Rain, rain, go away...
By Tom Williams
Eliminators blank Chain Reaction
In another day of rain, the Connecticut squad beat the area-based team, 3-0.
BAZETTA — Several fine defensive plays were executed Monday during the Chain Reaction-CT Eliminators PONY softball game.
Almost as impressive was the staff at the Candlelite Knolls softball complex, whose quick work with tarpaulins prevented another long day of weather delays for the national tournament.
In the third inning of the Eliminators’ 3-0 win, PONY officials ordered the tarps brought out as radar showed a heavy shower nearby.
Within an hour, the Trumbull County-based Chain Reaction and Eliminators from Connecticut were back on the field, as were the other three 12-year-old bracket play contests.
“These guys always do a fine job,” Chain Reaction coach Jim Palette said. “Most of the guys involved with softball around here do impressive work.”
For the Eliminators (4-1), the quick work was especially appreciated. Sunday, the Eliminators’ 1 p.m. game was interrupted by a thunderstorm. That game was finally completed around 6:30 p.m.
“That was beautiful today,” said Eliminators coach Doug Burger of the dozen-or-so volunteers who worked the tarps. “They were really proactive and I really love how it worked today.”
Burger also was pleased with his team’s defense which executed two double plays in the first two innings to help starting pitcher Jordyn Moquin keep Chain Reaction scoreless.
In their first at-bat, Reaction’s leadoff batter Tori Jeffries reached on an error. After Jenna Head singled, Alyssa Donald hit a fielder’s choice to shortstop Brittany Fiederline who threw to Eliminators catcher Rachel Harvey to retire Jeffries.
Harvey alertly saw Head trying for third and her throw to third baseman Nikki Bukouski was in time for the second out.
An inning later, Kelsey Palette singled and took second on a groundout. Eliminators first baseman Cassie Ruscz saw Palette make the turn past second and quickly threw to Fiederline who made the tag.
The Eliminators might have scored several more runs except for a fine fake by third baseman Palette in the second inning. Ruscz doubled to open the frame and was sacrificed to third by Taylor Burger.
Alexandra Swanson hit the ball sharply to Palette who faked a throw to first then threw to shortstop Head covering the bag. The ensuing rundown ended when catcher Tab Grinelli tagged Ruscz at the plate.
“We actually practice that,” Coach Palette said, “because nine times out of 10, that runner is going to go. If you can make that good fake to first, that girl is [almost] always off the bag.”
Fiederline’s two-out single off pitcher Stevie Taylor scored Swanson for the Eliminators’ 1-0 lead.
Ruscz’s two-out single and an error in the third inning scored Sarah Carangelo and Ali Larew for the 3-0 advantage.
Moquin scattered four hits in the five frames she pitched. Reliever Caitlin Kiene allowed no hits against the seven batters she faced.
“She started getting tired in the end,” Coach Burger said of Moquin. He called Kiene “the Tim Wakefield of softball because she throws knuckleballs. Everything just pops right up.”
Three of the Chain Reaction players are from near Ravenna while Taylor will be a seventh-grader at South Range Middle School. The rest are from around Vienna.
This year’s squad has played in several area tournaments, which is why Palette appreciates the PONY experience.
“Sometimes you’re playing the same teams over and over [so] it’s good to see teams from all over the country,” Palette said.
The Eliminators are based in Rocky Hill, Conn., (about 20 minutes from Hartford) and won two of the three games they played Monday. They are hoping to advance to the elimination round that begins Wednesday.
“We do a lot of traveling, almost 12 months a year,” Burger said. “We play in domes in the winter time. It used to be maybe six months of a commitment, but we’re almost playing all year.”
Eliminators assistant coach Bill Harvey said rain delays have eaten up much of the team’s free time in Ohio, but they are looking forward to today’s trip to Akron to watch the Team USA softball team at Firestone Stadium.
“You have some nice complexes here, especially [Boardman’s] Fields of Dreams,” Harvey said.
williams@vindy.com