Lady ‘Dogs reunite, win championship

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Lady ‘Dogs reunite, win championship

The Port Arthur News

The 2008 Nederland High School softball team that came within one inning of a state championship, reassembled last week for the 18-and-under Independent Fast Pitch Association National Tournament, which was played at Ford Park in Beaumont.

The tournament started July 26th and ran through Saturday. Known as Nederland Intensity, the girls won 10 out of their 11 games and claimed the national title by beating the California Runnin Rebels 3-0 on Saturday.

The Intensity was made up of 2008 NHS seniors Caitlyn Austin, Taylor Trojcak and Katelyn Worsham, as well as Ashleigh Kuhn, Lindsey Rossi, Jordan Bodin, Jordan Hightower, Krista Mayer, Shelby Phillips, Logan LeBlanc and Layken Richard, who played for this year's team which made it to the Class 4A regional semifinals.

In 2008, the Lady Dogs surprised many by just qualifying for state. They then beating Dripping Springs 1-0 in the semifinals and took No. 1 ranked Aledo to the 15th inning before falling 4-0. That 15-inning marathon set a record for the longest championship game in Class 4A history.

For Nationals, Richard's younger sister Jenson Richard and Breanna Miller both joined the team. Jenson and Miller are freshmen to be. The girls also picked up Temple Junior College's Michelle Stratta, who was invited by Austin, a Temple teammate. Rossi and Bodin will join Austin and Stratta this fall. Stratta was used as Intensity's designated player.

Before winning the championship, Nederland knocked off Houston Power by a score of 7-2 in the semifinals. The Power was averaging eight runs per game before playing Intensity.

Nederland also edged the Tennessee German Town Red Devils with a 4-2 decision. German Town, which was favored to win Nationals, gave Intensity their only loss of the tournament. But Nederland came back to beat the Red Devils in the quarterfinals.

[Be Smart]

Good job Ladies