A Matter Of Teamwork Coaches Of Championship Squads In Valley Softball Know The Value Of Working Together

Ask coaches of this year’s Valley Girls Softball League champions the secret of their success and, to a person the answer was teamwork.

“I was looking at it the other day trying to figure out who the star was,” said F&F Foundation’s Ron Watson of his 16-Under champs. “We were pretty balanced.”

“I think we came together as a team,” said Monica Harris of her 14-Under Burger King team.

And, said Kwik Kopy coach Dave Smith, “The girls just started coming together.”

Sunday’s finals that determined five champions in the Valley girls league were the culmination of nine days of double-elimination tournament play.

There was a change of format in that teams from the 14-Under and 12-Under leagues were divided into two tournaments instead of one.

That was the product of a midseason switch that put the stronger teams together in one division and the weaker teams in the other.

“We’re probably going to do that in the 10-Under League next year,” said league official Kathy Jackson.

Reflections on 16-Under title

The hair that was shaved after his F&F Foundation team won the 16-Under championship has grown back, and Watson had time to reflect on his season.

The team went 13-1 and has gone 41-4 with two titles and a second place in the last three years.

“And we were the youngest team in the division,” said Watson.

The girls, most of whom will be sophomores at West Valley, hit .542 as a team, averaged nearly 18 runs per game and allowed six.

Erica Frampton hit .686, Adrian Imada led the team in doubles with eight and Rachelle Watson, who got on base 38 times, scored 34 runs.

Erica Mortensen, Kari Aquino, Jolee Karr, Brittani Gomer, Alyssa Hendricks, Nora Rosners, Melissa Fisher, Dayla Thompson, Megan Lawler and Jennie Harrison were other team members.

Unheralded teams win 14-Under

When the final accounting was taken, a pair of unheralded 14-Under teams were tournament champions.

In the American Division, Burger King, which was 5-6 during the year, won four straight times in tourney, including 19-17 and 32-23 over Pabco Roofing for the title.

Seeded just fifth and loser of its first game to Discount in the National tournament, Layrite came all the way back through to beat Discount Garden twice for the title including 14-4 in the finale.

“I was in shock the whole time,” said Brenna Simon, daughter of coach Jim Simon and a catcher on the team. “I think everybody was. None of us expected to win. It was great, though.”

Team members are Alyssa Hundeby, Kjersti Gemar, Kim Carpenter, Katie Bentley, Melissa Biehl, Samantha Cisney, Amie Helt, Carlie Ostrom, Kristen Heuett and Jennifer Williams from Greenacres Junior High, Jessica Crick and Kari Elgee from Evergreen.

Burger King was an experienced team that started slowly but gained momentum by the end.

“We had girls who never played together before and brand-new pitchers so the first half was poor,” said Harris. “The whole process began with a couple of swimming parties and the girls started to rely on each other. The whole reason they won was they believed they could.”

Debbbie Helms, Sarah Atkinson, Chandra Hubbard, Tia Clacy, April Jorgenson, Lindsay Laughlin, Heidi Schoenwald, Kristen Hills, Jenni Mickelson, Jennifer Lopez, Janessa Dunlap and Maegan Bedford were the team members.

Different routes to 12-Under crowns

The two 12-Under tournament winners took different routes to their championships.

In the American Division, surprising sixth-seed Kwik Kopy went undefeated in five games. United Paint of the National Division came from the loser’s bracket, winning four of six games by a run.

“We definitely persevered,” said United coach Steve Ray of his teams 19-18 wins over Macklin Welding and Spokane Golf Car and 21-18 win over Mailbox Center.

After losing 21-17 to Six Robblees Tire, Inc. the team won three times on Sunday, beating Six Robblees 19-18 and 14-13 in the finals.

“I thought we could win the first game, hoped we could win the second and was really hoping we could win the third,” said Ray.

Marcy Ray, no relation, hit a threerun single in the bottom of the seventh to beat Six Robblees in the first game and Rachel Jewell drove in the winner in the bottom of the eighth inning of the finale.

Other team members are his daughter Theresa Ray, Jerin Falkner, Julia Agnew, Ashley Guimond, Theresa Harrell, Rebecca Hays, Linda King, Angie Lucas, Patricia Molina, Heather Schauss and Amanda Smith.

Kwik Kopy beat teams it had lost to during the regular season, including unbeaten Yoke’s Pac ‘n Save 15-7 and the Firm, 24-21 and 22-14 for the crown. The team also beat the second-seeded Mariners 20-5 and Garco Construction 18-14.

“We had a problem losing focus midway through games during the year. In the tournament it didn’t happen,” said Smith. “It’s one of those cases you hope to peak at the right time and it happened.”

Team members are Kelly Holleran, Amanda Norwood, Erika Krogseth, Meghann Duley, Gina Bourgeous, Sarah Damschen, Nicki Charvat, Blayne Orton, Randi Orton, Linnea Hieb, Megan Mackey, Amy Lambert, Krystal King and Alicia Smith.

The 10-Under tournament champion was Dr. Nauert, which had the sixth best record among teams in the two divisions.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo