Laurel returning to World Series as District III champs
Laurel’s Senior League softball team knew what they had to get done last week for their chance at the world championship. Despite an early run brought in by the Georgetown/Millsboro team last Wednesday, July 22, Laurel battled back behind clutch pitching and effective hitting to, again, capture the District III title.
Coastal Point • Ryan Saxton
The Laurel Senior League team will return for the third consecutive year as the District III host team in the 2009 Senior League Softball World Series, scheduled to start Sunday, Aug. 9, in Roxana.
“We knew [Georgetown/Millsboro] would make a move on their pitching,” said team manager Jeff Evans. “We saw a lot of intermediate stuff, but our girls played hard.” Consistency at the plate kept the Laurel team rounding the bases, knocking off Georgetown/Millsboro 7-1 at the Pyle Center.
For the third consecutive year, Laurel will be returning to the Senior League Softball World Series in Roxana as the District III champions and host team for the international affair. Evans will return for his third time to the Series, in the team’s fifth appearance as District III champs in six years.
“We’ve got eight girls returning from last year’s team,” said Evans. “We definitely have the experience, although, I said that last year, too. Hopefully, it comes in handy.”
In last year’s World Series, Laurel’s bid was stunted by the Latin American team from Puerto Rico, which will also be returning this year, defending the title they took home. “I’ve been saying since last August,” Evans noted. “We should have bunted more against Puerto Rico.”
The team’s short-ball has proven very advantageous all year long and again in the District III championship.
“We utilize a lot of slap ball,” Evans said. “It’s very effective, and you see it work at all levels.”
The style forces the opponents’ defense to make quick decisions and, if executed properly, can get the batters around the bases.
As for possibly seeing Puerto Rico’s ASOFEM team again, “I would love to see them again,” Evans stated. “That means we’re in the final four. Hopefully, we learned something from last year. They bring a lot of tricks. We just have to be ready.”
Laurel lost four key starters from last year’s roster, but plenty of girls are back, as well as some new faces. Most importantly, Evans said, he has depth on the mound.
“At this level of softball,” he said, “you need to have at least three pitchers, and we have four. We have a lot of depth on the mound with this team.”
Most importantly, they have Stephanie Wheatley, whose presence in the center of the diamond is unsurpassed by most World Series pitchers. Behind her is Cassidy Taylor, who closed out the win against Georgetown/Millsboro. Logan Green and Courteny Evans also bring heat to the mound.
“They all pitch a little differently,” said Jeff Evans, “and I have no doubt we’ll need each of them at some point. The expectations are high, but you can feel the energy.”
Wheatley is expected to return to the mound as Laurel’s defensive driving force again this year.
“I’m really excited that we’re playing again in the World Series,” she said. “We have some old players and some new ones, but we’ve come together really well. Our hitting is good and our defense is solid. All I have to do is stay focused and play my game. I know my defense is behind me and they’ll back me up.”
Earlier this week, the Kaiserslautern Military Community (KMC) team from Germany defeated the country of Georgia to earn the EMEA Senior Softball Regional Championship, garnering them their second consecutive appearance in the World Series. The Asia-Pacific Regional team, representing Makati City, Philippines, is the ILLAM Central Little League champion. Canada has withdrawn from the competition, without mentioning the reasons for doing so, and the USA West, Southwest, South, East and Central Teams were still to be determined mid-week.
The Senior League Softball World Series will begin on Sunday, Aug. 9, at the Pyle Center in Roxana and run through Saturday, Aug. 15. The event is free to the public.
WGMD-FM 92.7 will also broadcast all of host team Laurel’s games live on the air. Laurel’s games include Sunday, Aug. 9, at 5:30 p.m.; Wednesday, Aug. 12, at 8 p.m.; and Thursday, Aug. 13 at 8 p.m. Friday’s quarterfinal and consolation games may be aired, as well, based on Laurel’s performance in the series.
The championship game will again be broadcast live on ESPN2 and online at ESPN360.com, on Saturday, Aug. 15, at 11 a.m.
For more information about the 2009 Senior League Softball World Series, visit www.district3.org online.
Stay updated with exclusive coverage from the Coastal Point and our Homeplate edition, the only publication dedicated to the international event.
