This year's top high school fast-pitch players will showcase their talent in three All-Star games, set for June 22 at Colt State Park in Bristol. The Division II and III All-Star games will be played at 6 p.m., followed by the Division I All-Star tilt at 8.

Posted by Carolyn Thornton at 11:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

After watching too many kids show up for the high school cross country season in late August without the proper base training, many times simply because they didn’t know how to establish that base, high school cross country coach Clem Soscia and a couple of his colleagues decided to do something about it, establishing the Ocean State Running Camp.

The camp will be held again this summer at Goddard Park in Warwick (directly across from the golf course parking area), but this time it will start later and be broken up into two 2-week sessions _ July 17-28 and Aug. 7-18 _ instead of one 4-week camp.

``This is a change from our first year and was a result of a suggestion from coaches who felt it would be best to offer two shorter sessions with the last session running up to the start of the high school season,’’ said Soscia, adding that runners will need to sign up for one or both sessions separately. ``We do recommend that serious runners consider both.’’

Click here to learn more about the camp.

Open to both high school- and middle school-age boys and girls, the camp will provide instruction on every aspect of distance running. Runners will receive form evaluation through video analysis and learn about proper stretching, strength training and running techniques, as well as information about proper nutrition.

``There is little information out there for the novice runners, and as most kids don’t `play’ town league track, they come into our sport unprepared for the rigor and intensity of it all and wind up either injured, under trained or over trained,’’ said Soscia. ``We thought a summer camp would be a valuable resource, offering new runners an intro to cross country and experienced runners a chance to improve.’’

Each camp will run from 8:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. In addition, a series of Tuesday Night Fun Runs of 2K, 3K and 5K – which are also open to non-campers for a $5 fee – will be held beginning at 6:30 p.m.

At Goddard Park, the campers will have the benefit of running along shady wooded trails and rolling hills, which is great terrain _ not to mention a safe environment _ for cross country training.

In addition to Soscia, the camp staff will include Cranston West running coach Sheila Lagasse and Coventry coach Michaela Thompson.

Camp counselors will include former high school standouts Audrey Hawkins, who is now competing for George Washington, Becky Webber (Connecticut College) and Alex Sherry (University of Rhode Island), as well as current high school standouts Caroline Ward, of Exeter-West Greenwich, Marissa Hayward of North Kingstown and Samantha Eagleson, Eryn Wheeler and Kaitlin Grimshaw, all of Coventry High School.

The camp costs $125 per session or $250 for both. For information, contact Soscia by e-mail at coachsoscia@yahoo.com or by phone at 401-595-7501.

Posted by Carolyn Thornton at 11:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Senior Jenna Bassett drove in the game-winner, as Warwick Vets captured its first state crown in only four years of playing fast-pitch by defeating La Salle, 1-0, in the Amica Insurance R.I. Interscholastic League Division I Championship, today at Rhode Island College.

Sophomore pitcher Casey Doyle earned the win, scattering eight hits and striking out eight.

Posted by Carolyn Thornton at 5:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Powered by a 5-run third inning, Portsmouth defeated Toll Gate, 6-4, in yesterday’s Division II Fast-pitch Softball Championship at Rhode Island College.

Because it was the Titans’ first loss in the double-elimination tournament, the teams will play a deciding game, tomorrow (June 12) at 5:30 p.m., also at RIC.

Posted by Carolyn Thornton at 5:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The R.I. Interscholastic Slow-pitch Softball Championship scheduled for today has been postponed because of rain.

The title game between Tolman and Davies will be played Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. at Smithfield High School.

Posted by Carolyn Thornton at 10:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Amica Insurance R.I. Interscholastic League Fast-pitch Softball Championships originally scheduled for this afternoon have been postponed until tomorrow because of rain.

The Division II title game between Toll Gate and Portsmouth will be played at 1 p.m. at Rhode Island College, followed by the Division I matchup between Warwick Vets and La Salle at 3.

Posted by Carolyn Thornton at 9:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The stage has finally been set, and as long as the weather cooperates, a champion will be crowned tomorrow afternoon when Warwick Vets and La Salle square off for the Amica Insurance R.I. Interscholastic League Division I Fast-pitch Championship, Saturday at 1 p.m. at Rhode Island College.

This will mark the teams’ first meeting this season, as a nonleague contest scheduled between the two clubs was, you guessed it, canceled because of rain.

But with the Hurricanes’ spot in the finals secured last Sunday, Vets coach Paul Kennedy had a chance to see Leanne DeMarco's Rams in action this week. He’s been impressed by what he’s seen.

``They’re playing as well as anyone right now,’’ Kennedy said. La Salle pitcher Meaghan ``Dendy was really on the other night when she had nine straight strikeouts against Westerly. And they’re hitting really, really well. They’re a hot team. They’re on a little bit of a role, and that’s certainly going to make them feel confident.’’

Click here to read why Warwick should also be considered a force to be reckoned with.

Warwick, too, has plenty of reason to feel confident. In advancing to the title game, the 16-7 Hurricanes – runner-up to Westerly in I-South – knocked off the top three Northern Division seeds in Woonsocket, Cumberland and Bay View, defeating Cumberland, 3-1, in last Sunday’s winners’-bracket final. During this playoff run, they have given up just one unearned run with sophomore Casey Doyle on the mound.

``In a perfect world, we wouldn’t have had so much time off,’’ said Kennedy, whose club has been paced at the plate by the Hurricanes’ hard-hitting sophomore catcher Stephanie Morse (.452, 23 runs scored and 20 RBI) and senior third baseman Jenna Bassett (.288, 24 runs scored and 7 RBI). ``But we’ve been practicing every day, and the girls are still very excited and they are very focused.’’

La Salle hasn’t had the same type of layoff as Warwick. A first-round loss to Westerly quickly dropped the Rams into the losers’ bracket, where they defeated South Kingstown and Woonsocket, then avenged their earlier setback to Westerly.

La Salle cleared its final hurdle tonight, defeating Cumberland, 3-0, in the losers’-bracket final.

The Rams took the lead in the third on a two-run single by Marley Balasco.

Dendy, who tossed a three-hitter and recorded nine strikeouts en route to the win, helped her own cause with a sacrifice fly to deep left that drove in Liz Graham.

``I am feeling pretty good about coming into tomorrow's match up,'' DeMarco said. ``The girls have been playing very well all during the playoffs. They are very focused and determined. What is nice about this group of girls is that it is a true team effort. Besides Meaghan on the mound and hitting, there is no one that stands out above the rest. Everyone just goes out there and does there job and I know that they are ready to do that tomorrow.''

Posted by Carolyn Thornton at 11:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It will be north vs. south at tomorrow’s R.I. Interscholastic Division II Fast-pitch Championship (1 p.m. at Rhode Island College) between Toll Gate and Portsmouth, a matchup featuring one team that is trying to make it two in a row and another that is seeking to win its first ever fast-pitch crown.

``We’re very excited to be playing a team from the other side,’’ said Shana O’Connor, coach of defending champion Toll Gate. ``We have not played them at all this year, so we are not sure what to expect; however, they were in second place (in II-South), so it will be a challenging game for us. They are definitely a team we won’t be able to take lightly.’’

Click here to read more about the matchup.

The Titans enter tomorrow’s game with some impressive credentials. Co-champs in II-North with Smithfield at 13-1, Toll Gate outscored its league opponents, 130-12. Seniors Katelyn Revens (.500, regular season) and Casey Miserandino (.453), along with sophomore Katie Bannon (.418), led the Titans at the plate this season, combining for 69 runs scored and 52 RBI during the regular season. Revens has gone 8-for-11 with 8 runs scored, 2 RBI and 3 stolen bases in Toll Gate’s playoff victories over Tiverton, North Smithfield and Smithfield. Miserandino batted .667 with 6 runs scored and 9 RBI in those games.

Sophomore pitcher Natalie Simas is largely responsible for keeping other teams off the scoreboard this spring. Posting a 0.42 E.R.A. during the regular season and a 0.37 E.R.A. in the playoffs, she has recorded 78 strikeouts while giving up just 6 earned runs, 52 hits and 32 walks in 102.67 innings pitched.

``I expect a very difficult matchup with Toll Gate,’’ said Patriots coach Tom Galib. ``They are excellent on both offense and defense. They’ve outscored their opponents by a ton of runs, so we’ve got our work cut out for us.’’

Portsmouth -- which finished in a three-way tie for second in II-South with Exeter-West Greenwich and Tiverton, all at 9-5 -- has been the model of resilience during the postseason.

Suffering an opening-round loss to Cranston West, the Patriots kept their playoff hopes alive by advancing through the losers’ bracket with victories over Exeter/West Greenwich, North Smithfield, Barrington and finally Smithfield.

Their matchup with the Sentinels in the losers’ bracket final on Tuesday was an extra-inning nail-biter.

Portsmouth -- whose club has been paced both offensively and defensively this season by junior captains Amie Archambault and Tayler Davis -- took the lead with two unearned runs, one in the second and another in the third. But Smithfield scored once each in the third and fourth innings to tie the score.

Still deadlocked after seven innings, the teams each started the eighth with a runner on second – as specified by the international tiebreaker rule.

With Patriots junior center fielder Vicki Chelf on second, Caitlyn Casey sacrificed her to third, and Davis singled her home.

After Archambault reached with a walk, Alicia Loffredo drove in Davis with a single to put Portsmouth up, 4-2.

In Smithfield’s half of the inning, Alex Gerlach, who had tripled earlier in the game, singled home Briana Moretti to get the Sentinels within one. But Portsmouth pitcher Meg Lynch retired the next three batters to secure the win. The junior hurler, who boasts a post-season E.R.A. of 0.97, improved to 12-5 in league play, 15-5 overall.

The Patriots, who placed second in Division I in 1996 and again in 2003 after moving down to Division II, ``fought their way back by winning four in a row, which is a tremendous accomplishment,’’ said O’Connor. ``So they will be ready to play again.’’

Posted by Carolyn Thornton at 12:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hammerama 2006 will be held July 23 at Curtis Corner Middle School, located at 301 Curtis Corner Rd. in Wakefield.

Sponsored by M-F Athletic Company and the Providence Cobras Track Club, the USA Track & Field-sanctioned event will consist of the following hammer events in this order: high school boys’ 12-pound, high school girls’ 4k, open men’s 16-pound and open women’s 4k.

High school boys may also compete in the open division providing the athlete has thrown at least 160 feet with the 12-pound hammer in a recognized meet. Similarly, high school girls may also compete in the open division, providing the athlete has thrown at least 125 feet with the 4k hammer in a recognized meet.

Medals will be awarded to the top six places in each event. USATF rules will be followed with 34.92-degree sectors used for all divisions.

For more information, contact Bob Gourley at (401) 246-0243 or rmgourley@fctvplus.net.

Posted by Carolyn Thornton at 12:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)