AC Fastpitch teams start summer with success

The summer fastpitch season is already well underway for the Armstrong/Cooper fastpitch association. The organization’s athletes from the two Robbinsdale high schools have already collected some silverware.

The high school red team took first place in the gold bracket for a second consecutive year at the Oriole Opener in St. Louis Park last week, featuring a stacked roster of Gabby Berns, Kendall Carscadden, Emma Chavez, Brianna Dumas, Peyton Erickson, Julia Girod, Kadence Joseph, Lexi Madson, Nina Olson-Patterson, Sydney Primmer, and Lucy Ramirez.

The team had just two practices to prepare for the tournament but did not let that slow them down. They earned a comeback win against rival team Minnesota Twisters, secured with a two-RBI double off the fence for Madson to score two runs and win 2-1. This gave the team a spot in the championship game, which they also won in comeback fashion. Madson hit a double to help Erickson, Berns, and Girod score runs to win the game 3-2. Erickson pitched the majority of the game with Primmer as a closer, while Girod was working hard behind the plate for her Falcons teammates.

The 14U royal team also took home honors last week, earning first place in the silver bracket at the Little Canada Fastpitch Classic. The team features Addi Thoennes, Adelina Carscadden, Ashley Kaderly, Bryn Weser, Ella Figueroa, EmmaLou Gilbert, Gretchen Hunter, Layla Douglas, Madeline Nack, Parker Olson, and Blakely Hockert. This was the team’s second runner-up finish in a silver bracket this year.

The 14U Royal team won three games in bracket play, including a walk-off win against the first-seed team. They then dominated the championship game 20-1 against Alexandria with triples by Olson, Thoeness, Gilbert, and Adelina Carscadden. The team’s offense was explosive through the weekend and was backed by strong pitching and defensive work.

Additional information about the summer ball schedule for the Armstrong Cooper Girls Fastpitch Association can be found at www.armstrongcooperfastpitch.org.