(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Softball Australia, Fred Versluis & Marco Stoovelaar)
 Firestars captures 3rd consecutive Australian title; Ellen Roberts Best Pitcher
Nederlands
 MIRRABOOKA, New South Wales (Australia) -
New South Wales Firestars captured its third consecutive Australian softball-title, winning the Gilley's Shield, on Friday-evening (January 11) at Mirrabooka International Softball Stadium.
The complex is located in Mirrabooka, which is a suburb of Morisset and is part of the City of Lake Macquarie, which in its turn is part of the Greater Newcastle Area.
...Players and coaches of NSW Firestars celebrate...
...their 3rd consecutive Gilley's Shield...
(© Photo courtesy of Softball Australia) |
In the Final of the Gilley's Shield, New South Wales faced South Australia Starz and it became a thriller.
After both teams scored once in the fourth, Firestars scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, but the 4-1 lead almost was not enough.
The suspense returned in the top of the seventh when South Australia scored twice to make it a 4-3 score.
The 72nd edition of the Women's National Softball Championship went underway on Saturday (January 5).
On the rosters of the six participating teams, representing six of the states and territories of Australia, are all current and possible future players (and former players) of the Australian National Softball Team.
Amongst them, wellknown international players such as Rachel Lack, Stacey Porter, Taylah Tsitsikronis, Stacey McManus, Kaia Parnaby, Ellen Roberts, Tahli Moore (all New South Wales Firestars), Clare Warwick, Vanessa Stokes (both ACT Diamonds), Chelsea Forkin, Carmelle Sorensen, Erin Thras, Jade Wall (all Queensland Heat), Chelsea Robinson, Belinda White (both South Australia Starz), Leigh Godfrey, Amber Johnson and Verity Long-Droppert (all Western Australia Flames).
The event also served as a key selection moment for the National Team for the Olympic Games Qualifying Tournament, which will be played later this year.
Belinda White, Leigh Godfrey, Ellen Roberts and Tahli Moore all played in the Dutch big league.
White played for DSS in 2016 and Godfrey played for Sparks Haarlem in 2013 and then was the Best Hitter and Most Valuable Player of the highest Dutch league.
Roberts and Moore both played for and won the Championship-title with FysioExpert Olympia Haarlem in the Dutch Golden League.
Roberts was with the Haarlem-team in 2017 and then won both games of the Holland Series of which she was named Most Valuable Player.
Moore played for Olympia Haarlem last year.
...Leigh Godfrey hiting for...
...Sparks Haarlem in 2013...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
There were more familiar names in the tournament, including American pitcher Monica Perry, who played for Victoria Titans.
Perry played in the Dutch big league in 2013 for Terrasvogels with whom she won the Championship-title and was named MVP of the Holland Series.
In 2017, she briefly played for Sparks Haarlem.
From Italy, Greta Cecchetti, Ilaria Cacciamani and Marta Gasparotto all played for ACT Diamonds.
Cecchetti also acted as an Assistant Coach.
...Monica Perry pitching for...
...Terrasvogels in 2013...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
In the opener of the event, South Australia Starz played against Victoria Titans, which also was a thriller.
Victoria took an 1-0 lead in the first inning, but South Australia came alongside in the second at bat, then won 2-1 by scoring the decisive run in the eighth.
It was a pitching duel between Monica Perry (Victoria) and Jailyn Ford (South Australia).
Perry gave up only three basehits, but Ford struckout 14 batters and threw a No-Hitter.
In the round robin of the Championship-tournament, Ellen Roberts pitched in six games for New South Wales and was the winning pitcher in three of them.
She struckout 22 batters in 17 1/3 inning, giving up only eight basehits.
With that, she was named the winner of the Lorraine Woolley Best Pitcher Award.
Monica Perry won two games and also earned a save.
She threw a complete game, 7-inning shutout against Western Australia Flames.
Greta Cecchetti won three games, including an 8-inning complete game against Queensland Heat in which she struckout ten batters.
On Thursday, New South Wales Firestars reached the Final by winning 3-1 against South Australia Starz in the first Play-Off game.
Western Australia Flames won 5-1 against Victoria Titans in the second Play-Off game to reach the 'backdoor'-game.
In that match-up, played on Friday, South Australia shutout Western Australia 4-0 to become the second finalist.
In the Final, on Fiday-evening, South Australia opened the score in the top of the fourth against New South Wales, which stayed unbeaten in the preliminary round and won ten games.
Madeline Cameron led off with a double, advanced to third base on a sacrifice bunt by Belinda White, then scored on a single by Olivia MacGinley.
...Ellen Roberts with her...
...MVP-trophy in 2017...
...after winning the title...
...with Olympia Haarlem...
(© Photo: Fred Versluis) |
In the bottom of the fourth, with two outs, Taylah Tsitsikronis singled and was replaced by pinch-runner Tahli Moore.
She moved on a single by Stacey McManus and scored the tying run on a single by Shannon Keevers.
In the fifth, NSW took the lead.
Montana Kearnes led off with a single, but was forced out on a grounder by Tahli Moore.
She then scored her second run in the game when Rachel Lack followed with a homerun.
Hereafter, Michelle Cox reached on an error, advanced on a single by veteran Stacey Porter and scored on a -out single by Stacey McManus.
...Tahli Moore celebrates the Dutch...
...title with Olympia Haarlem in 2018...
(© Photo: Fred Versluis) |
With one out in the top of the seventh inning, South Australia got two baserunners when Olivia MacGinley and Lana Kaesler both reached on an error.
The bases got loaded when Amber Hood followed with a single.
After a pop-out in foul territory accounted for the second out, Jordan Lambert singled to bring in two runners and make it a 4-3 score.
With runners on first and third base, pitcher Kaia Parnaby ended the game by striking out American powerhitter Victoria McFarland to secure the win and the title!
During the Eurpean Premiere Cup-tournament in 2017 in Haarlem (Netherlands), McFarland was a pick-up player for Terrasvogels and then was named Most Valuable Player of the event.
Rachel Lack (New South Wales) won the Midge Nielson Tournament Most Valuable Player Award, while Stacey Porter (New South Wales) won the Sybil Turner Best Batter Award.
The Rosemany Adey Rookie of the Year Award went to Georgia Hood (South Australia).
The first official interstate tournament was held in 1947, organized by Mack Gilley, who was the inaugural President of the Queensland Softball Association.
It would become an annual nationwide event.
Gilley donated the Championship-shield, which in 1949 became the official trophy for the winning team and was named in his honor for his significant contribution Gilley made to the sport of softball in Australia.
Next on the international softball-agenda in Australia are the Asia Pacific Cup (January 31-February 3) and The Summer Slam (February 4-6).
The Italian National Softball Team is participating in both events.
(January 11)
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