W. Pasco softball teams dealt 10-0 losses

The 9- to 10-year-olds are eliminated from the District 12 tournament while the majors team is forced to battle out of the loser's bracket.

By KEVIN KELLY

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 18, 2000

After losing its first District 12 tournament game July 8, West Pasco's 9-10-year-old all-star softball team won its next two against Tarpon Springs and Palm Harbor by a combined score of 30-9.

On Sunday, however, West Pasco's bid at coming through the loser's bracket and advancing to the sectional tournament ended with a 10-0 loss to Oldsmar at Fisher Field in Dunedin.

"I just hate the fact that some of the girls just didn't mentally show up to the game," manager Janet Maxey said. "It's a little disappointing because they were a pretty good team. We just couldn't get it together, just weren't hitting the ball like we were capable of."

West Pasco's game was delayed two days because of rain, a fact Maxey thinks contributed to her team's performance on Sunday.

"The rain held them up for a couple of days and kind of slowed them down a little," she said. "If we could've played Friday there might have been a different outcome."

The major league all-stars from West Pasco also lost 10-0 on Sunday, but instead to Dunedin.

The loss sent West Pasco to the loser's bracket where it played Countryside on Monday. The winner of that game plays Dunedin in the championship at 7 p.m. today at Fisher Field in Dunedin.

"Dunedin has got a real solid ball club," West Pasco coach Mike Webb said. "They've got three pitchers that could start for any of the other teams. They're a bit intimidating because of their size. My girls go out and look at them and they look like 13- or 14-year-olds. They're a well-coached team and they came to play. They're taking care of business."

West Pasco beat Palm Harbor 5-4 last Wednesday with the help of pitcher Samantha Rambo and quality baserunning by Marissa Moe to advance to Sunday's game against Dunedin.

Rambo pitched six innings and struck out 11 in the win.

With the scored tied 4-4 in the bottom of the sixth inning, Moe walked, stole second base, advanced to third on a past ball and stole home on a past ball for the win.

"It was good for the girls to win a close one," Webb said.

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