Sweeney’s girls win Pool B
By: Sean Moylan
Blessed with the hardest-hitting team in the District 12 Little League Softball Tournament’s Pool B, the Florence 12-year-old Little League All-Stars earned the top seed in its pool with a 3-1 record.
Florence allowed just 15 runs in 19 innings to grab the top spot. Florence was scheduled to have played Washington, another team with powerful hitters, in its Final 4 opener. All the Final 4 games will be played at Florence.
Florence opened the tournament with a 12-6 rain-shortened win at West Windsor on June 27.
Florence spotted West Windsor a 5-1 lead before erupting for 11 runs in the bottom of the third to take total control of the game. Nearly Florence’s entire lineup got the job done with the bats. Gina Bruno (two steals, two hits, two runs, RBI), Megan Goodspeed (2-for-3 with a stolen base and two runs), Shannon Sweeney (two hits, two runs, two RBI), Carey Million (two hits, two RBI and run), Brielle Meyers (two hits, two runs and three RBI), Kate Reed (two hits and run), Courtney Grubb (hit, three RBI and run) and Heather Horner (run and RBI) all had great days at the plate as Florence pounded out 13 hits.
Sweeney earned the win, pitching a four-inning complete game while fanning five batters and walking just three along the way.
"She (Sweeney) got the job done," said Sweeney, whose team simply clobbered a very good softball club.
Florence creamed Allentown 10-0 in a four-inning game played at Lawrence. Kate Reed struck out eight and allowed just one hit in her complete game shutout win. Florence batters drew 10 walks and they took advantage of several Allentown errors. Million and Goodspeed each swiped two bases, scored twice and had a hit and a run batted in. Horner, who played catcher, stole a pair of bases, had a hit and scored a run as well. Bruno scored two runs while Meyers, Reed and Sadler each crossed the plate once.
"Reed did a real good job (pitching)," said Sweeney. "Offensively, we struggled because their pitcher threw real slow and walked a lot of batters."
On Saturday, West Windsor beat Florence, 8-4, at Allentown, as a close play at third base in the top of the fourth seemed to changed the whole complexion of what was shaping up to be a very close contest.
In the top of the first frame, Goodspeed reached on a one-out error, stole second and went to third on an overthrow, before scoring on Sweeney’s smash single down the left-field line which staked Florence to an early 1-0 lead.
The game was very uncharacteristic of Florence, which is usually sharp in the field, as several errors and a few passed balls led to five of the eight runs Million surrendered being unearned. West Windsor scored an unearned run in the bottom of the second on an infield hit and a combination of wild pitches and passed balls. After Million recorded two quick outs to start the second, West Windsor went on to score four runs (three unearned) in that frame and it added a run in the third to take a 6-1 lead.
However, Grubb smacked a hard single to left in the second and Million cracked a sharp single to right in the third. Florence was hitting the ball very hard with very little to show for it. But in the fourth frame it started to get things going. Reed reached on a one-out walk, swiped second and moved to third on Grubb’s single. Then Sadler plated a run with a shot to center.
"I just step before the pitcher releases the ball and follow through," said Sadler, describing her approach at the plate.
Bruno followed Sadler’s big hit with a two-run double to center. She then attempted to steal third but was called out on a close play at third that drew loud boos from the Florence side.
"I was really excited (with the hit) I knew we’d start a rally," said Bruno, who was upset with the call at third. "I thought I was safe."
Sweeney, however, did not argue the call because he was concerned that Bruno might have been hurt by the high tag on her head on the play and was tending to her. Despite the Goodspeed walk that followed, Florence could never quite get its momentum back after the big play at third.
"I thought we might come back," said Sweeney, whose team had made much bigger comebacks versus West Windsor in past District 12 games. "But it was just one of those days."
Then on Sunday, Florence beat Lawrence, 4-1, at Florence.
"The whole team contributed to the win," said Sweeney.
Million walked and later scored Florence’s first run on a delayed steal of home.
With the score knotted a 1-1 in the top of the sixth, Bruno, Goodspeed and Sweeney walked and Million drove in Florence’s second run of the game with a line drive hit. Meyers drove in another run with an infield single and Florence scored another insurance run on an error.
Grubb hit a shot in the game and made a great play at second. Horner started the game in right where she made two great catches before shifting over to center, where she gunned down a runner at second. Sweeney tossed a mini masterpiece to pick up the win as she allowed just one run while pitching a complete game. She just does what it takes to win as all great players do. Florence had just three hits but it made them count. This is a dangerous Florence club because it’s capable of wiping out any size deficit.