JUNE 12 - Queen Anne's own Sluggers softball squad, sponsored by orthodontist Leone & Vaughn, reached the championship game of the city Tournament of Champions on Tuesday before last. In an exciting final, manager Molly Sweeney's 9- and 10-year-old girls were bested by the Purple People Eaters of Northeast Seattle, 15-5. The Northeast team was led by the strong pitching of all-star Casey Pelz, who also contributed with her bat.
The Sluggers, after finishing the regular season just 4-10, elevated their game for the postseason. In three extremely close playoff games, Leone & Vaughn came up with timely hitting, excellent pitching, smart base running and tough defense - narrowly defeating teams that had each beat them earlier. The previous Tuesday, June 5, the Magnolia Garden Center Rhodies played a good game but went down 15-10. Next up was Queen Anne's other AAA team, sponsored by Mini Max Storage/Rene Stern, who almost equaled the Sluggers' grit on Thursday, June 7, but fell 13-12. On Saturday, June 9, the Sluggers played a dramatic game in the rain against the Falcons of Northeast Seattle. The Falcons had a great chance to win, with runners in scoring position in the bottom of the last inning, but star closer Kathryn Patz held off the challengers for a 17-16 victory.
The final was played at the University of Washington softball stadium. Both teams played like champions and left it all on the field. The Sluggers got solid pitching efforts from starter Marilyn Jones and reliever Savannah Furia. Their defense was respectable, led by an outstanding performance by first baseman Taylor Ann Sweeney. The difference was that the Queen Anne team could only scratch out a few runs off the Purple pitchers. The runs they did get came by way of smart at-bats by all, aggressive base running and timely hits, including a clutch RBI double by Maya Jackson.
The game was a fitting end to a dramatic play- off week, and the Sluggers left the field with silver medals on their chests and with their heads held high.
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