By Kim J. Harmon

While there were 24 runs and just as many base hits and while runners were scurrying around the bases all willy-nilly, it was the pitching of Rebecca Narel and Gina Bloshuk that provided a center of calm amidst a sea of madness.

Narel (pitching the first two and last two innings) and Bloshuk (pitching the middle three innings) shut down a pretty strong Advantage Loan lineup and helped lead Lexington Gardens to a 17-8 win on Monday night in the Babe Ruth Softball Girls’ U14 Championship at Treadwell Park.

Oh, the offense did its part, all right. Down 2-1 after two innings, Lexington Gardens erupted for five runs (the maximum allowed) in the third and fourth innings to suddenly take a commanding 11-4 lead.

It was with that cushion that Bloshuk and Narel were able to hold off Advantage Loan.

Advantage scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning with one blooper and two infield hits off Narel and Lexington was able to get one back in the top of the second on an infield groundout that plated a runner from third.

In the bottom of the second, a couple of dropped third strikes helped Advantage push another run across.

In the top of the third, two singles and a double did most of the damage for Lexington and in the top of the fourth, four singles and two walks helped Lexington take that commanding 11-4 lead. Otherwise lost amidst that offensive explosion, though, was a brilliant defensive play by Advantage shortstop Lauren Cascia, who had to range far to her left to scoop a grounder and then fire over to first for the out.

Advantage got a run back in the bottom of the fourth, but Lexington moved further ahead in the top of the fifth with three runs scored off the bats of Katie Murphy and Keri Graves. A dropped third strike, and a couple of overthrows, helped Lexington scored three runs. Advantage scored twice in the bottom of the frame off hits by Cascia and Alexis Barry.

In the top of the sixth, Lexington scored two more runs to take a 16-7 lead. Narel walked, stole second, and scored on a single by Bloshuk. Then Bloshuk scored on a single by Murphy, but Murphy was later nailed at the plate with another fine defensive play by Cascia.

Narel then took the ball for the sixth and seventh innings and all but nailed the door shut on Advantage Loan. Narel needed just 10 pitches to strike out the side in the sixth inning and then (while allowing a triple to Lauren Reed) struck out two more batters in the seventh to earn the win.

Advantage Loan was led this year by Samantha Barry, Alexis Barry, Michaela Brown, Courtney Brunton, Cascia, Kendal Deakin, Kaity DiVanno, Caity Durkin, Leah Herity, Ashley Jones, Rebecca Lukeris and Reed. The team was managed by Pat Deakin and coached by Robert ‘Chip’ Jones.

Lexington Gardens was led by Bloshuk, Katelyn Bolmer, Graves, Lauren Grimaldi, Michele Imperioli, Amanda Klabonski, Murphy, Narel, Stacy Shpunt, Andrea Szabo, Heather Tracey and Corrine Yllanes. The team was managed by Dave Bloshuk and Rich Narel.

Bases loaded, no outs, leading by just four runs – that is the situation that was facing Jenna Van Waalwijk of The Quiet Company as she toed the slab in the top of the fifth inning in the Babe Ruth Softball Girls’ U12 National League Championship at Treadwell Park on Monday.

Bases loaded.

No outs.

And her team clinging to a four-run lead.

But as if this was not a pressure-packed situation and the fate of the championship trophy did not rest on what happened next, Van Waalwijk retired the first batter on a come backer to the mound, induced the following batter to sky a pop up to shortstop Kate Kokoski, and then (after throwing a wild pitch that did score one run for Northern Woodworks) whiffed the final batter to diffuse the situation.

Just like that.

And the Quiet Company – which scored three runs in the bottom of the frame – then went on to capture the title with an 11-6 win.

Northern Woodworks had taken a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, but The Quiet Company scored two runs of its own in the bottom of the frame – and the battle was engaged. With Northern leading 4-2, The Quiet Company scored five runs (the maximum allowed) in the bottom of the third to take firm control of the game, 7-4.

Northern Woodworks inched closer in the top of the fourth with a run, but The Quiet Company inched back with a run of its own in the bottom of the frame. Then came the fifth – and decisive – inning.

Kyla Miles, Amanda Chontos, and Karli Beitel banged out two singles apiece to lead The Quiet Company. Kokoski and Sara Peters had a single each. Chontos (the starter) and Van Waalwijk shared the pitching duties.

Valerie Nezvesky, Maricate Conlon, Rachel Warburton and Melissa Paynter had singles for Northern Woodworks.

Northern Woodworks was powered by Sammie Ciaccia, Conlon, Jessica Cosgrove, Bria Innurrato, Laura Konkos, Kate Levasseur, Amanda Lindblom, Nezvesky, Paynter, Jessica Rockwell, Becky Samson and Warburton. The team was managed by Wayne Ciaccia and coached by Greg Levasseur.

The Quiet Company was led by Abagail Atkinson, Beitel, Chontos, Maggie DeMarco, Adeline Fullmer, Kokoski, Amanda Krause, Miles, Jenna Moser, Peters, Ashlee Ross and Van Waalwijk. The team was managed by Richard Van Waalwijk and coached by Erich Fullmer and Jane Peters.