LosGatosObserver.com

The LGSGSA Magic 14B team is off to a hot 11-0 start.

They say that lightning never strikes the same spot twice, but don’t tell that to the Half Moon Bay Waves.

Twice last weekend the Waves were struck by “Magic” lightning at the 14B NorCal ASA softball pre-qualifier in San Mateo.

In a pool play Saturday, and again in the championship game Sunday evening, the LGSGSA Magic came to bat in the bottom of the seventh trailing the Waves 5-3. But the Los Gatos-Saratoga girls walked away with two 6-5 wins and their second tournament championship in as many weeks.

Hannah Yeager hit a deep sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth inning to bring home Rachel Silva with the winning run in Sunday’s championship game. A day earlier, Crystal McGee hit a long sacrifice fly to left field to score Yeager with the winning run.

Lisa Colombo was the winning pitcher for the Magic in both games. In the championship game, she scattered seven hits while striking out six and walking just one.

Half Moon Bay scored two quick runs in the top of the first Sunday, but the Magic answered back in the bottom half of the inning when Colombo singled and scored on a double by McGee. Yeager then promptly doubled home McGee to tie the game.

The score remained deadlocked at two until the Waves scored two more in the top of the fifth. But the Magic cut that lead in half when Kacy Cooper singled, moved to third on wild pitches and scored on a ground out by Allie Frey.

Half Moon Bay added an insurance run in the top of the seventh to set the stage for yet another “Magical” comeback.

Shannon McGreevy drew a walk to start the seventh. Sydney Werner ran for McGreevy and moved to second when Sheila Brodnik’s fly ball to left was dropped for an error. Frey singled home Werner, and Brodnik scored to tie the game when pinch hitter Katie Lamson reached on an infield throwing error.

In softball, the International Tie-Breaker is used in extra-inning games, so Half Moon Bay started the eighth with a runner on second base. But the Waves failed to move her over with a bunt, instead popping out to the catcher McGee. Two ground balls ended the inning with no runs scored.

The Magic, however, did not fail to move the runner up. McGee dropped a perfect bunt down to move Rachel Silva to third. Yeager then ripped her game-winning line drive to right field to win the game.

In the semifinals, the Magic pounded the Santa Clara Sparks 10-2, scoring six runs in the top of the first and four more in the second. Frey was the winning pitcher, allowing four hits and striking out three while walking just one.

McGee ripped a two-run double in the first, and McGreevy had two hits and three RBI in the win.

The Magic opened the tournament with an 8-0 victory over the Palo Alto Heat. McGee had two hits and two RBI and McGreevy two doubles. McGreevy was also the winning pitcher, allowing just one hit over five innings.

Then came the other magical comeback over Half Moon Bay, with Jenna Yamamoto getting a one-out single to start the rally. Colombo walked, Yeager doubled home two runs and McGee brought home the game winner with her sacrifice fly.

The Magic closed out pool play with an 11-4 victory over the San Carlos Force Black. Yeager and Frey each had three hits, with Colombo, McGreevy and Cooper collecting two hits apiece.

The Magic 14B team is off to an 11-0 start in 2009. The previous weekend, the Magic won the Twin Creeks tournament, defeating the Hollister Heat 13-1 in the championship game.

Frey tossed five innings to pick up the win, allowing six hits while striking out eight and walking three. She also had a single and double at the plate.

Brodnik had three hits in the game, and Colombo, Silva, McGee, Yeager and Cooper all had two hits.

The Magic is off this weekend, playing again June 20-21 in Napa before the ASA NorCal Championships June 26-28 at Twin Creeks in Sunnyvale. The Magic will be represented in the NorCal tournament by six teams, two each in 10U, 12U and 14U.

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