Bartlett Silver Hawks claim ASA North National crown
The Bartlett Silver Hawks 18U travel fastpitch team recently claimed its second ASA Northern National championship in the last three years.
The Silver Hawks, coached by Brad Dennison, Thijs Dennison, Jim Pierce and Kevin Toth, went 8-0 in the tournament, which was played in Novi, Mich.
Jackie Beilfuss and 2010 Daily Herald All-Area co-captain Callie Dennison of Bartlett picked up the pitching wins as the Silver Hawks downed the Louisville Stunners and the Midstate Magic in pool play by scores of 11-2 and 10-1 respectively. Alexa Alfaro had a 3-run home run in the win over the Midstate Magic.
Beilfuss pitched Bartlett to an 8-1 win over Team Michigan in the first round of championship play as Jenna Trusso of St. Charles North sparked the Silver Hawks' offense with a 2-run single in their 5-run fourth inning.
The Hawks then downed the Duluth Aeirals 3-2 in international tiebreaker as Chelsea Boyle drove in Dennison with the game-winning run and Jessica Toth picked up the win in the circle.
That win catapulted the Silver Hawks into a matchup against the Cincy Doom, which Bartlett won in the 10th inning when the Doom walked in the winning run. Beilfuss and Dennison combined for the Silver Hawks in the circle with Dennison, who is signed at Butler, earning the win.
A suicide squeeze bunt in the bottom of the seventh inning by Bartlett's Megan Morales then scored Alyssa Jasinski of Glenbard North with the winning run in a 2-1 win over the KC Originals.
A 3-1 victory over the Lemont Rockers DD followed, and left the Silver Hawks as the tournament's only undefeated team. The Rockers then came through the loser's bracket to face the Silver Hawks again with the tournament championship on the line and the Hawks prevailed 6-3 as Dennison again picked up the win in the circle.
The Silver Hawks' roster consisted of Alfaro, Beilfuss, Boyle, Dennison, Paige Evangelista (Wheaton North), Rachel Holoway (Wheaton North), Jasinski, Katrina Klingberg, Kaity Olson (West Chicago), Toth, Trusso, and Izzy Vogt (Wheaton Warrenville South).