Lafayette FUSION Softball Action

The 12 and under Fusion Softball team was in heavy action in the past few weeks. They competed in three area tournaments.

The Fusion 12 and under softball team competed in the ISA State Tournament held in Crossville,TN on June 23rd and 24th.The team won all of their tournament games on Saturday against teams from all over the state to finish the night in the winners bracket. Sunday morning brought more success for the Fusion with the team competing in the Championship game against the Dirt Dobbers from Knoxville. After a tough loss the team finished 2nd in the tournament and earned a berth in the ISA World Series to be played July 6th-8th in Crossville.

The Fusion 12 and under softball team competed in the ISA World Series Tournament held in Crossville,TN on July 6th – 8th.The team went to Crossville’s Turner Complex on Friday night for a team pin exchange, competitions, and opening ceremony. The girls were able to trade pins with other teams from Kentucky, Georgia, Indiana, and Tennessee. Next, they took part in several competitions including hitting, accuracy throw, precision throw, and base running. Three team members placed in the competitions including Kammie Yates – 1st in base running, Morgan Turner – 2nd in base running, and Megan Frye – 2nd in accuracy throwing.The girls enjoyed a DJ that kept the night entertaining. To complete the evening, all teams were introduced during the opening ceremonies. Saturday morning the team won their first pool game against Team Exclusion 2000 and lost their 2nd pool game against Smash Club. Fusion then began tournament play with an impressive win over the Dirt Dobbers 9 to 1! This is the same team that beat them in the state tournament championship game 2 weeks earlier. The team ended the day with a frustrating loss against the Vipers from Corbin, Kentucky. Early Sunday morning, the girls were rested and ready to battle back. They began the day with an exciting victory over the Knoxville Blast 4 to 1! Next, Fusion faced the Indiana Crushers. This game was a close one with the score 6 to 5, Fusion winning in the 4th inning. The girls gave it their all and proved they were not ready to go home quite yet. Fusion pulled out an impressive 14 to 5 win over the Crushers! Now playing back to back, the girls rehydrated in the scorching temps and prepared to play again. Fusion’s next challenge was Team Exclusion 99 from Crossville. Fusion came out swinging and never let up! They won this game overwhelmingly by a score of 14 to 0.  With only three teams remaining the Fusion played the Vipers for a 2nd time hoping for a better outcome. The team lost a heartbreaker game with the final score 6 to 4 to complete the weekend. Fusion finished a memorable tournament in 3rd place. Morgan Turner was selected for the all-tournament team.

 The Fusion 12 and under softball team competed in the NSA Tennessee Recreation State Championship held in Gallatin,TN on July 14th and 15th.

The team began tournament play against Team Softball from Mt. Juliet with a 2 to 0 victory. After a short break, the team next faced the Tennessee Stars from McMinnville/Cookeville. This second tournament game  ended in a frustrating 7 to 5 loss putting Fusion in the loser’s bracket. Now playing consecutively, the girls were ready to battle back against their next opponent, Giles County Allstars. Fusion came out fighting and never looked back by eliminating Giles County with an impressive 6 to 1 win!

Fusion now faced the Tennessee Stars once again. Ready for revenge, the team faced a tough challenge. They would need to beat the Stars twice in order to take home first place. Fusion was pumped and ready to play.  After being down 2 to 0, the team pulled out an exciting 3 to 2 victory over the Tennessee Stars.

With momentum now in their favor, Fusion did not show any signs of letting up. Now with the championship close enough to taste, Fusion played their hearts out. Unfortunately, they found themselves behind again 3 to 2 after two innings. The girls showed their true grit and fought back. The team got their bats going and played a solid defensive game. Their hours of hard work and dedication finally paid off! Fusion pulled ahead 5 to 4 in the final inning and was able to hold the Stars at their last at bat to clench the championship!

Thank you to all sponsors including NCTC North Central Telephone Cooperative, Macon Bank & Trust Company, Cobb, and, Charlie Adams-State Farm. Also a special thanks to Ray Frye for keeping the books and all the family and friends who came out to support the girls. Congratulations Fusion!