Rock Gold-Waye bows out, Pennyslvania Chaos falls to losers’ bracket

It was an amazing ride with 17 wins over the course of nine days and a national championship in Texas, but the Rock Gold-Waye 18-and-under softball team met the end of the line Thursday night at the Junior Olympic Cup in St. Louis.

After falling into the losers’ bracket Wednesday and rebounding with two victories Thursday, Rock Gold-Waye was eliminated by Gametime Stars of Oklahoma by the score of 4-2.

Rock Gold-Waye, which scored its first run when recent Neshaminy grad Natalie Rios singled and came around to score, did rally in the bottom of the seventh with one run.

But Gametime Stars’ pitcher Kali Crandell, who was New Mexico’s High School Player of the Year this spring, was able to get out of the jam to finally stop Rick Waye’s never-say-die club.

In other developments from the Junior Olympic Cup, after winning its first two games in double-elimination play, the Pennsylvania Chaos was sent into the losers’ bracket in an 8-0 loss to the St. Louis Chaos.

Earlier in the day, Rock GoldWaye won its first game in the losers’ bracket by the score of 12-1 over the Oregon Titans.

In this game, Meghan Sheehan went 4-for-4, Ashley Worrell was 3-for-5 and Conwell-Egan High School star Cori Jones blasted a triple. Rios chipped in with a 2-for-3.

Rock Gold then stayed alive with a 13-0 romp over the Sarasota Heat. The team got hits up and down the lineup in this one, including three by Sheehan, and two apiece by Zoey Zones, Emma Ritter and Gianna Gianna Epps.

Headed to the University of Florida, pitcher Danni Farley was in fine form against the Heat with a commanding one-hitter and nine strikeouts.

In its loss to the St. Louis Chaos, the Pa. Chaos managed only three hits. It was a rough outing for Northern Burlington High School pitcher Haylei Archer, who gave up 10 hits and seven runs in a little over two innings of work.

The Pa. Chaos was to have played in the losers’ bracket Thursday night against the winner of the game between the Ohio Outlaws and Texas Aces Express Elite Gold.