By Staff
NILES - The Intensity fastpitch softball team continued their winning ways last weekend by winning the 9th Annual Alliance Lake Early Bird National Qualifier NSA Softball tournament for girls ages 14 and under in Potterville.
The team is made of 13-year-old girls who play in the Greater Niles-Brandywine Softball Association at Fireman's Youth Park.
Intensity won five consecutive games to claim the tournament title.
They defeated the Ohio Peppers out of the greater Toledo area in their first game by the score of 5-0.
Jenna Ignowski was the winning pitcher and struck out five batters while throwing a no hitter.
Next, Intensity defeated the Oakland Sidewinders by the score of 10-2. Demi Schrader was the winning pitcher, limiting the Sidewinders to three hits.
Holly Lucas led the offense with three hits while Delaina Schroeder and Patty Anton each had two hits and Ashton Gorden added a single and RBI.
The team then faced the Reed City Rage and defeated them by the score of 8-0.
Alexis Lenox was the winning hurler for Intensity throwing a one hit shutout with five strike outs. Lucas paced the offense with two hits.
In the closest game of the tourney, Intensity defeated a good Kalamazoo Klash team by the score of 2-1.
After trailing the Klash 1-0, Maggie Earnsberger led off with a single, followed by Patty Anton's triple and a double by Kaley Jones.
That was all the support that pitcher Ignowski needed, as she shut out the Klash for the rest of the game, striking out 10.
Intensity then faced the Ohio Peppers again in the championship game and defeated them by the score of 6-0.
Ignowski was a one girl wrecking crew by hitting a home run and a triple and throwing a one hitter.
Ernsberger added a triple and Lucas had two more base hits.
Leading hitters for Intensity for the tourney were Lucas with a .584 average, Ignowski and Ernsberger both at .500 and Patty Anton at .455.
Lucas led a good defensive performance making some outstanding defensive plays.The team returns to action this weekend in Warsaw.