikeouts while pitching the first, second, fifth, seventh and eighth innings.
Hutchins came on in relief of Lang in the third, but was limited to three innings after going six strong against southeast Denver, Colo., on Friday night. She gave up five hits and had two strikeouts.
Wright was Washington’s Player of the Game for her efforts on the night, and Tyson continued to swing a hot stick, going 2-for-5 with four RBI.
“It was a heck of a game,” Dority said.