By winning its morning game over host Millville 3-2 on Wednesday, the North Olympic 16-U fastpitch team may have done itself a disservice.
The victory gave North Olympic only a few hours rest in the Babe Ruth Softball 16 & Under World Series before the team had to come back to the diamond for a showdown against Wausau, Wis., in 90-degree heat.
The result was a tough 3-2 loss in which pitcher Carly Swingle suffered dehydration — and the team ran out of gas.
“The heat took its toll,”‘ North Olympic head coach Warren Stevens said.
“It was quite evident that we did not have enough time.
“If we would have played them with some rest, I’m confident we would have won.”
The loss means North Olympic will play a loser-out game against Revere, Mass., today at 2:30 p.m.
Good start
North Olympic came out with energy in the first inning against Wausau, scoring runs on RBI singles from Yolanda Chinn and Amber Diimmel.
Whitley Barnes sparked the rally with a single and a stolen base.
Wausau responded with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning to knot the score at 2-2.
Two innings later, Wausau scored the go-ahead run on a throwing error to take the 3-2 lead.
Swingle was taken out of the game in the fourth, suffering from apparent dehydration, giving up three hits and three runs, all of which were unearned, in three innings of work.
Sonja Elofson pitched the final three innings, giving up three hits, one walk and no runs with one strikeout.
North Olympic threatened in the sixth, loading up the bases with no outs.
But a sharply hit ball by Cheryl Waddell resulted in a double play, followed by a ground out by Molly Ward.
“They gave 110 percent, but it was just too much,” Stevens said.
“We had opportunities, we just didn’t capitalize on them.”