U16 Firecrackers win Fastpitch Festival

U16 Central Mass Firecracker Brats (l-r, back): Jon O'Neal, Mike Griffin, Bill Fellows. (Middle) Kelly Murray, Nicole Gelineau, Emily Griffin, Jenny MacDowell, Erica Basile, Alex Campione, Rebecca Fellows.(Front) Alyssa DiBenedetto, Amanda Massad, Meaghan O'Neal, Yaya Faria, Amanda Fellows, Melissa Jalbert, and Danielle DiBenedetto.

On Sunday, Aug, 13, at the Leominster Lassie League Complex, the Firecracker Brats beat the U16 Seacoast Hurricanes to win the championship and berth to the 2007 NSA World Series.

The Firecrackers won 5 games and lost 1 during the weekend.

The semi-final game vs. the U18 Rhode Island Thunder Blue team was a very exciting extra innings win. The game was knotted at 0-0 after 7 innings but ended 4-2 in the 8th with the Firecrackers advancing to the championship. The team combined hitting, solid defense, and excellent pitching to seal the championship. Erica Basile (Gardner HS) pitched solidly allowing only 1 walk and 8 hits with 8 strike outs for a combined .93 ERA. Yaya Faria (Acton Boxborough HS) allowed only 3 walks and 7 hits with 21 strikeouts for a combined .54 ERA. Nicole Gelineau (left field, Dracut, Lowell Catholic) 2 runs, 4 singles, 1 home run, 3 RBI's, 1 sacrifice fly. Alex Campione (catcher, first base Townsend, The Pomfret School) 1 run, 2 singles, 1 triple, 2 RBI's, 1 walk. Meaghan O'Neal (Third Base/Center Field, Littleton HS) 1 run, 4 singles, 1 RBI, 1 walk, 1 sacrifice. Alyssa DiBenedetto (Right Field, Leominster HS) 1 run, 1 single, 1 RBI, 1 walk. Erica Basile (Pitcher, Gardner HS) 1 run, 1 triple, 1 RBI, 1 walk. Yaya Faria (Pitcher, Acton Boxborough HS) 1 run, 1 single. Melissa Jalbert (center field, Gardner HS) 2 runs, 3 singles, 1 triple, 1 RBI, 1 sacrifice. Jenny MacDowell (Catcher, first base, Littleton, Acton Boxborough HS) 1 run, singles, 1 double. Amanda Massad (outfield, shortstop, Grafton HS) 1 single, 1 sacrifice. Kelly Murray (shortstop, Leominster, Holy Name HS) 1 run, 1 single. Emily Griffin (second base, Leominster HS) 4 singles, 1 double, 1 triple, 2 RBI's and 2 stolen bases.

The Fastpitch Festival Championship capped eight straight weekends of tournament ball in various locations in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Hampshire. The team finished the season at 36 wins and 16 losses. The Firecrackers finished second in the CT Bombers Last Blast Tournament in Norwich, Conn., third in the Bow NH Turn Two Tournament and the Tradition Tournament in Wallingford, Conn. and fourth at the Lowell All American and NSA State Championships. Team Pitching Leaders: Most Strikeouts-Yaya Faria with 161. Lowest ERA-Amanda Massad with 1.21 and Fewest Walks Given-Erica Basile with 16. Team Hitting Leaders: Highest Batting AverageJenny MacDowell (.371) Highest On Base PercentageMeaghan O'Neal (.420) Highest Slugging Average Nicole Gelineau (.448) Most Stolen BasesAlyssa DiBenedetto (9) Team Defensive Leader: Highest Fielding Percentage-Emily Griffin (.987)

The Firecracker Brats are moving up to the U18 level for the 2007 season. Interested players are invited to attend a tryout on Sept. 10, at 12 p.m. (registration at 11 a.m.) at the Leominster Lassie League Complex. The team plans to attend the NSA World Series and various other competitive tournaments each weekend from late June through mid August 2007. Winter workouts and hitting instruction takes place weekly during the off season at the AT BATS facility in Boxborough.

- Submitted to The Journal