The Pride of Morgan Hill 12-and-under softball team, already set to play in the USSSA World Series in Independence, Mo., this July, participated in the USSSA State/World Qualifier tournament at Twin Creeks Sports Complex in Sunnyvale two weeks ago.
Led by pitchers Vanessa Ramos and Madison Gallagher, Pride swept the competition Saturday during pool play, which started off against the Gilroy Chaos. While not as lopsided of a game as their previous meeting two weeks earlier, Ramos threw 10 strikeouts to help secure Pride’s second victory against the Chaos by 3-2 score.
In their second pool-play game, Pride faced the San Bruno Lightning and again maintained a narrow victory, 5-3.
However, in its third and final pool-play game, Pride’s bats came alive in a 9-0 shutout of San Jose’s Blossom Valley Pony. Pride earned the No. 1-overall seed for the 12u B bracket and was awarded a first-round bye.
In the semifinal round on Sunday, Pride faced a rematch with San Bruno. The Lightning took an early 1-0 lead, but Pride shut down their offense, holding the Lightning scoreless the rest of the way while scoring four runs of its own to make the final.
Once again facing another team it had bested on Saturday, Pride faced Blossom Valley Pony in the championship game. As was the case in the semifinal, Pride trailed by one run early. Gallagher, as stingy of a pitcher as they come, held Pony to that one-run lead until the fifth inning, when Pride tied the score and then went ahead 2-1. Three additional runs were added, and Pride went into the bottom of the seventh with a 5-1 lead.
However, Pony gave one last push and added another run early in the seventh. With two outs and runners on second and third, Mackenzie Turnipseed made a clutch grab in center field to end the game and secure the championship.
In the five games Pride played that weekend, the team allowed eight runs. Defensively, Pride was solid behind outfielders Turnipseed, Nicole Reyes, Myka Hughes, Jordyn Campbell and Ianna Schlaefli, who powered the go-ahead lead in the championship game with two doubles. Schlaefli also added All-Star caliber defense at first base alongside Gallagher and Hughes at third, Aly Nodohara and Reyes at shortstop, and Campbell and Sam Brenny at second. Not to be outdone by their fellow players, home plate was guarded by catchers Nodohara and Sam Parish.
Having failed to reach the semifinals in three tournaments since their second-place finish in Manteca in March, Pride, coached by Gene and Penny Ciraulo, needed to make changes. Turnipseed rejoined the team, playing both in the outfield and at first, while Reyes, a new addition, provided additional support in the outfield and at shortstop.
It was a great team effort. While not able to play due to injury, Skylar Millard was present during the entire tournament and helped cheer her team onto victory.
