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Little League
Debs, Belles off to World Series
East and West Pasco teams start play in Alabama this weekend.
By STEVE LEE
Published July 27, 2005
NEW PORT RICHEY - Two county teams will vie for Dixie Softball League World Series crowns this weekend in Dothan, Ala., the birthplace of a league celebrating its 30th season.
"It should mean something special to everyone who's going," said Al Marquis, who manages the state champion West Pasco Debs (ages 16-18).
The East Pasco Belles (13-15) also won a DSL state tournament. Both teams begin double-elimination series Saturday.
West Pasco won its first Debs state championship since 1984 in Chipley, near the Georgia border. East Pasco won its first Belles state title since 1985 in Sneads, about 40 miles northeast of Chipley.
Unlike West Pasco, which won three straight games and returned July 10 as Hurricane Dennis struck the Panhandle, East Pasco's tourney was delayed by that storm.
East Pasco returned to Sneads on July 16-17 to finish a game against Grand Ridge. East Pasco led 5-1 in that July 9 contest, completing a 7-2 win on July 16. The county team then defeated Chipley 2-1 and 9-4 for a state crown.
Pitchers Becky Lane and Kim Buntyn combined to shut down Chipley in the final.
"What the heck, another weekend away," East Pasco coach Craig Boettcher said of returning to Sneads. "The girls were on summer break. It gave us an excuse to get away."
Cheryl Nichols, a 35-year-old Zephyrhills resident who played on East Pasco's 1985 state championship team, is glad to see that age group returning to the World Series.
As for topping the Belles' fifth-place finish in 1985, Nichols said, "It's a lot of work."
Marquis is confident about his team's chances for a championship. "You can tell they want it," he said. "I can tell."
A World Series crown, Marquis said, would be especially rewarding for pitcher/first baseman Samantha Cooper, second baseman Kristina Copus and shortstop Lisa Dobraski. That trio has a combined 31 years of DSL experience.
"They've played their whole softball lives in Dixie," Marquis said.
Marquis said Dobraski, who belted a grand slam in the state tourney, was unsure about playing in the postseason.
"Now she cannot wait to go," Marquis said. "She's hyped more than you can imagine."
[Last modified July 27, 2005, 01:05:14]
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