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Chatham Rage finishes 5th in ASA 16U Eastern Nationals
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| The Chatham Rage team is pictured with the trophy they won after placing fifth in the ASA 16U Eastern Nationals in Virgina recently. (Contributed photo) |
The Chatham Rage fast pitch softball team finished fifth overall in the 2009 ASA 16U Eastern Nationals hosted in Sterling, Va. The 11-player roster, made up of girls from Chatham, Ichabod Crane and Columbia high schools, have been playing together for more than two years.
To gain an invitation to the national tournament, a team must finish first or second in the state qualifier and have demonstrated the ability to play at a higher level, according to Rage Manager Brian Lossow. The Rage team qualified at the Pine Bush tournament in July by finishing first place, which qualified them for Nationals. During Nationals, the Rage team played a total of nine games to get to the semi-final round.
On day one, the Rage team was seeded with three very tough teams from New Jersey, Maryland and Ohio in pool 7. The first game was against the Maryland Shooting Stars and the girls were a bit nervous, but kept the game close; the Rage came away with its first loss 0-1.
The next game was against the NJ Impact. The Rage scored seven runs and 10 hits, including a three-run home run by Lindsey Drumm. The final score was 7-0 Rage, seeding the team second in the pool, said Lossow.
On the second day, the team was paired up with the local favorite, the Virginia Crushers. “Jess VanAlphen started in the circle and quickly worked her way through the line up striking out seven and allowing only two hits,” according to Lossow. “The Rage offense hit the ball hard and capitalized on a few errors to finish the game ahead, 3-0 Rage.”
The next game matched the girls up against the Maryland HotShots. “The Rage offense was silenced through the first six innings, but then came alive in the seventh to score three runs. However, it was an inning too late and the Rage lost 5-3 sending them to fight through the loser bracket,” commented Lossow.
“On day three, the Rage girls looked at the enormous hill they had to climb to get back to finals and started down a path that would require them to win five games in a row to play on Sunday. The weather was going to be in the 90s and physical conditioning would play a huge part in being successful,” said Lossow. Head Coach Greg Stever, Coach Rich VanAlphen and Coach Mark Zander had been training the girls the previous three weeks to get them ready for just such a day, according to Lossow.
The day started with the Rage team facing a team from their own state, the Rochester Lady Lions. They were an older team and had some very experienced players, but once again, VanAlphen took the circle for the Rage and pitched the game of her life, striking out 13 and allowing four hits. The Rage defense played flawless with no errors and turning two double plays. The more experienced Lady Lions tried aggressive base running only to be shut down by rage catcher Aimee Palleschi throwing out anyone that tried to steal. The offense was sparked by Brittany Hart, Jenna Smith and Drumm, each with a pair of hits, but with the Rage team tied 2-2 in the bottom of the seventh, Sarah Patzwahl had the hit of the tournament, driving the ball deep into right field scoring Smith. The final score was 3-2 Rage.
As the temperature reached 88 degrees by 10 a.m., the Rage girls faced the Lyndhurst Outback team for game two. The Rage quickly scored four runs in the top of the first to put the Outback team in the hole. Rage pitcher Erin Wadsworth took to the circle and contained the Outback hitting machine with seven strike outs. Christy Zander, Patzwahl, Wadsworth and Courtney Mesick each had a pair of hits to drive in 11 runs. Hart hit a pair of 200-plus-foot home run shots to go 3-5 for the game. The final score was 11–6 Rage.
“Game three was against the Ohio Stingers, the biggest 16U team we have ever seen,” said Lossow. The Rage girls battled back and forth for the first three innings until Brittany Lossow led off with a double deep in the left field gap followed by another double by VanAlphen. Some aggressive base running and small ball scored four runs in the bottom of the inning to give the Rage girls a 4-0 led. The Stingers answered back with three runs of their own to come within one run. Lossow, Hart, VanAlphen and Patzwahl all came back with singles to score another three runs to finish the game 7-4 Rage.
For game four, the Rage faced off against the Maryland Shooting Stars, which they had already lost to during this tournament. During the team meeting before the game, Coach VanAlphen told the girls “you have to want it, you have to dig deep.” It was 94 degrees and they had already played 21 innings of softball.
Wadsworth took the circle and pitched like it was the last game of her career and what a game, said Lossow. The Rage defense played flawless again, allowing only two hits and no errors. When the Rage offense came up to bat for the first inning, Coach Stever told the girls once again to “dig deep.” The Rage girls “hammered” the ball, scoring 15 hits, with every girl hitting on the team. Drumm’s second home run of the tournament put the finishing touches on a shutout — Rage 11, Stars 0.
By the fifth, the Rage girls had played 28 innings in 90-plus degree heat and had two injured players (Sawyer and Smith). The Miami Vipers were a quality team that had just been beaten in the semi-finals of the winner’s bracket and now had to face the Rage team that had just sent four teams home.
“The Vipers had fresh legs and put the Rage girls behind in the third inning, we had nothing left, one bad inning cost us the game and knocked us out, but the Rage was one of five teams standing after three days of games,” said Lossow.
The Girls were awarded the fifth place trophy for the 2009 Eastern Nationals.
The Rage pitchers struck out 54 batters and the offense scored 45 runs with four home runs — the most of any team in the tournament.
“Rage’s third basemen Karsyn Sawyer — she has heart. Playing third base on a girl’s fast pitch team is one of the hardest positions on the field and Karsyn is the best. Sawyer played flawless and was injured in game two on Friday, but kept playing through the next five games. By the fifth game, she could barely walk onto the field but somehow ‘dug deep’ and never wavered,” noted Lossow.
The Rage team thanks all of its supporters, sponsors, coaches, parents and fans.
To gain an invitation to the national tournament, a team must finish first or second in the state qualifier and have demonstrated the ability to play at a higher level, according to Rage Manager Brian Lossow. The Rage team qualified at the Pine Bush tournament in July by finishing first place, which qualified them for Nationals. During Nationals, the Rage team played a total of nine games to get to the semi-final round.
On day one, the Rage team was seeded with three very tough teams from New Jersey, Maryland and Ohio in pool 7. The first game was against the Maryland Shooting Stars and the girls were a bit nervous, but kept the game close; the Rage came away with its first loss 0-1.
The next game was against the NJ Impact. The Rage scored seven runs and 10 hits, including a three-run home run by Lindsey Drumm. The final score was 7-0 Rage, seeding the team second in the pool, said Lossow.
On the second day, the team was paired up with the local favorite, the Virginia Crushers. “Jess VanAlphen started in the circle and quickly worked her way through the line up striking out seven and allowing only two hits,” according to Lossow. “The Rage offense hit the ball hard and capitalized on a few errors to finish the game ahead, 3-0 Rage.”
The next game matched the girls up against the Maryland HotShots. “The Rage offense was silenced through the first six innings, but then came alive in the seventh to score three runs. However, it was an inning too late and the Rage lost 5-3 sending them to fight through the loser bracket,” commented Lossow.
“On day three, the Rage girls looked at the enormous hill they had to climb to get back to finals and started down a path that would require them to win five games in a row to play on Sunday. The weather was going to be in the 90s and physical conditioning would play a huge part in being successful,” said Lossow. Head Coach Greg Stever, Coach Rich VanAlphen and Coach Mark Zander had been training the girls the previous three weeks to get them ready for just such a day, according to Lossow.
The day started with the Rage team facing a team from their own state, the Rochester Lady Lions. They were an older team and had some very experienced players, but once again, VanAlphen took the circle for the Rage and pitched the game of her life, striking out 13 and allowing four hits. The Rage defense played flawless with no errors and turning two double plays. The more experienced Lady Lions tried aggressive base running only to be shut down by rage catcher Aimee Palleschi throwing out anyone that tried to steal. The offense was sparked by Brittany Hart, Jenna Smith and Drumm, each with a pair of hits, but with the Rage team tied 2-2 in the bottom of the seventh, Sarah Patzwahl had the hit of the tournament, driving the ball deep into right field scoring Smith. The final score was 3-2 Rage.
As the temperature reached 88 degrees by 10 a.m., the Rage girls faced the Lyndhurst Outback team for game two. The Rage quickly scored four runs in the top of the first to put the Outback team in the hole. Rage pitcher Erin Wadsworth took to the circle and contained the Outback hitting machine with seven strike outs. Christy Zander, Patzwahl, Wadsworth and Courtney Mesick each had a pair of hits to drive in 11 runs. Hart hit a pair of 200-plus-foot home run shots to go 3-5 for the game. The final score was 11–6 Rage.
“Game three was against the Ohio Stingers, the biggest 16U team we have ever seen,” said Lossow. The Rage girls battled back and forth for the first three innings until Brittany Lossow led off with a double deep in the left field gap followed by another double by VanAlphen. Some aggressive base running and small ball scored four runs in the bottom of the inning to give the Rage girls a 4-0 led. The Stingers answered back with three runs of their own to come within one run. Lossow, Hart, VanAlphen and Patzwahl all came back with singles to score another three runs to finish the game 7-4 Rage.
For game four, the Rage faced off against the Maryland Shooting Stars, which they had already lost to during this tournament. During the team meeting before the game, Coach VanAlphen told the girls “you have to want it, you have to dig deep.” It was 94 degrees and they had already played 21 innings of softball.
Wadsworth took the circle and pitched like it was the last game of her career and what a game, said Lossow. The Rage defense played flawless again, allowing only two hits and no errors. When the Rage offense came up to bat for the first inning, Coach Stever told the girls once again to “dig deep.” The Rage girls “hammered” the ball, scoring 15 hits, with every girl hitting on the team. Drumm’s second home run of the tournament put the finishing touches on a shutout — Rage 11, Stars 0.
By the fifth, the Rage girls had played 28 innings in 90-plus degree heat and had two injured players (Sawyer and Smith). The Miami Vipers were a quality team that had just been beaten in the semi-finals of the winner’s bracket and now had to face the Rage team that had just sent four teams home.
“The Vipers had fresh legs and put the Rage girls behind in the third inning, we had nothing left, one bad inning cost us the game and knocked us out, but the Rage was one of five teams standing after three days of games,” said Lossow.
The Girls were awarded the fifth place trophy for the 2009 Eastern Nationals.
The Rage pitchers struck out 54 batters and the offense scored 45 runs with four home runs — the most of any team in the tournament.
“Rage’s third basemen Karsyn Sawyer — she has heart. Playing third base on a girl’s fast pitch team is one of the hardest positions on the field and Karsyn is the best. Sawyer played flawless and was injured in game two on Friday, but kept playing through the next five games. By the fifth game, she could barely walk onto the field but somehow ‘dug deep’ and never wavered,” noted Lossow.
The Rage team thanks all of its supporters, sponsors, coaches, parents and fans.
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