The ThunderStorm 12U fast-pitch girls softball team from the Goleta Valley Girls Softball Association defeated North Torrance Select at the annual Sophia Priebe Memorial Tournament this past weekend.
second row: Sofia Bautista, Kylie Buben, Jasmine Rollman, Emily Morici, Autumn Johnson, Madyson Meza, Chloe Esparza; third row: Eric Buben, Cyrus Morici, Barry Waybright, Chris Anderson.
(Courtesy photo)
ThunderStorm started off the tournament on Saturday` by facing two highly competitive teams. The team split their games in pool play (1-1) and earned the number 2 seed in the second bracket for tournament play on Sunday. ThunderStorm faced Moorpark’s Elite 805 Select team for the first game on Sunday.
The game was scoreless through the first 2 1/2 innings until the ThunderStorm’s bats came alive in the bottom of the second inning. The team turned the batting order over 3 times and put 14 runs on the board. ThunderStorm defeated Elite Select by mercy rule (14-0) in the 4th inning and advanced to the championship game.
The finale on Sunday was intense. North Torrance Select put up three runs to start the game and ThunderStorm immediately answered with three in the bottom of the first. From that point forward, both teams settled in. The game became a contest that was ultimately decided by ThunderStorm’s timely and sharp defensive play in concert with their aggressive base running.
The team’s manager Cyrus Morici said: “We [the coaching staff] are very impressed with how well the team performed this weekend. We were down four starting players this weekend and recruited two 10U players in order to complete our roster for this tournament. Every player rose to the occasion and never lost sight of the team’s objective.”
ThunderStorm 12U is a team formed as part of Goleta Valley Girls Softball Association’s fall ball program. The program focuses on preparing players for the spring recreation season.
The ThunderStorm coaching staff is extremely proud of the hard work and dedication of its players this fall season. Every player on the team has grown tremendously this season and is very much ready for the 2023 12U recreation season.
ThunderStorm will cap off their fall ball season at the Amanda Tree Tournament in Simi Valley on Dec. 3-4.
ThunderStorm is coached by Cyrus Morici (manager), Justin Ramirez, Chris Anderson, Eric Buben, Dan Carleton, Mario Galicia, Mykenzie Ramirez, and Barry Waybright.
The team roster is comprised of Andrea Boeing, Autumn Johnson, Chloe Esparza, Dylann Ramirez, Emily Morici, Gianna Bautista, Hayden Anderson, Jasmine Rollman, Kylie Buben, Maddy Meza, Michelle Galicia, Olivia Carleton, Savannah Esparza, Sofia Bautista and Sophia Munoz.