Bill Byham
CENTRAL PA. GRAVEDIGGERS ADVANCE IN USSA FAST PITCH WORLD SERIES
Orlando, Florida – Fifty five Under 15 softball teams from all over the Continental United States are in Orlando, Florida this week in search of a world series softball championship.
Among the teams in play is the team from the Greater Central Pennsylvania known as the Gravediggers and whose roster carries girls from Beech Creek, Lock Haven, Jersey Shore, Williamsport, Loyalsock Twp.,South Williamsport and Warrior Run.
The locals, following their arrival and the opening ceremonies, were guaranteed three games in their pool play and promptly dropped their opener 5-2 to the Orange Blazers out of Dayton, Ohio to put pressure on the team as advancement out of a pool took at least a 2-1 record.
Casey Ulmer and some solid hitting evened their record to 1-1 with a 8-3 win over the Fremont Giants from Toledo, Ohio. Ulmer pitched a full game while Stephanie Allen, Amanda Daneker and Ulmer were all multi hit players in the all important win.
Game 3 was a heart Stopper as the Gravediggers pulled out an 8-7 win over the Louisiana Lightning behind the pitching of Sara Shick and Ashley Bair. The hitters ganged up on the Lightning pitching with a 13-hit barrage. Brittany Koch (2-4), Ulmer (3-3 with a double), Bair (3-3 with a double), Dominque Thomas (2-3, double), Kayla Allen (2-3, HR), Daneker (1-3, Triple).
That win sent the Gravediggers out into the tourney proper where the remaining teams are playing in a double elimination format.
In their first game the young ball club were paired against one of the tourney favorites. Playing against the Louisiana Lady Hawks, a 15 U team that was coming off playing for their winning high school program and a team that finished in the Top 10 in the 2007 World Series.
It was the upset of the tourney thus far as the Gravediggers calmly got out in front and closed the game winning by a 5-2 score. Ashley Bair pitched a full game. She was aided by five key hits off the bats of Casey Ulmer (2-3), Sara Shick (2-3, double) and Dominque Thomas (1-2, double).
After Wednesday’s play there were 16 undefeated teams left in the double elimination tourney with each team scheduled for at least two games Thursday. A loss would then add a third game to the day.
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