14U Hornets Softball Ends Fall With Tournament Title

The Severna Park 14U select softball Green Hornets produced a strong finish to their fall season by making a tournament final and winning a tournament championship in back-to-back weeks.

The 14U Green Hornets team of Madison Sayre, Alyssa Sweet, Alexa Jimeno, Miranda Dameron, Sydney Wiseman, Ally Weaver, Krissy Testerman, Randi Alphonso, Leigha Mellon, Lily Gleisner, Elisabeth Krupinsky and Ryleigh Smith won nine of its final 10 games, making the final of the United States Specialty Sports Association Save Second Base for Cancer tournament with a 4-1 record and winning the championship at the USSSA OKtoberFast tournament with a 5-0 record. The team finished 12-5 overall across four fall tournaments.

After a heartbreaking loss in extra innings in the championship game of the Save Second Base tournament, Severna Park came into the OKtoberFast tournament motivated to win. They won their first game by mercy rule, 12-0, getting a walk-off two-run home run by Sayre in the third inning.

In the championship game, the Green Hornets defeated the Mason Dixon Stingers from Marion, Pennsylvania, capping a two-game stretch in which they outscored the opposition 23-1. Krupinsky was dynamite pitching throughout the tournament, as she pitched in all five games and threw a two-hit shutout in the championship win over the Stingers.

Smith played solid defense as catcher throughout the tournament and made a highlight play at a critical moment in the final, throwing out a runner attempting to steal second base.

Sayre, Sweet and Jimeno each had multiple RBIs in the championship. Infielders Dameron, Wiseman and Weaver provided solid defense and multiple put-outs. Testerman, Alphonso and Mellon each made several key contributions on offense that led to runs.

In the semifinal victory, Gleisner had six RBIs, including a grand-slam home run.

The Green Hornets will resume tournament play in the spring.

Coach Greg Jimeno praised the Hornets for using prior defeats as motivation to close their season with a win.

“The team was disappointed to lose in the championship game the prior weekend,” Jimeno said. “Entering the final weekend of the fall season, they were focused and determined to win and literally came out swinging and had their best offensive performance. Our pitching and defense were outstanding all weekend, especially in the championship game. There was a well-balanced attack and a contribution from all players to secure a championship.”