The Lake Forest Scouts U-14 Softball team's roadtrip paid dividends last weekend with the championship trophy from the 15th annual Woodstock Tournament.
The Scouts posted a 5-1 tourney record for its first summer title, knocking off the Crstal Lake Tidal Wave in the finals, 9-5.
“These girls worked so hard to get this title,” said head coach Courtney Whitlock stated. “It was great to see this great group of girls break through and win the championship game. This was a moment that all of them earned and understand how special it is to win as a team. They have been a special team to coach, and I am very proud of them”.
Maggie Mack set the tone in the championship game with a three-run triple to the center field wall, capping a five-run first inning lead that the Scouts never relinquished. Erin Dunleavy and Lauren Frericks banged out three hits each, while Megan Gahart and Amanda Elert drove in five runs between them. Pitcher Sarah Porter scattered six hits to gain the final win.
Pool game victories over the Northern Ice (10-2) and the McHenry Jr. Warriors (11-3) got the Scouts off on the right track. Mackenzie Whitlock, Porter, and Frericks all batted in two runs each in the opener, while Maddy Gailey, Olivia Scott, and Julia Metzger combined to go 5-for-8 with 4 RBI’s in the nightcap.
The pool play wins gave the Scouts a No. 2 seed to set up a key quarterfinal game against Cary Crush.
“We figured these two teams would meet somehow to determine the championship,” Coach Dean Gahart said.
The game lived up to expectations as the Scouts won a three-inning International tie-breaker by a 5-4 final. Frericks hurled a masterpiece in the 10 inning thriller, fanning four and pitching out of a bases-loaded jam to keep the Scouts alive.
With the game one out from defeat, Elert delivered the game-tying single, followed three innings later by three key RBI’s from Gailey, Metzger, and Isabel Das. The defense stepped up with key fielding gems from Frericks, Scott, and Mack, ensuring the opportunity for a semifinal game against the Northern Ice.
Like in their pool game, the Scouts put the Ice away early with nine runs in the first two innings en route to a 10 -1 victory. Dunleavy, Porter, Frericks, Mack, and Elert were the hitting stars, as Megan Gahart, Gailey, and the pitching of Porter, sealed the win.
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