By Dick Sparrer
They played well enough a year ago to win a national title.
And they're working their magic again this season.
The Los Gatos-Saratoga Magic, a 14-and-under girls' softball team, opened the year with an impressive showing in tournament play in Jackson, Calif.
Last year's 12-and-under national champs won four straight games to claim the tournament championship, winning 13-0 in the finals.
Brittany Hennig flipped a one-hit shutout and her teammates supported her by scoring in every inning. But it was a nine-run rally in the sixth that secured the win and the tourney title.
A triple by Christine Cutter and singles by Stacie Funstin, Sally Holtslander, Ashley Graham, Margaret Cutter, Kendall Self, Jessica Enright and Jill Burnett keyed the rally.
The Magic had opened the tournament with an easy win over the Livermore Smoke. Hits by Enright, Lauren Lueder, Self, C. Cutter, Hennig, M. Cutter and Burnett sparked a six-run rally in the second inning.
An 8-2 win over the Foothill Gold from Placerville drove the Magic in the tourney semifinals.
Funstin was the winning pitcher for LG-Saratoga, and Hennig, Julie Stamps, C. Cutter, Burnett, Self, Holtslander and Jill Wehner led the bat attack.
Back-to-back doubles by Tiffany O'Farrell and Enright keyed a six-run rally in the second that drove the Magic to an 11-1 win over the Modesto Cruisers. Burnett and Lueder added singles in the rally.
C. Cutter, M. Cutter, Burnett, Lueder, Stamps and Megan Gurney added doubles in the win, and Gurney tossed a two-hitter for the pitching win.
Enright starred defensively for the Magic in the tournament. The catcher gunned down four runners attempting to steal.
Falcons take title
In regular-season softball action, the Falcons won the 12-and-under title in the Los Gatos-Saratoga Girls' Fast Pitch Softball League by finishing first in the annual Charlie Erickson Classic.
The Falcons edged the Hawks 4-3 in the title game behind the hitting and pitching of Kimi Enright.
Enright singled twice and scored a pair of runs for the champs, and she also tossed the win, putting down the Hawks in order in the final inning to secure the win.
The Falcons jumped out to a quick lead in the first. A single by Enright was surrounded by walks to Nicki Bouffard and Colleen Cornelius. Liz Pelzel drilled a two-run double, who later scored on a ground out by Emy White.
The Falcons made it 4-0 in the fourth when Enright singled, stole second, took third on a sacrifice by Cornelius and scored on a ground out by Pelzel.
The Hawks cut the lead to 4-3 heading into the final frame, but Enright cut them down in the final inning to clinch the win.
Enright struck out 11 in six innings of work to lead the Falcons to a 9-6 win over the Vultures in the quarterfinals. White, Ashley Turner and Cornelius starred in the field in the win.
Stephanie Biardo singled and doubled for the Vultures.
The Falcons came back to edge the Condors 7-6 to move into the finals.
The Condors led 6-4 heading into the final frame, but the Falcons rallied for the win. Bouffard and Enright walked to open the inning and scored on a single by Cornelius to tie the game. Cornelius stole second and third, then scored the game-winner on a passed ball.
The Condors threatened in the home half of the inning. But with two on and two out, third sacker Marissa Gault made a diving stop and touched her bag for a game-ending force.
The Falcons knocked off the Cardinals 4-1 in the other semifinal game.
In another tourney game, the Vultures handled the Ravens 11-2. Ilana Sabes singled, doubled and tripled in the win and Amanda Pulasky doubled and singled twice. Kelly Gault added a single and double and Jennifer King had two hits. King also recorded an unassisted double play in the field.
This article appeared in the Saratoga News, June 26, 1996.
©1996 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved