Magic 12C Silver Weekly Highlights Summer 2011

Magic 12C Silver Team

NorCal ASA Championships - June 24th, 25th and 26th

The Magic 12C Silver team had another great weekend of softball taking 7th place out of a field of 25 in the 12C NorCal ASA Championships held at the Twin Creeks Sports Complex in Sunnyvale. 

The Magic Silver opened the tournament against the Pacific Grove Riptide on Friday afternoon. The teams battled for seven full innings with the Riptide coming away with a close 3 to 0 win. Magic pitcher Emma Rochel gave up just three hits to the Riptide but the Magic could only muster four hits of their own. The Riptide did a great job turning their limited base runners into runs. The Riptide went on to take 2nd place overall in the Tournament.

Suffering a frustrating loss Friday and being thrown into the loser’s bracket did not detour the tough, talented Magic Silver team. Knowing they were one loss away from elimination and facing a long difficult schedule ahead seemed to fire up the Magic Silver team. They came back on Saturday and won three games in a row over a 12 hour period, defeating the MVLA Nova 16 to 1, the Castro Valley Synergy 8 to 0, and the Pajaro Valley Tremblers 8 to 7. Saturday’s tremendous team effort was lead by the outstanding pitching of Emma Rochel and great hitting from catcher Sophie Parr, shortstop Serafina Johnson, first baseman Allyson Conway, third baseman Camille Hench and second baseman Cali Grimes.  In the game against the Nova, the Magic pounded out 15 hits.  Against the Synergy, Rochel threw a no hitter while striking out nine batters in five innings.    

After the outstanding Saturday performance, the Magic Silver arrived Sunday morning with another uphill battle in front of them.  The first test came against the South Valley Blaze.  A timely two out double by second baseman Cali Grimes broke up a scoreless game and drove in the first two runs of the game. Some great defense, including a running catch of a screaming line drive by centerfielder Sofia Fuchen and a diving catch by shortstop Serafina Johnson, along with stellar pitching by Emma Rochel (she threw a one hitter with 12 strikeouts) kept the Blaze off the scoreboard.  Magic added one more run when Makenna Moore singled in an insurance run later in the game. The result was a 3 to 0 win for the Magic.

Next up for Magic Silver was the Palo Alto Heat in the quarterfinals. Magic struck first and scored two runs in the second inning thanks to solid hits by Sofia Fuchen, Makenna Moore and Serafina Johnson.  A few defensive miscues later in the game and the Magic found themselves down 4 to 2 heading into the bottom of the 6th.  With a runner on second and one out, Kate Bossi ripped a line drive down the third base line for a double, scoring the base runner.  Bossi advanced to third on a bobbled throw. Moore then laid down a perfect bunt and ended up on second base. Cali Grimes tried to bunt in the tying run but popped up to the catcher. Johnson then came to the plate with two outs and the potential tying and go-ahead runs on third and second base. On the first pitch Johnson smoked a ground ball between the first baseman and the second baseman. It looked like the tying and go ahead runs would score, but Johnson was thrown out at first for the third out of the inning on a tremendous play by the right fielder for the Heat. The Magic tried to mount a last inning comeback but couldn’t push across a tying run.  The loss was tremendously frustrating for the Magic. Despite out hitting the Heat by an eight-to-two margin and Emma Rochel striking out 15 (including striking out the side in four separate innings), the Magic came up short.

Over the course of the six games played over the weekend, the Magic out hit their opponents 55 to17 and Rochel pitched 34 innings giving up only 13 hits while striking out an incredible 57 batters.   

Other outstanding and contributing players for the Magic 12C Silver not previously mentioned are:  Chloe Sciammas – provided solid outfield defense; Ava Gonzales – playing shortstop in the game against the Nova she was on the front end of a beautifully turned double play; Maxine Parr – made several nice catches of fly balls in left field; and Carrie Bustamante – contributing several hard base hits.

Congratulations to the Magic players, coaches and parents for an outstanding weekend of softball.  

 

 

Branham Hills Thunder Thriller - June 11th and 12th

Pictured above, the LGSGSA Magic 12C Silver after winning the Thunder Thriller event!

Back row from left to right:  Manager Chris Black, Makenna Moore, Allyson Conway, Coach Bob Bossi, Eva Gonzales, Sophie Parr, Carrie Bustamante, Coach Brett Moore, Chloe Sciammas, Camille Hench and Coach Jim Johnson 

Front row from left to right:  Maxine Parr, Sophia Fuchen, Serafina Johnson, Emma Rochel, Cali Grimes and Kate Bossi

The Magic 12C Silver team was victorious, winning the Championship in the Branham Hills Thunder Thriller Tournament. 

With stellar pitching by Emma Rochel, solid team defense and a complete team effort hitting the ball, the Magic won their first five games of the tournament defeating the Almaden Lighting, MVLA Nova, East Bay Impact, East Valley Twisters and the Sunnyvale Shockwave by a combined score of 54 to 4.  The wins were a result of a complete team effort with every player on the team contributing to the success.

The Championship game was a nail biter against the talented Magic 12C Teal team. The game went down to the last inning with the outcome in doubt right up to the last out of the game. The Magic Teal squad had the potential tying and go-ahead runs on base when the final out was recorded. Outstanding pitching and catching by Emma Rochel and Sophie Parr, plus solid defense lead by shortstop Serafina Johnson, first baseman Allyson Conway, third baseman Camille Hench and second baseman Cali Grimes helped clinch the Championship. 

 

 

San Carlos Jan MacPherson Tournament - Memorial Day Weekend

The Magic 12C Silver team opened the summer travel season by playing in the very competitive San Carlos Jan MacPherson Tournament over the Memorial Day weekend. With fourteen 12C teams in the tournament the competition was fierce and the playing schedule grueling.

 

The team played six games over four days going 4 & 2 and reaching the semi finals on Monday morning, ultimately tying for 3rd place overall.  The team’s four victories over the San Carlos Force – White, San Ramon Valley Stompers, Redwood City Wicked and Palo Alto Heat were won by a combined score of 50 to 15. The Magic’s two losses were to the Belmont Xplosion who were the ultimate champions of the tournament.  It was a tremendous opening tournament effort for the Magic 12C Silver.