The New Hampshire Hurricanes 18-under ASA softball team competed in the Nor’Easters Classic Fast Pitch Tournament August 2-3, 2002.  The Hurricanes finished first in their pool and played teams from Vermont, New Hampshire,  Massachusetts and Montreal, Canada.  They reached the semi-finals of the tournament.

In the first pool play game the Hurricanes defeated the Mass Psychos, 5-0, avenging an earlier defeat in the Lowell tournament the prior weekend.  Sara Arnold of Bow pitched the 4 hit shutout, striking out 5.   Catcher Kristin Tong of Swanzey went 4 for 4, including a triple, to lead the offense.  Holly Glennon and Sara Arnold both went 2 for 3.

Game 2 was a close one against the Vermont Extreme, with the Hurricanes winning 3-2 behind a strong pitching performance from  Allison Greene of Newmarket (5 strikeouts, 2 hits, 1 earned run).  Lindsay Sullivan of Fremont got the save pitching the seventh inning in relief.  Once again Kristin Tong had the hot bat going 2 for 4 and scoring twice.  Maureen Keleghan scored the winning run.  All three runs were driven in by left fielder Holly Glennon of Burlington, Ma.

In the final pool game,  the Hurricanes also paid back an earlier loss (in the Dracut tourney) to the Charlton Warriors, handing them  a  5-4 defeat.  Center fielder Maureen Keleghan of Bow, went 2 for 3, including a triple,  with 2 RBI’s.  Amanda DuBois of Chester also drove in 2 runs.  Jess Perry pitched the first 3 innings yielding 3 runs while striking out 5.  Lindsay Sullivan pitched the final 3 to get the win giving up just one run while her teammates scored the go ahead runs in the bottom of the 6th.  Time ran out before the 7th could be played.

In the first round of the tournament the Hurricanes played the Montreal Rebelles.  Jess Perry pitched 5 innings in a game shortened by the mercy rule.  The Hurricanes won 13-0.    Julie Donahue of Newmarket went 3 for 3 with 2 rbi’s and 3 runs scored.  Almost every Hurricane scored a run, multiple scorers were Tong (2), DuBois (2) , Jess Fortin (2) and Mandy Faulkingham (2).  The Hurricanes enjoyed playing the Rebelles, who despite not having their number 1 pitcher for the tournament, showed great spirit throughout the game.  Both teams exchanged mementoes after the game, with the Hurricanes trading team pins to the Rebelles for miniature flags of their home province.

The Hurricanes next faced a tough Vermont Rockets team. Maureen Keleghan went 2 for 4, scoring one run and driving in another.  Kristin Tong was 3 for 4, doubling and driving in 2. Sara Joyce, Julie Donahue and Sara Arnold each drove in one.   The Hurricanes fought hard to come from behind to force a tie breaker, which went 2 extra innings.  In the top of the 9th, with a runner starting at second, the Hurricanes turned a heads up double play to prevent the Rockets from getting any momentum going, when catcher Kristin Tong caught a pop bunt  and alertly threw to centerfielder Maureen Keleghan who had snuck in behind the runner at second to double her up off the base.  No runs, no hits no errors, and the Hurricanes would come up in the bottom of the 9th  to score designated runner Amanda DuBois.  She was advanced to 3rd on a nice sacrifice bunt by Mandy Faulkingham, and then scored on a fielder’s choice when she slid in under the throw home to win the game.  Sara Arnold drove in the run and was the winning pitcher in relief of Allison Greene.

In the semifinal game, the Hurricanes faced their old nemesis, Pete’s Dragon’s, who defeated them in the final of this same tournament last year.  Alas, the Hurricanes could not get the bats going in their third game of the day in the oppressive summer heat!  They managed only 5 singles and could not bring any runs home, losing 4-0.  The game seemed anticlimactic anyway, after such a great game in the quarter final match-up against the Rockets.   All in all, the Hurricanes finished an impressive summer season and look forward to 2003!