For The Citizen

MONTREAL, Canada — What a difference a year makes. Last year the Nor’Easter’s came home from the Montreal Cooper International Softball Tournament with just one win in five games. This year’s 16U squad proved they could compete with some of the best teams across the country, making it to the final 16 of a field of 28 teams, before losing to the tournament’s eventual winner, the Buffalo NY Lightning 9-2 Saturday evening.

And although offensive production has improved from last year, the team’s undoing once again proved to be defensive lapses in the field. Five errors Saturday eventually led to seven unearned runs against a hard-hitting Lightning team that took advantage of every Nor’Easter miscue.

Two outfield errors quickly gave the Lightning a two-run lead in the first inning, but the real damage came in the second, when the Lightning scored four runs on two errors in the field that was eventually capped by a two-run home run by Lightning center fielder Dana Cartier.

The Nor’Easters put their first run on the board in the third when left fielder Heather Mayhew smacked a triple to right and eventually scored when pitcher Alyssa Crowell reached first on an error.

The Lightning answered with two more in the bottom of the third, stringing a pair of singles and passed balls after an infield error.

In the top of the fifth Mayhew spoiled the Lightning’s first attempt to mercy rule the 16U’s when she reached on an infielder’s two base error and eventually scored when center fielder Michele Baca ripped a two-out single to right.

But the 16U’s were unable to stop the Lightning’s second attempt to mercy rule the Nor’Easters in the sixth, after left fielder Jenna Schwab lead off with a triple over Baca’s head in center. It looked like the game would be over when right fielder Jenny Townsell hit a fly ball to Lacey Simoneau in right, but Schwab held at third when Simoneau fired the ball home.

Schwab waltzed home one pitch later on a passed ball that ended the game at 9-2.

The Nor’Easters reached the final sixteen by defeating the Empire State Kay O’s 5-0 in the first round of single-elimination play Saturday morning. The Nor’Easters strung base hits by Baca, Dumais, Crowell, Kara Irwin, and Amanda Hackett to score three runs in the first inning. They later added two runs in the fifth off hits by Crowell, Hackett and left fielder Mel Huntoon.

In pool play on Thursday the Nor’Easters defeated the NY EG Express 6-0 and the Ontario Red Rebels 12-1. Friday the Nor’Easters dropped their first game of the tournament 5-1 to the Maine Capital Mainiacs and later fell to the Quebec Rebelles 4-3 in a eight inning tie-breaker. The loss to the Rebelles was recorded as a tie in pool play rules. The Nor’Easters placed fourth in their pool of seven teams.

Head Coach Jeff Crowell was pleased with the team’s showing and how well they played against some top-notched teams. "We hit very well this weekend against some great pitchers and I’m happy with what we’ve learned at this tournament," added Crowell.

Offensively shortstop Kara Irwin led all hitters batting .389, going 7 for 18 (1 double, 1 triple) and led the team with 6 RBI. Also leading the team were first basemen/pitcher Ali Dumais (6 for 18, .333, 1 triple, 6 runs) and center fielder Michele Baca (6 for 19, .316)