ALLENTOWN, Pa. – After going 1-1-1 in pool play Saturday, the Frenchville Her-a-canes 18-and-under fast-pitch softball team swept four games Sunday to win the United States Sports Specialty Association Fall Kickoff.
A dozen teams from three states participated in the USSSA 2008 World Series Qualifier.
The Her-a-canes, managed by Dan Rowles and Dean Lansberry, opened their first tourney of the fall with a 4-1 victory over the Mavericks of Montgomery Township, N.J., behind the no-hit pitching of Mandy Rowles of Frenchville. The Clearfield Area High School junior struck out six and drove in two runs. Lyndz Kephart of Munson and Philipsburg-Osceola Area High School added a single and a double.
Game two against the Jersey Renegades of West Milford, N.J., ended in a 4-4 tie. Both teams also were even in hits with six apiece. Cydnee Sankey of Brisbin and Moshannon Valley High School and Sharielle Wray of Mifflintown each had two singles, and Rowles drove in two runs. Holly Lansberry of Curwensville pitched a complete game with five strikeouts.
The Blue Thunder of Warrington then tagged the Her-a-canes with their lone defeat behind the three-hit pitching of Nikki Nuttal. Ashley Demchak of Curwensville accounted for two of the safeties. Rowles was tagged with the loss, giving up six hits and striking out four.
Saturday\’s records determined the seeding for single-elimination play on Sunday, and the Her-a-canes began their path to the title with a 4-1 victory over the Lady Orioles from Glen Burnie, Md. Lansberry hurled a two-hitter with six strikeouts, and Rowles had two of the winners\’ six singles.
Rowles followed up with another two-hitter for a 5-0 shutout against the North Penn Eclipse from Lansdale. The right-hander struck out seven. The Her-a-canes were limited to four hits, one a triple by Lansberry. Kephart had a pair of RBIs.
In the semifinals, the Her-a-canes exploded for 12 hits and Lansberry turned in a seven-strikeout, five-hit shutout to sideline the Jersey Renegades 7-0. Lansberry paced the attack with three singles, while Rowles, Demchak and Wray chipped in two hits apiece. Rowles, who belted a triple, and Demchak each drove in two runs.
Revenge was a factor in the championship game, as the Her-a-canes collected seven hits against Nuttal and two Blue Thunder relievers for a convincing 9-2 triumph. Leading 2-0, the champs broke the game open with seven runs in the fourth inning to make Rowles a winner. She gave up six hits and had six strikeouts.
Leading the way at the plate were Rowles with a singled and triple, Sankey with two singles and Alanna Luzier of Clearfield with a double. They also had two runs batted in apiece.
Bekka Leitzel and Emily Mitchell of Ridgway were the other members of the team.
