July 16th - 18th  - Report by Michael Lewis

---

Mark West Wild 9, Sting 3

The mere fact that no one in the stands could say where or what or who was “Mark West”
should have prepared us for the sense of unease that preceded the game. The other unsettling
fact: Sting’s first game didn’t begin until 12:30 pm, against a team that had already played its
first two games of the day, and won them both by big margins. Asked before the game how they
felt about their chances Sierra Jimenez said “I feel hot,” and Allison Hersh said “I think it’s
going to be very, very hot, and we’re going to do pretty good.” It was indeed so hot that starting
pitcher Robyn Wampler abandoned her usual long sleeve undershirt, and pitched bare-armed.

The game began promisingly enough. The Wampler change-up fooled batters; Grace Rusin
threw out a stealing Wild: Aida Baron, moved up to second in the order, lined a base hit over the
head of the second baseman, and was driven in by Claire Kaneko, who promptly stole two bases
and got driven in by Adi Saaf.

After an inning the score was 2-2, and the Wild, for the first time in its mysterious life, sensed
it had a game on its hands. But then, in the top of the second, the fates intervened. Shortstop
Isabel Lavrov, playing bravely with an illness without mentioning it to her coaches, leaned
over and vomited onto the field, and was immediately carted off by her devoted father. Sting
players were understandably reluctant to replace her. “Are they going to clean it up first?,”
asked Sierra Jimenez, as she stepped gingerly over the turf between second and third base.

They weren’t; but even without Lavrov Sting pressed on. Wild took another lead, 3-2, but Sting
came back, on a base hit bunt from Maeve Gallagher followed by an Adi Saaf double. In the top
of the fourth Wild again scored once, and went up 4-3. In the bottom of the fourth Saaf walked
and Quinn Lewis singled, and both stole. With runners on second and third in what looked like it
might be the final inning, the game was still within reach.

Then, just as quickly, it was lost. After Sting failed to score the Wild rallied for five runs, and,
with the score 9-3, the game was called. But this game was far closer than its score reflected,
and Robyn Wampler, who struck out ten batters in four plus innings against only four walks,
pitched a far better game than the numbers suggest. Maybe more than anything the game marked
the emergence of left fielder Aida Baron as an offensive force: she went three for three with a
double.

Sting fans sensed that their team now knew how to battle.


Sting 10, San Anselmo Storm 3

Before the game Robyn Wampler said simply, “I think we’re going to win because they didn’t
get any runs against the Wild, and we did.” When asked what it would take to win Grace Rusin
said, “good throws, I guess,” Sierra Jimenez guessed, “hard work and team work,” and Maeve
Gallagher added (wisely) “have fun.” And though it was five thirty in the afternoon, and eight of
their twelve players had broken the first rule of sports and consumed milk shakes before playing,
and Aida Baron ran out into left field without her glove, the Sting had a born again feeling about
it.

Amelia Galbraith, playing shortstop, made a nifty play on a ground ball to get the first out,
and Quinn Lewis playing second base made quick work of another grounder. Sierra Jimenez,
pitching on a sore leg, struck out the third batter. Sting raced in and basically put the storm away.
Hits by Wampler and Claire Kaneko mixed with walks by Adi Saaf, Aida Baron, Quinn Lewis,
Mallory McCrane and Amelia Galbraith, combined with stolen bases by basically everyone
left to six quick runs: the umpires were forced to shut the Sting down before they scored again.

And so this game was over as soon as it began. The final score did not reflect Sting’s total
dominance, or the air of confidence with which Sting played. Strangers sat up and took
notice. After Allison Hersh stepped up and swatted a ball out of the infield—her first of
what will no doubt be many big hits-a coach from one of the other teams walked over to
another and asked, “where are they from again?” He might as well have asked “who are
those guys?” In his voice was both awe and wonder. He’d never heard of Sting. Now he had.

Others would too, and soon.


Rohnert Park Rebels 3, Sting 3

Between six thirty and eight thirty in the evening Sting players found time to invent another
cheer. In what appeared to be a cross between “A Chorus Line” and a made for TV special
on America’s best cheerleaders they arranged themselves in front of their dugout and began
chanting and dancing. Across the field the Rebel players ceased to field grounders and watched.
Even a casual fan could see they were at a loss for words. “Go Rebels,” one hollered, but it was a
raggedy and pathetic response.

Let history record that Sting starting pitcher Quinn Lewis took the mound after her official
bedtime, and that first baseman Robyn Wampler continued to wear her sunglasses long after the
sun had set. Sting coaches didn’t need to tell their players what was on the line. A tie or a win
and Sting would enter Sunday the second seed; a loss and Sting would probably fall to fourth
seed. In spite of the pressure Sting played loose. It was three up, three down for the Rebels, after
nice plays by Grace Rusin, Adi Saaf and Lewis.

Just a week ago the Rebels had beaten the Sting. In the top of the second they plated two
runs, and looked to be on their way again---except they weren’t. They faced a different more
determined Sting team tonight and on some level they knew it. For in the end the stress of
playing the new and improved Sting got to them.

The first sign of this came in the bottom of the second inning when the Rebels’ head coach,
protesting an umpire’s call, lost his mind. History fails to record the exact words exchanged
between coach and umpire—as history often does-but the exchange ended with the female
umpire hollering “you’re out of here!” “You can’t throw me out!” the Rebels mad coach
screamed, “I’m the director of the facility.” Which was, apparently, true. His Rohnert Park
Rebels were this tournaments hosts. But the umpire was having none of it, and told the coach to
leave. To remake his original point the Rebels coach now stepped out of the dugout and behind
the backstop, and screamed, “I’m now director of this facility. And you’ll never work here again!
You’re done!”

At precisely that moment something happened that has never happened before, and is unlikely
to happen again: Sting assistant coach David Wampler lost his temper. Rising up hugely, and
looking as if he was capable of violence, he stared at the Rohnert Park coach and hollered, in a
shocking loud voice, “Sit down!”

On the assumption that if David Wampler was angry everyone else should be too, Sting fans now
got into it. There came from the bleachers the usual ballpark cries of “Shut up!” and “You idiot!”
and “You bum!” there also came something else. At the height of the madness a single cry cut
through the noise.

“What horrible modeling for our children!!!”

It was the mother of Sting’s left fielder, who had seen enough. And while it didn’t exactly stop
the opposing coach in his tracks it no doubt gave him more food for thought than he could easily
digest. He may not know exactly what it means to model. But he surely knows, if he didn’t
know it before, that while you might take the Sting out of Berkeley you can’t take the Berkeley
out of the Sting.

The prospect of banishment from Rohnert Park, California proved too much for the umpire.
Just like that she opened the gate and walked out into the night. Sting fans briefly assumed
the game was over, for lack of an umpire. But it wasn’t; after reporting the Rohnert Park
coach to the authorities the umpire returned--- and began giving every close call to the Rebels.

What happened next would cause scorekeeper and unofficial Sting historian Michael Saaf to
later reflect, “we feed on injustice. We know it is going to come around. And we don’t care.”
Overcoming both the insane asylum masquerading as the opposing dugout, and the umpire
who was seeking to mollify it, Sting rallied. Down 3-0 going into the bottom of the third Sting
hitters came to life: Aida Baron walked, Sierra Jimenez walked; Adi Saaf knocked in Baron;
then Jimenez and Saaf both stole home. Suddenly it was 3-3 and the Rebels head coach was
screaming all over again, about the injustice of life.

And with that, time ended. Seeing that the game was a minute from over, the umpire left for a
second time, only this time she didn’t return. “There’s still a minute left! There’s still a minute
left!” screamed the mad coach. Alas, there wasn’t.


Napa Roadrunners 1, Sting 9

It’s a measure of just how much tougher, and better, Sting has become that it faced a team to
which it had lost just a week before, and ran it right out of the ballpark. Over four innings Robyn
Wampler shut down a decent Roadrunner lineup. Isobel Lavrov returned from her illness to
make three neat plays in the field and bash out a pair of singles. Adi Saaf added two more hits,
while Claire Kaneko, Sierra Jimenez, Grace Rusin and Quinn Lewis all singled and scored. The
game was never close, and Sting fans remained more interested in the events of the night before.
A rumor spread that the umpire, offered water by David Wampler, had said she’d rather have
a gun. And everyone agreed that the sight of the little league coach gone mad was a terrible,
terrible and perhaps even scarring sight for our children to have witnessed. Our children,
however, seemed mainly amused.


San Jose Hackers 4, Sting 1

For the first time in recent memory Sting appeared in a semi-final game; for the first time in
recent memory Sting would know, and perhaps even care, who was playing in the tournament’s
finals. The Hackers, strong favorites to win it all, had blown out every team it had faced. No one
else had gotten within six runs of them. There have been times when such a team looked like a
species different than Sting—when Sting did not look as if it belonged on the same field. That
time has passed.

In Robyn Wampler Sting now has a pitcher who can go toe to toe with any pitcher in the league.
Through sheer hard work and perseverance she has become a truly dominant force. Next, Sting
defense doesn’t look merely adequate; it looks actually better than anything it faces. Today
Isobel Lavrov and Adi Saaf made difficult plays look routine. Other Sting players followed their
lead: in the top of the first Mallory McCrane gamely lunged for a fly ball and then, after she
missed it, grabbed the ball and nailed the runner at second base. A month ago it would have been
the play of the tournament; now it was just another great Sting play.

Sting hitters also enter the box with a different air about them. Against even the hardest throwing
pitchers they exhibit no hint of fear. Front feet are no longer stepping away from the action but
stepping into it. Sting base runners are no longer looking to go backwards but forwards. Maeve
Gallagher raced around the bases and scored from first on a bunt hit by Sierra Jimenez. Again, a
month ago it would have been the play of the tournament.: now it was just another great piece of
base running.

This game, like this tournament, will be remembered for how it ended: with hope. Down 4-1 in
the bottom of the last inning, facing a truly dominant pitcher, Sting never gave up. Jessica Kelly
struck out swinging, but only after putting up a great fight. Quinn Lewis walked and Mallory
McCrane singled. Sting went down to the eventual tournament champion, but with the tying run
at the plate.