Sanchez's hit gives Slammers 1-0 victory

LAMAR, Colo. -- Levittown manager Mike Gordek gave Shamar Sanchez the green light, and she came through when it mattered most.

Sanchez lined the first pitch from Hamburg (Ark.) Playmakers pitcher Destiny Bolen over second base to drive in Kim Novak from third in the bottom of the ninth inning and give the Slammers a 1-0 walk-off victory Monday at the Babe Ruth 16-Under Softball World Series. Novak had entered the game as a courtesy runner for Alannah Basile, who doubled and advanced to third on an error to lead off the inning.

"I asked Coach if I should bunt and he said, 'No, just swing away, and I'll leave that up to the next batter,' " Sanchez said. "I swung away and hit it as hard as I could, and it found a hole. We had been taking the first pitch, but I knew [the first one] was going to be the right one, so I swung away."

Basile, who took the loss Sunday, was stellar on the mound for Levittown (2-1). She struck out 14, forced the Playmakers (1-2) to strand nine runners, went 2-for-4 at the plate and allowed only one baserunner in the two extra innings.

"I'm exhausted," said Basile, who earned player of the game honors for her complete-game shutout. "It feels good to come back in a big way and help the team out."

Her hit to set up the winner came partly because of her desire to end the game right there. "I didn't want to have to go back out there [and pitch]," Basile said. "I ran as hard as I could."

The first extra-inning contest of the tournament was a well-played, tense and tight affair. Hamburg stranded two runners in the second, third, fifth and sixth innings. The Slammers put runners in scoring position in the third and fifth frames.

Steady defense and clutch pitching kept the game tense as temperatures approached 100 degrees at Lamar Sports Complex.

A loss would have made the Slammers' final pool-play game against Osawatomie, Kan., Tuesday a must-win. The win put the Slammers in good position to advance to the double-elimination tournament that begins Wednesday.

"We needed it," Gordek said. "We're not going to win this tournament with one pitcher, so I put [Basile] right back on the mound, and win or lose, we were going to go with her today. Defensively, we're back, and it's a great way to rebound from a game like [Sunday]. It was a must-win."

The two teams bonded while sharing a bus from Denver to Lamar before the tournament and have spent time together away from the field, as they are staying in neighboring hotels. In a display of sportsmanship, the squads joined for a postgame prayer on the field and for group pictures.