16U Purple Rain wins exciting championship
The Mission Rockies display their championship trophy after Sunday's win, the second championship they've won in two years. At right, Cubby Pierre pitched most of the championship game, along with Bo Coffman and Jerry Brovold. All three players, plus Austin Moran, will have to move up to Legion ball next year, if they want to continue playing as they are all 15. Coach Randy Keeble said it was a real pleasure coaching those 15-year-olds, and that he will miss them next year.
The 16U Purple Rain came away with the championship trophy after an exciting come-from-behind win over the Missoula Osprey last Sunday in which Rochelle Woods jacked a two-run homer over the fence and the team won, 12-10.
Kendra Woldstad also had a two-run homer in the semifinal game to help her team to a 6-4 win over the Glacier Emeralds.
"Kendra has been so close this year. She's had so many one-hoppers that hit the fence. She's really improved her swing," said head coach Larry Smith. "She was due."
The team was made up of Woldstad, Woods, Charlee Jenson, Staci Benson, Dakota Peterson, Lindsey Rafter, Maggie Gordon, Brittany Jones, NaTesha Arlint, Lela Clairmont Perez, Su-san Tenas, Liz Simshaw and Dixie Riddle.
In the championship game against the Osprey, the team found themselves down 10-4, but in the bottom of the fifth they came back and scored six runs to tie it up.
The two teams battled to a 2-2 tie on Saturday, that Polson tied up in its last at bat after Gordon scored on a Missoula throwing error with two outs and two strikes on the batter, who ended up striking out to end the game the next pitch after Gordon scored.
"It was quite a contrast in those two games. It was the same two pitchers that ended up in a 2-2 tie the night before, but we jumped all over the Missoula pitcher on Sunday," Smith said.
Maggie Gordon drew a walk, and then Woods stepped to the plate and parked a pitch over the left field fence. There was no doubt about it, either.
"Rochelle got all of that one," Smith said.
Smith credited Woods with stepping up to play third base to help the team - a spot she normally doesn't play. Smith said she did a bang-up job there, making great defensive decisions without hesitation.
"I asked Rochelle if she was willing to try third, and she said 'yes.' She fit in there and did a great job. It was the decision-making she did there," Smith said. "I was really impressed."
Smith credited Benson's play at short with helping the team, too. Benson, at 13, was one of the youngest players out there but held her own on the field and at the plate, including fielding three straight groundball outs in one inning Saturday.
"Staci had 11 hits in the tournament. Being that young and playing the position she did, I thought she did really well," Smith said. "Some kids really came of age in that tourney."
The team started off well Sunday morning, beating the Glacier 2 team 13-4. Lindsey Rafter and Benson were 3-for-3 at the plate. After that, the team found themselves down 3-1 in the fourth against the Emeralds, before coming back and scoring five runs, sparked by Woldstad's homer.
Peterson started all of the games as pitcher, and Clairmont-Perez pitched in relief during the first game of the tourney.