By Special to the Town Crier
The Graham Middle School eighth-grade softball team learned Oct. 13 that good things do come in threes. The girls had just completed a “threepeat” as Valley Junior High School Athletic League champs, beating Columbia 11-3 in the final.
In 2003 as sixth/seventh-graders and again in 2004 as seventh-graders, the Graham Bears of Mountain View went undefeated to obtain the titles. In 2005 it was a different story. At season’s end the Bears found themselves in a three-way tie for first with Colombia and Cupertino middle schools. For the purposes of seeding the teams in the playoffs, the league held a draw in which Colombia was seeded first, Cupertino second and Graham third. This meant, Graham needed to win three games to be champions, while Cupertino and Colombia received first-round byes.
Graham easily defeated sixth-place Blach Intermediate School in the first round, 12-1. The next day the Bears played the only team that defeated them in the regular season: Cupertino. With the score tied at 2 in the fifth inning and bases loaded for the Bears, catcher Karina Muranga hit a double to clear the bases and give Graham a three-run lead. Pitcher Victoria Hayward held Cupertino scoreless the rest of the game. The Bears were on the way to play the championship game against Colombia.
The season ended with an exclamation mark. In the third and final game, Graham pounded out 15 hits and scored 11 runs. Pitchers Hayward and McColl Matthews gave up only three runs with the help of some stellar defensive plays in the infield by Jenny Porter, and outfielders Maggie Paredes, Asia Krupa and Lauren Mattick.
Colombia appeared to be putting together a late rally with runners on third and first with no outs.
The next batter hit a screeching line drive to pitcher McColl, who caught it and threw to third baseman Christine Bitler to double off the runner who did not tag up at third.
Meanwhile the runner at first base attempted to steal second and there was no way for her to get back to first. Bitler threw across the diamond to first baseman Felicia Baldwin to make the third out. It seemed fitting that a triple play sealed Graham’s threepeat.
Head coach Cathy DiLeonardo praised the efforts of her entire team, including Felicia Del Conte, Clarissa Johnson, Sarah McGee and Melissa Vincent.
“We have had a great hitting team coupled with a strong defense. Six of these girls have played on the team all three years, just wait till they hit high school,” she said.
DiLeondaro also complemented the work of her coaching staff: Genny DiLeonardo, Marissa Bitler, Celeste Gausch and Jessica DiLeonardo.
