O-L wins majors title
Olivehurst-Linda manager Bruce Thome made a deal with his team unlike any other.
Thome promised his major division softball team that he would dress like a female and walk through the Yuba Sutter Mall if they won the District 2 All-Star Tournament on Monday night.
Thome will likely be raiding his wife's closet for the perfect dress and matching pumps.
His O-L team scored the go-ahead run in the top of the sixth inning and held off Colusa in the bottom half with the bases loaded for a nail-biting 8-7 victory in the championship game.
O-L strung together three straight hits off Colusa pitcher Tiffany Friel in the sixth with Mercedez Terry knocking home Alina Medina for the 8-7 advantage. Morgan Thome and Terry also singled in the inning.
"That'sHowever, Thome managed to strike out Rylee Kampf to end the game and get out of the jam. Colusa had a chance to tie earlier in the inning, when Jylissa Ayala walked, moved to second and third on wild pitches before attempting to steal home on a wild pitch, only to be caught in a rundown for the first out.
Bruce Thome never thought about taking his daughter off the mound despite her lack of control.
"She was struggling tonight, but it was just one of those off games," Thome said. "I was just going to stay with the same players that got us here. I didn't want to vary from the game plan."
Morgan Thome pitched out of a bases-loaded jam twice, in the third and fourth innings. She walked two and hit a batter with two outs in the third before a ground out saved her from further damage. She walked the bases loaded with two outs in the fourth before striking out Caroline Meyers looking to end that threat.
"That's why I left her in, because she is capable of doing that," Bthe coach said of his pitcher.
Colusa used a six-run second inning for a 6-2 lead.
Thome walked four, hit two and gave up a two-run bloop single to Friel and a two-RBI single to Kayla Cunha.
O-L whittled away at the lead, scoring twice in the third after Friel walked home a run and a balk brought another home. It added two more in the fourth, tying it at 6-all, and taking its first lead, 7-6, with a run in the fifth.
Colusa came back in the bottom half, knotting it 7-7 after a two-base error allowed Noemi Padilla to score.
"I'm proud of the girls. They work hard and fought hard," Colusa manager Cindy Friel said.
Colusa defeated Live Oak 16-5 to reach the title game. Live Oak defeated Peach Bowl, 9-8, before its loss to Colusa.
Appeal-Democrat reporter Justin Miller can be reached at 749-4796. You may e-mail him at jmiller@appeal-democrat.com.
