Red Devils Black 12U softball claims MSGL championship

The Clarence Red Devils 12U Black softball team recently defeated EMW, 11-4, to clinch the Metro Girls Softball League's 12U championship. Members of the team are, from left: first row - Kaycee Fracasso, Jillian Horvath, Sarah Quinn, Siobhan Dywer (East Amherst); second row - Katie Bull, Kailey Akin, Kelly Quinn, Kayla Palmeri, Katie Milone; coaches - Heather Milone and Mike Dwyer. Team members Allison Piekarski (East Amherst) and Alicia Dolata are missing from the photo.

With its recent 11-4 win over EMW, the Clarence Red Devils Black 12U travel softball team earned the Metro Girls Softball League's championship.

The first round of the playoffs saw the Red Devils defeat the Lancaster Heat in a five-inning, mercy-rule shortened affair, 22-1. Katie Bull struck out eight, while Siobhan Dwyer, Katie Milone and Kaycee Fracasso let nothing by them in the infield. The trio accounted for seven assists to Sarah Quinn at first base.

Clarence scored 10 runs in the first inning as Jillian Horvath, Kayla Palmeri, Kailey Akin and Allison Piekarski scored three out of their four times at bat. Palmeri, Piekarski, Fracasso and Bull all contributed solid doubles.

The second round provided a nail biter as Clarence defeated the Carnegie X-treme, 4-3. The defense was solid again as Ball struck out 13.

Dwyer got the offense going in the second after beating out the catcher's throw on a dropped third strike, and Akin advanced her to third with a double up the middle. Piekarski then poked the ball to center field to score Dwyer.

The X-treme answered with three runs in the third inning and, with the pressure now on Clarence, Horvath and Milone hit back-to-back singles. Fracasso hit a shot up the middle to score them both and knot the score at 3-3.

Taking their last at-bats in the seventh, Akin got on with a single and then stole second on the next pitch. Piekarski drilled the ball to center field once again, and Akin rounded third for home. An overthrow to third allowed Akin to score the winning run.

Clarence then pounded EMW in the third round - just one day after falling to the same team, 4-0, in the championship game of the Mel Ott Tournament. Milone scored Clarence's first run in the first, followed by Akin in the second and Fracasso in the third.

Clarence opened up the scoring in the fourth with seven runs, while Milone finished off EMW by hitting her eighth home run of the season in the bottom of the sixth.

Fracasso finished the game 3 for 4, while Bull and Quinn each went 3 for 3 at the plate.

Clarence's defense again rose to the occasion against EMW. Dwyer, at third, assisted on nine outs, as she and Milone threw to Fracasso at second two times each to get the lead runner. Bull struck out five, while Horvath was solid behind the plate.

The best catch of the game came when Kelly Quinn used her speed to snag a foul ball down the first base line for the seventh inning's first out.