By Rob Potter
MONGAUP VALLEY — October 22, 2002 – Amid the cool autumn conditions, the Pro Prospects, Otisville and AmVets teams all picked up victories Sunday afternoon in Collins Park Girls’ Fast Pitch Fall Softball League action.
In the first game of the day, Pro Prospects held off Delaware River Rapids by an 11-10 final. Lisa Tufano and Shannon Dietrich each had two hits and Kim Donohue added an inside the park home run for Pro Prospects.
In the second game of the day, Otisville defeated AmVets, 11-6. Despite playing with only eight players – which left AmVets with only two outfielders instead of the customary three – AmVets took a 4-1 lead after two innings of play.
Otisville took a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the fourth, however. Then Otisville put together a two-out rally in the fifth inning to make it an 11-5 contest. A bloop RBI single by Kailey McGuire was among the key hits for Otisville.
In the top of the sixth, AmVets’ Heidi Manell scored on a double steal play to make it an 11-6 game. Following a single by Jessica Lake, Brittany McNamara and Erin Rosenberger drew walks from Otisville pitcher Krystal VanBenschoeten to load the bases with only one out. But VanBenschoeten came back to get the next two batters to ground out and fly out to end the inning.
AmVets rebounded from that loss to defeat E & T Landscaping in the final game of the afternoon.
Manell had an two-run inside the park home run in the second inning and ripped an RBI triple in the third as AmVets took a 5-1 lead.
In the top of the sixth, E & T tied the contest at 5-5 when Chelsea LaGattuta hit an infield single that brought Jessica Klein, who had walked earlier in the frame, across home plate.
RBI singles by Manell and Alys Mann in the bottom of the sixth gave AmVets a 7-5 lead.
E & T loaded the bases with one out in the top of the seventh. Lisa DeStefano and Kate DeMayo had infield hits and Nicole Daurio walked to put pressure on the AmVets’ defense.
Jamie Hopkins grounded out to third base, but DeStefano scored to make it a one-run game.
After Klein walked again loaded the bases, Lake fielded a ground ball and stepped on second base to record the final out of the contest.
Three games are slated to be held at Collins Park on Sunday, Oct. 27. The games will be held – weather permitting, of course – at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.