Sparx headed to national tourney

With three consecutive tournament championships under their belt, the Surf City Sparx, a 12-and-Under “blue” All-Star team out of South Huntington Beach Girls Fastpitch Softball now has its sights set on a national title.

The Surf City Sparx will compete in August at the Western Nationals in Midland, Texas. The appearance at the national tournament will be a first for a 12-U team from South Huntington Beach.

The Sparx earned first-place finishes in tournaments at La Mirada, Laguna Niguel and Rancho Trabuco. In addition, they also finished in third place at the recent Amateur Softball Assn. Central District Tournament in Cypress and the ASA State Tournament in Lancaster.

The Sparx, 27-5-1 overall, won all five games, including three by shutout, to win the Rancho Trabuco Tournament. After Alex Bauer recorded the first win in the Sparx’s opener against Mission Viejo, Allyson Hecht pitched all three shutouts and also tossed a one-hitter.

At the Central District Tournament, 15 teams competed for a shot at the state tournament. The Sparx posted a 4-1 tournament record and a third-place finish, which qualified the squad for the state tournament in Lancaster.

Twenty teams competed over two days at the state tournament, each eyeing a spot in the Western Nationals. The Sparx opened the tournament with wins over Corona (18-2), Murietta Valley (7-2) and Scripps Ranch (10-0). They suffered losses to Bonita Valley (5-1) and Northridge (3-2) to finish with a 3-2 record to earn a berth in the national tournament.

The South Huntington Beach Sparx are Alex Bauer, Stephanie Coyne, Victoria Galasso, Maddy Hickman, Allyson Hecht, Avery Ingram, Kelynn Mullally, Mercedes O’Connor, Chelsea Roy, Katie Shinrock, Rachel Vitali, Nicole Zapotocnzy and coaches Michael Hecht, Keith Mullally, Mike Coyne, Joe Zapotocnzy and Bob Vitali.