MANCHESTER — The Rochester Slammers 16U team won the ASA/USA State Girls Fast-pitch Tournament this past weekend at Derryfield Park.
The Slammers went 5-0, defeating their opponents by a combined score of 31-4. The win earned the team a berth in the New England Regional Tournament on July 9-11 in Lowell Mass.
The championship game vs. the Northeast Hurricanes saw the Slammers play solid defense, get great pitching and timely hitting en route to the 2-0 win.
The Hurricanes based out of Salem threatened in the first inning, getting a runner to third with one out. Corinne Baita, who pitched the complete game shutout for the Slammers, got the next Hurricane batter to ground out to Megan Bolduc at third and then struck out the No. 4 batter.
Again in the third inning, the Hurricanes out runners on second and third with one out. Baita got the next batter to strike out and then got a ground ball putout by shortstop Brianna Keenan to end the threat.
The Slammers did their scoring in the bottom of the third inning with singles from Keenan (2 for 3) and Bolduc. Keenan scored on a wild pitch. Cormier's deep sacrifice fly to center plated Bolduc to make it 2-0. The lead would be enough for the Slammers as Baita induced 13 ground ball outs along with her seven Ks.
In the winner's bracket final earlier that day, Rochester defeated the Northeast Hurricanes, 12-4, to advance to the championship game. Cormier (single, RBI) pitched the win, giving up six hits and striking out five.
The Slammers scored two runs in the first, six in the second, one in the fourth and get three in the sixth to mercy rule the Hurricanes. In the victory, the Slammers pounded out 11 hits with Bolduc and Bridgette Rollins leading the way with two hits each. Keenan, Maddie Sullivan, Haley Spiers, Amanda Towne, Taylor McFadden and Sam Janos all chipped in with hits.
The Slammers won three games on Saturday, beating the Keene Crickets, 6-0, behind Cormier's two-hit shutout. The win came with a huge cost, losing two starters to injuries. Jenny MacArthur injured her knee trying to score on a suicide bunt attempt at home. Gabby Connelly injured her leg scoring on a triple by Cormier. Keenan and MacArthur led the way, each getting two hits, Towne, Spiers, Baita, Rollins and Janos all had hits.
Next up was a big 1-0 win over the NH Gators. Baita pitched a no-hitter, giving up one walk while striking out 11 batters from the Londonderry-based team. Rochester gave Baita the one run she needed in the first with a leadoff single and stolen base by Keenan, then an RBI single by Cormier.
The final game on Saturday was a 10 -0 win over the NH Comets. Cormier pitched another two-hit shutout whiffing seven in the five-inning mercy-rule game. Bolduc led the way at the plate (3 for 3), along with Baita (2 for 3, 2 RBIs) Keenan (HR, 3 RBIs), and Rollins (double, RBI). Cormier, Towne, Janos, McFadden and Spiers all chipped in with hits.