She's In There!

Frankie's Tops Angels for Crown

By Rob Potter
MONGAUP VALLEY — August 22, 2000 – A pair of five-run outbursts last Wednesday night allowed Frankie’s Tavern to claim the playoff championship of the Monticello Women’s Softball League.
Down 1-0 to Charlie’s Angels after three innings of the final game in the best-of-three championship series, the Frankie’s offense came to life in the fourth inning for five runs. Frankie’s then scored five more runs in the top of the sixth en route to a 13-4 victory.
The win, coupled with Frankie’s 15-9 triumph the night before, gave Frankie’s the playoff championship over Charlie’s Angels. The Angels, who won the regular season title with an outstanding 20-1 record, took the first game of the playoff series Monday night. That game went into the eighth inning before the Angels plated one run for the dramatic 9-8 victory.
A two-run home run by Tonya Ackerley and a RBI triple by Leanne Mangabang were instrumental in the Angels’ one-run win.
Game two on Tuesday night was tied at 9-9 after five and a half frames. But Frankie’s scored six times in the bottom of the sixth to seal the win.
Kathy Brandes, Val Fersch and Lisa Krom all hit singles in the rally, while Donna Frazier, Lisa Hayes and Jennifer Thompson all stroked RBI doubles in the scoring outburst.
On Wednesday night, the Frankie’s offense took control of the game in the latter innings. With one out and one runner on in the top of the fourth, Frazier doubled to left field to knot the score at 1-1. The next batter, Hayes, then singled home Frazier for a 2-1 lead.
Thompson and Deb Wood hit back-to-back singles to load the bases. Kim Peck then lined a double to left for a 4-1 advantage.
Deb Heins hit a sacrifice fly to plate Wood for the fifth Frankie’s run.
In the top of the sixth, Frankie’s added some insurance runs. The big blow came with the bases loaded and Peck at bat. She ripped the ball to left field, where it was misplayed and rolled to the fence. That scored all three runners and put Peck on third with only one out.
Peck then scored on a infield groundout to make the score 10-1.
Charlie’s Angels managed a small rally in the bottom of the sixth, as they loaded the bases with no outs. Tonya Ackerley then smashed a triple to score her three teammates and cut the Frankie’s lead to 10-4.
But Ackerley was tagged out at home while attempting to score and the Angels didn’t score again in that frame or in the bottom of the seventh.
“This was a tough series,” said Frankie’s player/coach Val Fersch. “We had three hard played games.”
Counting the regular season and playoffs, Charlie’s Angels and Frankie’s — who have been rivals in the league for the past several seasons — faced each other six times. Fittingly, each team won three of the games. And Frankie’s handed the Angels their only regular season defeat.
“We were able to put it all together this game,” Fersch said moments after the playoff clinching win. “Natalie [Cillis] pitched well. Actually, she pitched three big games for us this week.”
Like Fersch, Charlie’s Angels player/coach Jo Walls noted that the two teams have developed quite a rivalry.
“These teams are very competitive,” said Walls, whose team was renamed Charlie’s Angels years ago in memory her father. “Both teams are near the top of the league standings each year.”
As for the game itself, Walls had a simple explanation for the outcome.
“They just had a better offensive game tonight,” she said.