Levittown 1-1 in Babe Ruth World Series
Wilson County's Morgan Renfrow steals third under the tag of Levittown shortstop Shamar Sanchez in the second inning against Wilson County in the 16 & Under Babe Ruth Fast Pitch Softball World Series at the Lamar Sports Complex in Lamar, Colo. (Aug. 7, 2011) Credit: Kevin Kreck
LAMAR, Colo. -- Sunday was a rough day for the Levittown Slammers.
Missed opportunities, a hot opposing pitcher and errors proved costly in a 7-3 loss to the Wilson County (N.C.) Xtreme on the second day of the Babe Ruth 16-Under Fast Pitch Softball World Series.
The loss -- which came as temperatures reached 100 degrees at Lamar Sports Complex -- dropped Levittown to 1-1 in pool play. The Xtreme improved to 3-0.
"We didn't bring our 'A' game, made too many early mistakes and didn't capitalize on our chances," Slammers manager Mike Gordek said. "They capitalized on all of our mistakes. The good thing is, we shut them down the last four innings, so we know we can beat them. We've got to come back and meet them in the finals or semifinals."
The Slammers took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Meghan Acton led off the game with a triple and scored on a bunt by Kristen Arbiter. Levittown starter Alannah Basile -- who was feeling a bit under the weather, according to Gordek -- gave up a leadoff double to Morgan Renfrow in the bottom of the first and walked three batters as the Xtreme scored twice.
Xtreme pitcher Madison Ward shut down the Slammers in the next four innings, and her team's offense was opportunistic and pesky in building a 6-1 lead.
Wilson County added two runs in the second on a pair of RBI singles, and Basile was replaced on the mound with one out by Saturday's winning pitcher, Ashley Massoni. After the Slammers left two on base in the third, Levittown surrendered two more runs on a throwing error and an RBI double by the Xtreme's Breyanna Brown in the bottom of the inning.
That 6-1 deficit remained until the sixth, when the Slammers capitalized on a pair of Xtreme errors to cut the lead to 6-3. But Wilson County scored a run in the bottom of the inning and Levittown left two runners on base in the seventh.
"If you're going to lose a game, do it in pool play," Gordek said. "You don't want to do it in [bracket play] and have to go through the losers' bracket."
Gordek gathered his team in a dusty gravel lot adjacent to the field for a pep talk after the game.
"I told them that they didn't beat us, we beat ourselves," he said. "I'm proud of our girls, because we didn't quit. We'll come back, I'm not worried. We'll make it through pool play and into the round-robin."
Levittown continues pool play Monday against Hamburg, Ark., which also is 1-1, at 3 p.m. EDT. Gordek said Basile will get another shot on the mound.
