Dreams continue torrid pace at Series
Yano, Hopper lead squads to a combined 6-2 record

By: Argus Observer Sports Staff
Thursday, July 23, 2009 10:28 AM PDT

SUBMITTED PHOTO Field of Dreams pitcher Melissa Blackwell winds up for a pitch in this submitted photo. Blackwell and the Dreams worked a 3-1 record in pool play to earn the No. 1 seed headed into bracket play. The Dreams kicked off bracket play at 11:30 a.m. today against the Albuquerque Rampage.

Park City, Utah—Entering Wednesday’s action with a 2-0 record and a burst of momentum on their side, David Hopper’s Field of Dreams squad salvaged a split to end pool play action with a 3-1 record and earn the No. 1 seed entering bracket play at the Triple Crown Sports World Series in Park City, Utah.

The Dreams kicked off the day with a win behind back-to-back RBI singles by Tori Brown and Melissa Blackwell to give the Dreams a 4-3 lead and the eventual come-from-behind victory over the Yukon Attitude, out of Salt Lake City.

Blessed with the one-run lead, Dreams reliever Boo Christman strolled out to the circle in the top of the sixth and retired the Attitude with a groundout and a pair of strikeouts to preserve the win.

Mariah Dodson and Brown went 2-for-3, Blackwell went 1-for-1 and Jordan Barnett reached base in every at-bat with three walks.

In the nightcap, the Dreams struggled at the plate with 11 strikeouts and lost 2-1 to the Winslow, Ariz., Crew.

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The Dreams’ lone run came in the opening frame, as Shelby Zamora kicked things off with a leadoff walk. Zamora then stole second base and advanced to third on a passed ball. Zamora completed the tour around the bags, scoring on an illegal pitch to give the Dreams a 1-0 advantage.

The lead would stand until the bottom of the fourth inning when the Crew tallied a single run off Blackwell to even the count at 1-all. In the fifth, the Crew added the game-winner on an RBI single.

Christman went 2-for-3, Dodson went 1-for-3 and Brown went 1-for-2 to account for all the Dreams’ hits.

Blackwell was the hard-luck loser, as she tossed a complete game, four-hitter with two strikeouts and a walk.

The Dreams kick off bracket play today at 11:30 a.m. against the Albuquerque Rampage.

A win and the Dreams take on the winner of the Winslow, Ariz. team and Grand Junction Swat game at 1:30 p.m. A loss and the Dreams play the loser of the Winslow/Grand Junction game Friday.

Yano’s Dreams finish pool play with 3-1 record, clinch third seed

Park City, UtAH

Craig Yano’s U18 Field of Dreams squad, so far, has shown that softball is alive and well in the treasure valley, as the Dreams ended pool play with a 3-1 record and chalked up a No. 3 seed in their bracket pool. 

After a 1-1 start Tuesday, the Dreams came out Wednesday and notched a pair of wins, including a 3-0 victory over the 2008 defending champion, Joplin, Miss., Sudden Impact in the opener.

Against the Sudden Impact, Jenny Yano pitched a complete game, four-hitter with six strikeouts and a walk to lead the Dreams. Offensively, the Dreams scored two runs in the top of the first inning and never looked back.

In the first, Stephanie Rule led off with a single, and Leslie LaMue followed with a sacrifice bunt. Deanna Edwards followed with a single to put runners on the corners with one out and Allison Yano headed to the plate.

She grounded into a fielder’s choice to advance Edwards to second, and Rule remained at third base. With two outs, Tara Hutchinson gave the Dreams the 2-0 lead with a two-run single. 

The Dreams capped the scoring in the fifth frame when Rule was chased home on a two-out suicide squeeze bunt by Edwards. 

In all, the Dreams posted six hits with Rule and Hutchinson each going 2-for-3. 

Although Jenny Yano picked up the shutout win, she was aided by her defense which committed one error.

Edwards had an unassisted double play at third base in the sixth inning, and coach Yano said there were numerous hit-robbing catches during the game. LaMue capped a solid defensive effort with a game-ending, home run-robbing catch by LaMue over the left field fence.

In the nightcap, LaMue notched two hits, and Paige Gabiola drove in the game-winning run with a fifth inning two-run double to lead the Dreams to a 4-3 victory over the Rampage, from Albuquerque, N.M.

The Dreams tallied a total of eight hits, and LaMue was supported by Jenny Yano, who went 2-for-2 from the plate.

Hutchinson picked up the win, as she tossed a complete game, six-hitter with eight strikeouts. Hutchinson faced her toughest task in the fourth inning, as the Rampage threatened to take the lead with the bases loaded and one out. Hutchinson induced an inning-ending comebacker, which turned into a 1-2-3 double play to thwart the rally attempt.

In first-day action, the Dreams finished with a 1-1 record and very well could have clinched the opener, a 3-0 loss to the Colorado Springs Thunder, if not for seven stranded baserunners.

Edwards, Hutchinson and LaMue tallied two hits apiece to spearhead the offense.

Hutchinson picked up the loss, as she lasted 31⁄3 innings, and finished with five strikeouts, six walks and allowed two hits.

In the Tuesday nightcap, the Dreams bounced back using four straight second-inning RBI squeeze bunts and held on for the 5-4 victory over Preston, Idaho.

Allison Yano went 2-for-2, and LaMue continued her torrid hitting with a 2-for-3 effort from the plate.

Jenny Yano tossed five frames, allowed four hits, struck out eight and walked one to pick up the win. Hutchinson chalked up the save with a scoreless sixth inning.

The Dreams kicked off bracket play at 9:45 a.m. today against the AV Phantom from Lancaster, Calif.