Cape Softball Junior All-Stars ace first test
Sparked by a brilliant pitching performance from top starter Maddy Peres and the combination of strong defense and offense, the Cape Coral Softball Junior All-Star team blanked Columbus, Ga. 6-0 Saturday in the opening pool play game in the Southeast Regional Tournament at Fleishman Park.
Peres, 14, carried a no-hitter into the bottom of the seventh inning before giving up her first and only hit. She fanned nine batters, including two in a row after the lone single by Georgia loaded the bases with no outs.
Peres then got the final batter to ground out to finish off the complete game.
“She’s an excellent pitcher for us,” Cape manager Bob Nuccio said of Peres. “That’s why she’s out there. Hopefully, we can keep using her.”
Peres was supported throughout by rock-solid defense and steady offensive production.
From the outset, Cape put the pressure on Georgia by bunting and advancing runners. Georgia made four errors.
Cape did not commit an error and finished with 11 hits. The team bunted nine times, resulting in either infield singles or sacrifices, and swiped 10 bases.
Leadoff hitter Katie Grubb finished with four stolen bases. She went 4-for-5 with four bunt singles and scored three runs. Jessica Nuccio contributed three hits and three RBI, and Alyssa Langdale added an RBI single.
Cape was playing in its first Junior League tournament game. The team received an automatic bid to compete in the Southeast Regional Tournament as the host district team.
The other six teams in the tournament won state championships to advance to regionals. The teams are playing for one berth in the Junior League Softball World Series in Kirkland, Wash.
Cape (1-0) plays its second pool play game Monday at 5 p.m. against North Carolina (1-0). North Carolina defeated Georgia (0-2) 4-2 Sunday.
That result means both Cape and North Carolina will advance to Tuesday’s semifinals, regardless of what happens in Monday’s pool play game.
The Cape team, which was assembled in mid-June, features many of the top girls’ ages 13-14 from Burton Park. They played in several travel tournaments over the past month to stay sharp in preparation for the regional competition.
The team showed up focused and ready for the opener Saturday.
As Cape gradually built its lead, it took good defense to prevent Georgia from starting a rally.
Catcher Amber Plaza picked off two runners on the bases, leading the defensive effort.
In the bottom of the seventh with Cape ahead 6-0, Georgia loaded the bases with no outs. The first two batters walked and Kari Kinser singled up the middle for the first hit off Peres.
Cape regrouped and got the final three outs, which included two strikeouts by Peres.
“We played well as a team,” Plaza said, “and our pitcher did really great allowing only one hit. She was on. It was her day.”