All the Scoring in Tiebreaker as Santana Defeats Madison

The way Shelly Hawkins of Santana and Jenifer Booker of Madison were pitching in the Tough Time Division final of the Orange Glen Easter Tournament Wednesday, the offenses would have had a tough time scoring before Easter had there not been a tiebreaker after seven innings.

Santana won, 2-1, in nine innings at Kit Carson Park, scoring the runs on a groundout and a bunt after starting the inning with a runner on second in the tiebreaker system used in high school softball. Madison scored its run in the ninth on two wild pitches.

“It’s too bad we couldn’t have won it earlier,” said Rebecca Aase, Santana third baseman. “But it comes down to who can execute at the end of the game.”

With Hawkins (8-0) and Booker (9-2) on their games--Hawkins allowed just two hits and struck out 10 and Booker gave up six hits and struck out nine--neither team was able to score through eight innings.

Madison runner Michele Sergott was placed on second to begin the ninth, advanced to third and scored on the wild pitches.

In the bottom of the ninth, Santana placed catcher Christy Stippey on second, and Hawkins walked. Cheryl Castelo bunted them to second and third.

Jenny Murphy then grounded to short. Madison shortstop Beania Galletta fielded it cleanly and fired home, but Stippey managed to kick the ball out of the mitt of catcher Chrystal Friesen. Murphy took second, setting up a second-and-third situation with one out.

Up stepped senior right fielder Tami Schaeffer, with two fingers on her right hand taped because of an early-season injury.

Schaeffer slapped a perfect bunt between Booker and Madison first baseman Toi Poole to drive in Hawkins and give Santana (17-1) the tournament championship and its second victory over Madison (15-3) in three games this season.

Schaeffer said the injury bothered her a little but that she knew she could get down the bunt. “I wanted to prove to coach I could do it,” she said.