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Thunder Elite still alive after 8-3 win in PONY tourney
The team needs two wins today and one Wednesday to reach the title bracket.
CANFIELD — Rachel Pico, who will be a senior at Warren JFK, struck out the first batter she faced, then she struck out the final batter she faced to squelch a late rally, as Thunder Elite posted an 8-3 victory over Damascus Hurricanes Gold in the PONY 18U national softball tournament Monday at McCune Park.
Pico, who had nine strikeouts, went into the bottom of the seventh inning with a 8-0 lead.
The Hurricanes (2-4 in the tournament) got their three runs as Rachel Stream hit a double, while Vanessa Tarver, Patty Reilman and Natalie Stempel followed with singles.
The next two batters were easy outs, but Sami Straub hit a single to put runners on second and third. Pico then struck out the losing pitcher, Danielle Naille. She struck out Stempel to start the contest.
“I thought I was doing OK,” said Pico. “We want to be one of the top two teams in our bracket to make it to the sweet 16.”
The top two teams in each of the eight brackets advance to the national championship bracket, which is single elimination.
The Thunder Elite (2-2-1 in the tournament) must win two games today and one on Wednesday to qualify for the national bracket.
“We are kind of excited now, because it shows we’re not going to quit,” Thunder Elite shortstop Krissy Cormell said.
Thunder Elite lost its opening bracket contest to Eliminators Black of Connecticut, 3-0, Monday morning, while the Hurricanes lost to Ohio Road runners 6-5.
Elite Thunder has been together for three years as a traveling team and they won five games in one day in July to win the Cranberry, Pa. tournament.
The Hurricanes (38-21 this season) have won six tournaments during the season in Virginia, Pennsylvania and Maryland.
Thunder Elite’s J.K. Kovoich hit a double, then with two outs, Britt Reynolds singled her home for a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning.
Tricia Bettura hit a single, Reynolds tripled her home and Ashley Gruber’s single drove in Reynolds to give the Thunder a 3-0 lead in the fifth.
In the sixth, Erin Seely singled, moved to second, advanced to third on a sacrifice but and scored on a wild pitch to give Elite Thunder a 4-0 lead.
The Thunder broke the game open as it sent 10 batters to the plate in the top of the 10th inning.
Bettura led off with a single, then Reynolds doubled, putting runners at second and third. Gruber followed with a three-run home run to make it 7-0.
Singles by Williams and Cormell, two fielder’s choices and a wild pitch scored Sam Michetti with the eighth Thunder run.
miller@vindy.com