Heat Wins Second Consecutive 'A' Softball Title

After a tough victory over Crossfire in pool play of the Davis Tournament last weekend, the Novato Heat 12A squad needed a second win over the East Bay team in order to claim the event championship.

And that’s exactly what it got Sunday.

The Heat followed up Saturday’s 3-2 win over Crossfire with a 3-1 decision in Sunday’s championship game, giving the Novato team its second consecutive tournament win.

''We are evenly matched against the Crossfire and managed to keep the runs down with good defense and pitching,” noted winning coach Charlie Slack.

Elimination play began Sunday with a bang – a six-run first inning in a semifinal victory over Folsom. That set up the Crossfire rematch.

Saturday’s matchup was even closer than Sunday’s, with Carly Slack singling home pinch-runner Angelica Biglieri with the game-winner. Ashley Bottomley had set up the winning hit with a single.

''Dixie (Thompson) pitched a really good game,” Coach Slack reported. “She was hitting her spots and the Crossfire could not keep up with her speed.”

Carly Slack and Bottomly also pitched for the Heat. Alana Locke, Sam Tong, Olivia Dallarra and Rebecca Simonetti also contributed to the championship run.

Here are how three other Heat teams fared in tournaments last weekend:

8B Red

The youngest of the Heat teams played in its first tournament in Petaluma and came close to recording a shocker, coming within one out of beating the top-seeded team, the Rohnert Park Rebels.

Ani Ladd and Grace Augusto were the team’s top pitchers in the tournament. Rebecca Russell and Abbie Brandt swung the biggest bats for the Heat.

10B Gold

Novato recorded one victory in the San Anselmo Tournament, and did so in exciting fashion in its first game Friday night, rallying from a two-run deficit.

Sierra Melendez pitched a complete game and escaped a late-game, bases-loaded situation when second baseman Erin Marino fielded a sharp grounder and turned it into an inning-ending out.

Chloe Winnett had two hits in the victory and scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice bunt from Kendal Scheiner, who reached base when the bunt was misplayed and eventually came around to score what turned out to be the deciding run.

Additionally, great defense from Emily O'Brien, Alea Escandon-Capanna and Amanda Simonetti, who threw out a runner attempting to steal second, kept the Santa Rosa team in check.

The Heat lost to the Petaluma Steal Breeze, Santa Rosa Hackers and San Bruno Storm in subsequent games despite strong pitching by Alex Neller, O'Brien and Simonetti.

Marino, Natalie Fontillas, Olivia Matheson and Caitlin Dwyer played well defensively, while Winnett (who had a triple and a home run) and Escandon-Capanna provided the offensive highlights.

The Heat goes to Rohnert Park for a tournament this weekend.

12B

Sarah Calabrese and Jenna Clark pitched well, but the Heat suffered successive losses to the San Anselmo Storm, Petaluma Steel Breeze, Marin Blue Angels and Santa Rosa Hackers in the San Anselmo Tournament.

The best game of the bunch came against the Storm, as the Heat led 6-2 entering the last inning, but gave up five runs and suffered a 7-6 defeat.

The Heat did the rallying in its loss to the Blue Angels, but a five-run outburst only got it within 11-6.