Grayslake Pride 14U Team Advances to National Tournament

The Pride 14U team opened pool play Friday with two games, winning both with relative ease over the Lake Zurich Lightning (8-2) and the Mundelein Stampede (10-3).  Saturday they continued their hot hitting and terrific pitching with a 10-1 victory over the Vernon Hills Stingers. 

After going 3-0 in pool play, the Pride lost on a runs allowed tie breaker and ended up with the #2 seed heading into bracket play, which meant they would be playing a game at 8 a.m., Sunday, against the Bordertown Bandits. 

They had played the Bordertown Bandits twice last weekend in the Chicago Bandits tournament, beating them in pool play and then being eliminated by them in bracket play.  The Bandits were a very, very good team. 

The Pride executed to perfection in a 4-1 victory, thus eliminating the Bandits and advancing to the 2nd round. This round found the Pride matched against a strong McHenry Heatwave team.  Outstanding pitching, defense and timely hitting produced a 4-0 shutout victory and moved the girls into the semi-finals. 

Their opponent would be the always tough Trevians. The Pride fell behind 2-0 but rallied for a 3-2 lead.  The Trevians took the lead in the 6th scoring 3 times for a 5-3 lead.  Down to their final strike with two outs in the 7th inning and facing elimination, the team that never quits somehow managed two runs to send the game to an International tie-breaker format in the 8th inning. 

Starting with a runner on 2nd, the team moved the runner over to 3rd. A perfectly executed suicide squeeze bunt gave the Pride a 6-5 lead.  And just like that, the Pride bats erupted for 6 consecutive hits including a 3-run homer as they exploded for 7 runs and a 12-5 lead. 

The final score was a 12-6 victory sending Grayslake to the finals!  "Probably the most exciting inning I have ever coached," said Head Coach Steve Frusolone.

 The finals would be played nearly 10 hours after the team had arrived at the field Sunday morning (and immediately following the semi-final game).  They would be matched against the Lake Forest Scouts. 

"I was wondering how my team would respond following such an emotional win in 95 degree temps and having already played 3 games in the heat," said Coach Frusolone. "My worried mind was quickly eased as the Pride dominated the Trevians with incredible hitting in the first inning scoring 5 runs on 6 hits and ultimately securing an 8-5 victory."

 The Pride 14U earned a birth in Nationals (date and location TBD) with the Tournament Championship. "Everyone on this team contributed to the tourney championship," said Coach Frusolone. 

Incredible hitting performances were turned in by Maddie Terlap (12 for 27), Jamie Brew (8 for 21, 6 walks, 9 RBI), Juliana Frusolone (9-19, 6 walks), Brittany Brown (8 hits, 8 RBI), Theresa Curtis (10 for 21), Sarah Patrzykont (5 for 11), Jenna Kleinofen (4 for 9) and Brianna Dreschler (7 hits, HR, 7 RBI). 

Caitlyn Moran and Brittany Brown DOMINATED on the mound for the Pride.  Important contributions were also made by Danielle Celeslie (who is starting to hit well) and Lauren Tracy. 

"Outstanding defense all weekend by Brown, Frusolone, Terlap, Dreschler and none more than catcher Katie Strickland, who fights through the heat, sacrificing her body and is an iron curtain behind the plate," said Coach Frusolone. "Teams just cannot match what Katie does behind the plate. We allowed a total of 16 runs in the tournament and only one of those runs scored when a ball got past Katie."

The Pride 14U team has a record of 28-7-1 with two tournament victories this season. This weekend the team heads to the always tough Warren Wipeout Tournament with games Friday and Saturday and bracket play on Sunday.

(Coach Steve Frusolone provided the game summaries for the article.)