By Rob Potter
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS — Charlie’s Angels earned the Sullivan County Women’s Softball League “A” Division playoff championship on Monday evening with a 15-4 victory over L&B Tack in Game 3 of the “A” Division finals series at Gary A. Bradley Memorial Field at the White Sulphur Springs Firemen’s Park.
Charlie’s Angels, which also won the “A” Division regular season title, finished the season with a 24-2 record. L&B Tack ended the year with a 21-5 record.
The deciding game in the best-of-three series was necessary after the teams split the first two games.
L&B Tack defeated Charlie’s Angels, 12-10, in Game 1 on Tuesday, Aug. 16 at Edward M. Collins Memorial Park in Mongaup Valley. Charlie’s Angels stopped L&B Tack, 11-4, in Game 2 on Thursday, Aug. 18 at Collins Park.
Monday night’s series finale was close early on as the score was tied at 4-4 after two and a half innings. But Charlie’s Angels scored five runs in the bottom of the third to take a 9-4 lead. With one out, Leanne Mangabang singled and Tonya Martin doubled to put runners on second base and third base.
Mangabang scored on a single by Shannon Dietrich to put Charlie’s Angels ahead, 5-4. Martin then scored on an infield hit by Heidi Blade.
The next batter, Analey Dietrich, singled to load the bases. Laura Monell reached base on a fielder’s choice, which enabled Shannon Dietrich to cross home plate and extend Charlie’s Angels advantage to 7-4.
Following the second out of the frame, Lisa Krom hit a two-run single to give Charlie’s Angels its five-run lead.
In the bottom of the fourth, the team pushed its advantage to 11-4. Karyn Sheeley crossed home plate on a sacrifice fly by Martin and Mangabang scored on Shannon Dietrich’s single.
Charlie’s Angels scored the final four runs of the evening in the bottom of the sixth. Jessica Bradley doubled and scored as Mangabang singled to left field. Mangabang and Martin both scored when Shannon Dietrich belted a triple to deep left-center field.
After the second out of the frame was recorded, Shannon Dietrich scored on a single by her sister Analey Dietrich.
L&B Tack took an early 2-0 lead in the contest by scoring a run in each of the first two innings. In the top of the first, Barb Merton scored on a base hit by Mary Smith. In the top of the second, Liz Stubits scored when Autumn Ackermann hit into a fielder’s choice.
Charlie’s Angles evened the score and took the lead in the bottom of the second. Martin scored on a single by Blade and Shannon Dietrich scored when Cindy Ellmauer grounded out to make it a 2-2 game.
Blade crossed the plate with the go-ahead run when Deb Ackerley singled. Moments later, Jo Walls, who was pinch-running for Ackerley, scored on a single by Robyn Gannon to give Charlie’s Angels a 4-2 advantage.
However, L&B Tack tied the game at 4-4 in the top of the third. Merton and Tricia Tuttle, who hit back-to-back singles, both scored when Francine Kaiser ripped a double to left field.
But in the bottom of the frame, Charlie’s Angels scored five runs to grab the lead and momentum.
“It was a good game,” Charlie’s Angels Player/Coach Jo Walls said. “The bats got hot for us.
“There were a lot of great plays on defense by both teams,” Walls added. “L&B Tack has a great team.”