MILLVILLE, N.J. –The North Olympic 16-U fastpitch team’s run at the Babe Ruth Softball 16 & Under World Series came to an end on Friday with a 5-1 loss to Lodi, Calif.
North Olympic’s loss resulted in a fourth place with a 4-4 record, matching the best finish by any 16-U Peninsula team at the tournament in terms of placement (2001, ’02).
After winning once in the loser-out bracket of the double-elimination tournament, North Olympic was unable to summon up another victory on the big stage.
And it was mistakes in the field that ended up costing the Peninsula squad, with all five Lodi runs aided by Port Angeles errors.
Lodi jumped ahead early against Port Angeles’ Sonja Elofson, taking advantage of back-to-back errors to plate two runners in the top of the first inning.
A throwing error in the third led to another Lodi run that put them ahead 3-0.
Elofson — whose runs were all unearned — was taken out after the third for Carly Swingle, giving up two hits with one strikeout.
Swingle finished the final three innings, giving up two unearned runs and three hits.
North Olympic managed to score a run in the fourth inning on a Yolanda Chinn RBI single that scored Whitley Barnes, but that was all the team could muster against Lodi’s Tori Shepard.
Shepard struck out eight North Olympic batters on her way to a complete game win.
Sonja Elofson and Amber Diimmel earned All-World Series team honors at pitcher and outfield, respectively.
Elofson finished with a 3-2 record on the mound, including two complete game shutouts.
Diimmel totaled four RBIs and two runs scored while starting in center field.