Emeralds Green 12U captures state SB championship

By JOE SOVA / Hungry Horse News

Saving the best for last, the Glacier Emeralds Green won the 12U championship Sunday at the 2008 Montana ASA Junior Olympic Fastpitch Softball Tournament at Kidsport in Kalispell.

Stepping to the plate with a runner on second in the bottom of the eighth inning, Jena Willis lined the first pitch she saw to left centerfield, scoring Hannah Atley and giving the Emeralds a thrilling 3-2 victory over the Missoula Lady Osprey. With the international tie-breaker in effect, Atley was placed on second base to start the half inning.

The Osprey advanced their runner on second to third on a bunt, but winning pitcher Sidney Alberts retired the next two batters before the Missoula team could take the lead.

Emeralds head coach Tim Severson said he and his assistants had no thoughts of bunting Atley over to third base with their best hitter coming to the plate.

"Jena is an aggressive hitter," Severson said. "We knew we'd get the ball in play."

Wills had doubled earlier in the game.

Shayla Tweet and Tiffany Hummer drove in runs to give the Emeralds a 2-0 lead in the second inning. The Lady Osprey scored once in the fourth and tied the game in the fifth.

Alberts limited the Lady Osprey to four hits. She struck out three, walked one and hit a batter. The Emeralds collected eight hits.

While the Emeralds played errorless defense, the Lady Osprey committed two errors.

To open play in the 15-team 12U state bracket, the Emeralds coasted past Electric City Heat, 8-1. Then the Emeralds posted a 9-3 win over the Purple Wave of Polson. In the quarterfinals, the Emeralds beat Big Sky Blast, 6-1. Alberts scattered six hits, pitching the Emeralds to an 11-3 six-inning victory over Great Falls Select in the semifinals Sunday morning. Anna Jobe had three hits to lead the Emeralds at the plate, and Willis had two hits.

It was the third tournament championship for the Emeralds in the last three weeks, the state title coming after they finished first in Helena and their own tournament in Kalispell.

"The last three weeks we really came together as a team and played well," said Severson, who is assisted by Shirley Willis, Wade Williams and Paul McHugh.

Severson was elated with how the Emeralds played behind Alberts, who pitched every inning of the Emeralds' state tournament games.

"Defense is our biggest strength," the coach said.

In essence, the Emeralds put it all together at state, finishing the year with a 24-2-1 record.

"You have to be hitting on all cylinders to win a state championship," Severson said. "We had the hitting, we had the defense, we had the pitching."

Hummer and Halee Perkins live in Columbia Falls.

The Emeralds talked about moving on B Nationals, but have decided not to go since several players have other commitments during that tournament.

The Glacier Emeralds' 10U team finished second at state, falling to the Billings Bulldogs in the championship game. In 16U, the Columbia Falls Flames went 2-2

at state. The Columbia Falls Kats were 0-2 in the 14U bracket.