Tigard Takes It

The Tigard all-stars earn a Little League Softball World Series bid with their 18-0 victory over Tualatin City

By Dan Brood

The Times, Jul 29, 2010 (1 Reader comment)

DAN BROOD / The Times

OVERJOYED — Tigard’s Alyssa Overcash (right) is all smiles after she scored in the fifth inning of the team’s 18-0 win.

PORTLAND — Dreams can come true.

Just ask the girls on the Tigard Little League Majors (ages 11-12) all-star softball team. They know.

Those Tigard girls saw their World Series dreams and aspirations come true in very impressive fashion.

Tigard earned an automatic bid to the 2010 Little League Softball World Series by defeating Tualatin City 18-0 in the District 4 Tournament championship game played Friday in front of a large, loud crowd at Alpenrose Dairy.

“This means a lot to us,” Tigard outfielder Alyssa Overcash said during the team’s victory celebration Friday at Alpenrose. “I’m so happy. I can’t even explain it — I teared up. I’m really excited about the World Series. I thought it wasn’t going to happen, but it did. It made my whole year.”

“This means so much to us,” Tigard first baseman Emilee Heyden said. “We worked all year for this and we got it. We’re so happy right now — we all love each other. We’re going to the World Series. I can’t even describe how this feels.”

Tigard, which won its first District 4 Majors title since 1994, moves on to the World Series as the Oregon District 4 representative. Tigard will open World Series play Aug. 12 when it faces the U.S. Southeast regional champion at 5 p.m. on the main field at Alpenrose.

“It’s going to be an adventure,” Tigard catcher Ramsey Hare said of the World Series. “It will be fun.”

Tualatin City, like Tigard, had a 4-0 record in District 4 tournament play going into Friday’s tourney title contest.

“It was a great experience,” Tualatin City third baseman Nikki Miller said of the district tourney. “We just had fun — I loved it.”

“This is a great group of girls and they gave it everything they had all season,” Tualatin City manager Peter Stamnes said. “This game, we got beat by a better pitcher and we had some errors that took the wind out of our sails. But the girls played hard.”

Emily Sorem pitched Tigard to the victory in the district title contest.

Turning in a six-inning, complete-game shutout, Sorem allowed two hits while striking out seven and walking none.

“I threw three pitches and all of them were working,” Sorem said with a smile. “I felt really good out there.”

“I think that’s the hardest I’ve seen her throw,” Tigard manager Derek Heyden said. “It was amazing. She had a lot of adrenaline.”

Tigard, in Friday’s district title contest, broke a scoreless tie with a pair of runs in the top of the second inning.

Emilee Heyden got things started with a one-out single to center field. She then came all the way around to score the game’s first run when Tualatin City committed a throwing error following a grounder by Kalyna Korok.

Korok scored later in the inning on a two-out single to left by Katy Warren, giving Tigard a 2-0 lead.

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