Lady Senators Finish 2nd in Patsy’s House Annual Softball Tournament

  • Published
  • By Amy Nowak
  • Lady Senators softball team
SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  The Lady Senators finished second in the annual Patsy's House Tournament. The tournament raised money for abused and neglected children in the Wichita Falls Community. 

The ladies played well throughout the weekend tournament ,and every team member contributed to their success. However, at least for this weekend, a championship just wasn't in the cards. 

They played three games Saturday and won them all, advancing them to the championship game Sunday morning. 

The Lady Senators opened with sluggish play against the Mad Dash in game one, falling behind 1-0. The second inning proved to be an entirely different story as the Lady Senators' bats came alive. 

The ladies scored five runs in the second inning and added eight more by the end of the fourth inning. Kenda Gooch and Diana Montijo led the Lady Senators, each batting 3-for-3, with Jamie Neppl hitting 2-for-2. 

Big sticks and solid defense led to a 13-5 victory in game one. 

In game two, the Lady Senators came out on fire against the Synergy, scoring three runs in each of the first two innings and six runs in the third. Great batting and solid defense were the story once again as the Lady Senators defeated Synergy, 14-6. 

Coming up big at the plate for the Lady Senators in game two were Renee Gifford, Andrea Brown and Gooch, each hitting 3-for-3. Beth Clements, Kelli Morris and Rita Fraley each went 2-for-3 at the plate. 

The third game of the day slated the Lady Senators against the Titans. In previous match-ups the Lady Senators had yet to beat the Titans. 

The Lady Senators seemed to not take notice, however, and once again came out strong. 

McKenzie Long started off the first inning with a lead-off double down the third base line. Her teammates responded and the Lady Senators scored seven runs in the inning.
Excellent defensive plays and an additional five runs scored by the Lady Senators resulted in their first win against the Titans. 

The leading hitters for the team in their 12-6 rout of the Titans were Gifford, 3-for-3, with Fraley, Clements, Morris, Montijo and pitcher Julia Hall each going 2-for-3. The win advanced the Lady Senators to the championship game and the chance for the teams first tournament win. 

The Lady Senators were the only undefeated team in tournament play and would have to be beaten twice if another team was to win the tournament. Sunday morning's championship game pitted the Lady Senators against Shock-A-Con, a team that lost their first game of the double-elimination tournament against the Titans and fought their way back through the loser's bracket. 

The Lady Senators' sticks and defense were not what they were on Saturday, and Shock-A-Con beat the Lady Senators in back-to-back games 15-10 and 11-5. 

Despite the losses on Sunday and a second place finish, the Lady Senators played outstanding softball. The defense was solid and Pitcher Julia Hall was exceptional, walking only five batters in five games. 

Leading hitters for the tournament were Gooch (batting average .857), Gifford (.800), Clements and Morris (.769), and Fraley (.692). The success of the Lady Senators over the weekend can only be described as a team effort. 

The other members of the team include Erika Humberd, Sabrina Wedington, Martina Jones, Nina Merene, Tabby Ealey, Rebeca Loquin, Natalie Hay, Amy Nowak and coaches Steve Gifford and Mike Chalmers.