Umpqua Valley girls take Northwest tourney

HOQUIAM, Wa. -- The Umpqua Valley Cal Ripkin/Babe Ruth 10-and-under girls All Star fast pitch softball team qualified for the regional tournament held last week in Hoquiam, Washington. 

Twelve girls from the Umpqua Valley were on the roster, including seven from the Roseburg area, three from Winston and two from Oakland. 
 
The first day of the tournament started on Thursday. Each team in the tournament was scheduled to play two games a day leading up to the championship game.

On the first day of the tournament, the Umpqua Valley All Stars beat the hosting team Hoquiam 13-6 behind a solid pitching performance from Alyssa Malek, who pitched all six innings in that game.
 
For the second game opening day, the UV Allstars played Forks, Washington. It was a big game for Umpqua Valley when it came to hits. Rachel Arts hit a home run in the second inning, followed by Erica Allen hitting one in the third. 

The play of the game was a suicide squeeze pulled off in the fifth inning, when Taylor Davis laid down a perfect bunt and Lydia Sand scored from third. 

The Umpqua girls couldn't overcome nine credited errors in that game and lost 11-10.
 
On the second day of the tournament, the UV beat Ellensberg, Washington 16-3. In that game, Tayler Frahm and Brittany Glasser had ten stolen bases between the two of them, including three at home plate. 

Later that day, Umpqua Valley played and beat Meridian, Idaho 4-2. Jordan Gibson hit a home run in the fourth inning of the Meridian game to put Umpqua Valley up for good.
 
On July 21, the girls had to play the host team Hoquiam, Washington again. In that game the Umpqua Valley team was down by a run in the bottom of the sixth inning with two outs and nobody on base. Four girls, including Grace Whitten, Brittany Glasser, Taylor Frahm and Alivia "Beans" Mandera all got hits.

The last drove in two runs which put Umpqua Valley on top to win the game. 

Later that evening Umpqua Valley went on to beat Meridian a second time, in an 8-5 decision.
 
Those wins put Umpqua Valley into the Championship game on the afternoon of July 22. 

Meridian won its way through the loser bracket to face the Umpqua Valley Allstars a third time. 

The final score of that game was a 7-6 win for Umpqua Valley. Both Alyssa Malek and Rachel Arts turned in solid pitching performances. 

Arts had six strike outs in three innings. Erica Allen had a triple that got the other bats on the team fired up. 

Lydia Sand went three for three at the plate. Alivia Mandera had two hits and Alyssa Malek registered two RBI's off sacrifice bunts.

The team and coaches were elated, taking the top tourney honors for the entire Northwest, which includes Oregon Washington and Idaho.

According to a Cal Ripkin board member, this is the first time a 10-and-under team from Roseburg has ever won the regional tourney.

Here is a look at the championship team:
 
Players:
Taylor Frahm
Alyssa Malek
Rachel Arts
Beth Bray
Taylor Davis
Madison Davis
Alivia Mandera
Erica Allen
Jordan Gibson
Grace Whitten
Brittany Glasser
Lydia Sand

Head Coach - Kris Malek
Asst. Coach - Mike Arts
Asst. Coach - Reanna Ross