Gold Fire takes 2nd at state tourney

The Douglas Gold Fire traveling softball team placed second in the U-12 division at the state ASA tournament in Bullhead City last month.

With the second place finish the Gold Fire qualified for nationals in Oregon but Coach Eddie Gonzalez said the lack of time and the location made it difficult for the team to raise funds needed to compete so the Gold Fire opted not to go and instead focus on their upcoming tournament which will be held in Douglas Aug. 21-23.

Jochlyn Vasquez and Aileen Alegria each landed all-tournament honors for their play in the state tournament.

The Gold Fire opened up the tournament with an impressive 14-0 win over the Prescott Lady Hawks in the first game.

Sydnea Estrella was the winning pitcher throwing a complete game no-hitter while fanning 12 and walking one.

Alegria hit 3 for 3 for Douglas with a homerun, a triple and a double. Audri Olvera was also 3 for 3 with a double and two singles Diva Mercer and Estrella each were 2 for 3; Ashley Aguilar was 1 for 1.

In the second game Estrella threw a two-hit shutout as the Gold Fire shutout the Tucson Aztecs 5-0.

Estrella fanned seven and failed to allow a walk this game. Samantha Gonzales hit 3 for 3 for Douglas with a double and two singles. Marissa Morales and Vasquez each hit 2 for 3. Mercer was 1 for 2.

Game three was a preview of what would later be the championship series.

The Gold Fire had a 4-0 lead this game but allowed the Yuma Magic to score twice in the fifth and twice again in the seventh tying the game at 4-4. The game went into extra innings which ended up being six extra innings.

Douglas scored a run in the top half of the 13th and then held Yuma scoreless in the bottom half of the inning to come away with a 5-4 win.

Estrella threw all 13 innings giving up four runs off 10 hits while fanning 10 and walking two.

Estrella, Aguilar and Vasquez each hit 2 for 3 this game.

Yuma won its next consolation game and advanced to the championship game where they would again face the Gold Fire.

Yuma won game one 7-5 using a four run sixth to overcome a 4-3 deficit and take a 7-4 lead.

Tanna Cole, a player from Tucson who also pitches for the Gold Fire, took the loss.

Estrella hit 3 for 3 this game; Vasquez was 2 for 3 and  Olvera, Alegria, Aguilar and Mercer each hit 1 for 3.

The if game that followed also went to extra innings as Yuma scored a run in the top of the 11th to come away with a 6-5 win.

Yuma led 2-0 going into the bottom of the third when the Gold Fire scored twice tying the game at 2-2. Yuma scored two runs in the top of the sixth to go up 4-2 but the Gold Fire refused to go away scoring twice in the bottom half of the seventh tying the game at 4-4.

Yuma scored a run in the top of the ninth to up 5-4 but Douglas came back in the bottom half of the inning and scored tying the game once again at 5-5.

The Magic scored what proved to be the game winning run in the top of the 11th.

Cole was again the losing pitcher this game.

Aguilar had two hits this game. Morales, Olvera, Estrella, Vasquez, Gonzales and Mercer each had one hit.

Gonzalez said his team played 43 innings of softball at the state tournament – 31 of which were against the Yuma Magic squad.

“It was a good tournament,” he said. “We just got worn out – we were only playing with 11 girls while most teams had 16.”

Gonzalez expects eight teams to be in Douglas for his tournament coming up in late August.