Local 10U squad drops opener, wins championship rematch at Aug.
21-22 event in Vallejo
VALLEJO — Spirit of Morgan Hill’s 10U Red team overcame an opening loss to win the Summer’s End Softball Tournament held Aug. 21-22 in Vallejo.
Coached by Gene and Penny Ciraulo, Sharon Niehoff and Greg Parish, the locals did not start off as well as expected. They lost 8-2 to the Santa Rosa Hackers but were flawless the rest of the way, winning four straight to force a rematch with Santa Rosa in the championship game.
Backed by strategic hitting and skilled defensive play, Spirit savored the sweet taste of a crowning 5-2 victory.
It took a solid all-around effort to make the championship run possible. Slap-hitters Myka Hughes, Ally Nodohara and Skylar Millard effectively put their skills to use, and power-hitters Meagan Perron and Vanessa Ramos provided key triples in the tournament.
Millard and teammate Joie Niehoff also escaped rundowns by advancing to the next base.
Defensively, the Spirit players showcased skills they have developed since the team was organized in May. At catcher and shortstop, respectively, Nodohara and Perron picked off a would-be base-stealer between first and second.
Spirit first baseman Ianna Schlaefi turned double play, snagging a line driver hit over her head and touching first before the runner could tag up.
Sam Parish added to the defensive effort by running down a pop-fly hit that looked like it was going to fall.
The most memorable play was a rundown involving third baseman Maddie Gallagher, shortstop Ramos, catcher Nodohara and Perron, then at pitcher. The four successfully put out a runner between third base and home.
The Spirit pitchers — Perron, Ramos, Gallagher, Nicole Dan — showed the rest of the tournament that Morgan Hill means business. Ramos worked a no-hitter against a team from Vallejo, and Perron and Dan combined for a shutout in a 16-0 win. Gallagher pitched a complete seven innings in the championship game.
The tournament win further proved that Spirit can compete at any level.
