CHEYENNE – The Torrington Twisters 14-and-under softball team went 3-1 in pool play Saturday, before falling in the championship game Sunday at the Extreme Weekend Tournament in Cheyenne.
The Twisters fell behind Golden Devastation in the championship game, 1-0, after the first inning. Both teams scored a run in the second, but Golden Devastation added another run in the fifth to win the championship, 3-1.
The five hits for Torrington came from five different batters. Calysta Trevino, who had a triple, was the only Twister to cross the plate. A.J. West had a double in the loss.
“We left 10 or 11 runners on base,” coach Dan Fox said. “Situational hitting cost us that game.”
Avery Fox toed the rubber in the championship game. She threw 37 strikes on 57 pitches, while allowing eight hits and one earned run. She struck out two batters and walked only one.
In the semi-finals, Torrington withstood a four-run fourth inning to pick up a 6-4 win over NC Sting-Meza.
“They just had our number,” Dan Fox said of NC Sting-Meza. “They’ve beat us a couple times already this season, but we knew we could beat them.”
The Twisters put up two runs in both the first and second. Heading into the bottom of the fourth inning, the game was tied at four, before Torrington brought around another two runs to pick up the win.
Brady Laucomer had two hits, both for triples, in the game to pace the Twisters. She also added an RBI to her stat line. Mariyah Avila led Torrington in runs, with two.
Fox threw 87 pitches in the win, allowing only three hits. Fox earned none of the Sting runs that crossed the plate. She had a strikeout.
The Twisters got off to a solid start Sunday, scoring eight runs in the first three innings of their first game of the bracket. They jumped out to an 8-0 lead over the Broadway Bombers, before allowing two runs in the fourth. Torrington outhit the Bombers 5-3.
Avila was the only Twister to have multiple hits, with two. Laucomer and HeLena McGaugh each had a triple in the win. McGaugh paced the Twisters in runs, with two, while Fox topped the list in RBIs (2).
Throughout the tournament, the Twisters had several solid defensive plays. Torrington turned two double-plays and West threw out seven runners from the catcher position.
“I could say the whole team played outstanding defense, but Emily McGaugh and A.J. West really shined,” Dan Fox said. “They’ve really gained confidence.”
Saturday
During pool play Saturday, the Twisters posted a 3-1 record to snag the top spot in the pool. Golden Devastation, NC Sting-Meza, NC Sting-Tucker and the Colorado Rockettes joined Torrington in Pool A.
The Twisters found themselves in a tough battle against the Rockettes to open pool play. Both teams scored two runs in the first inning, with Colorado taking a 3-2 lead heading to the bottom of the third. Torrington scored four in the bottom of the third, holding on for a 6-5 win.
Fox opened the weekend on the pitching mound, pitching for all four innings of the win. She allowed six hits, with only one of the runs earned. She struck out six batters, while walking only two.
Emily McGaugh had a solid game at the plate, going 2-for-2 and recording an RBI.
Six different Twisters crossed the plate to score the six runs in the win. Paityn Homan paced Torrington in the RBI category, with two against the Rockettes. Homan was also named co-MVP of the tournament.
“She had some great hits and played some awesome defense,” Dan Fox said.
NC Sting-Mesa, who the Twisters beat in the bracket, handed Torrington its only loss of pool play. The Sting scored two runs in each of the first three innings and the Twisters scored only one run in the 6-1 loss. Laucomer scored the only run on the RBI from Brylee Dean.
Trevino pitched against the Sting, allowing seven hits. She did record three strikeouts in the loss.
“We played very sloppy the first two games but the third and fourth games we got it together,” Dan Fox said. “That’s when the momentum really started.”
Torrington and Golden Devastation faced off in pool play. Unlike the championship game, the Twisters snagged the win, 3-2. Both teams scored in the second inning, but a two-run fifth inning proved to be the difference. Golden Devastation recorded four hits to Torrington’s three.
Dean and West each had an RBI, while Fox, Dean and Emily McGaugh scored the three runs for the Twisters. Dean hit a triple and Fox had a double.
Fox pitched all six innings for the longest contest of the Twisters’ weekend. She threw strikes on 64 percent of her pitches, while striking out two batters and not allowing a walk. Only one of the Golden Devastation runs was earned.
Torrington’s most lopsided game of the weekend came in the final round of pool play. NC Sting-Tucker took a lead, scoring three runs in the top of the first inning. The Twisters rallied to score six runs in the bottom of the inning. They went on to score seven runs over the next two innings to pick up a 13-3 win.
HeLena McGaugh was the only Twister to record multiple hits, racking up three in the win. She paced the team in RBIs, with three, while Dean added two. Fox and Trevino each crossed the plate three times, while HeLena McGaugh and Avila each had two runs.
Dean took to the mound against the Sting. She allowed four hits and two runs, while drawing three groundouts and two flyouts.
“We ride Avery because of her (pitching experience), but we feel confident in all three of our pitchers,” Dan Fox said. “Calysta and Brylee have made huge jumps this year.”
The Twisters advanced to 18-7 on the season. They return to action for the Mountain States Championships in Loveland, Colo. The tournament starts Saturday and concludes Sunday.
“As a first-year 14 (and under) team, we are making huge strides,” Dan Fox said. “Sometimes we get outsized a little bit, so that’s a big adjustment but we are doing well. We are going to battle every pitch and every play. We are going to battle until the end.”
