Blazers end season in blaze of glory

Stanhope - The Lenape Blazers 10 and under Girls Softball Team won their second championship in as many weeks finishing first at the Jefferson Fall League single elimination tournament in West Milford last weekend. West Milford had a first round bye as they went undefeated in the regular season, and were clear favorites to win it all. Lenape, seeded second, beat Sparta, 8-1, in their first game. A home run by Maria Lacatena and key hits from the rest of the team, combined with outstanding pitching by Erika Gowe, led to the victory. Lenape came from behind to beat Jefferson, 14-6, in their second game. Jefferson had beaten Newton in their first game. Jefferson, known for their great hitting, put up four runs in the first and led, 5-1, after two innings on the cold, windy day. Blazers’ manager Rob Gowe took the team aside and challenged the players with a motivating speech. “It was cold,” he recalled, “and their hands were like ice cubes. Eri (Gowe) said she could not feel the ball. We rested her for a few batters, and Jackie G. came in and did her job.” The Blazers tied the score in the third. Erika Gowe returned to the mound and shut down the Jefferson hitters the rest of the way. Coach Gowe said he and his fellow coaches were impressed by the players’ will to win and “never quit” attitude. Finally, the Blazers played favored West Milford in the championship game. West Milford had beaten Mt. Olive, who had knocked off High Point in the first round. West Milford had swept Lenape during the season and the Blazers knew they needed to bring their “A” game. “West Milford has a great program and Brian and Matt are great coaches,” said Gowe. “Their girls play hard and can just flat out hit!” However it was Lenape who came out on fire in the first inning, putting up four runs. West Milford responded with a three-run blast to make it 4-3 after one inning. After another inspirational speech from Gowe, the Blazers scored four more runs to take an 8-3 lead on a combination of walks, bunts, singles and doubles. Great defense throughout the game and more hitting from everyone led The Blazers to a 13-3 victory for their second championship in two weeks. “Eri had all her pitches working today, and our defense played perfect ball,” said Gowe. “West Milford is a great team, but on this day, Lenape Blazers were number one! We’re very proud of this group. They played very hard all year and never quit, at any time. They just kept getting better and peaked at the right time of the season.” The Blazers ended the season with a 25-game win streak to finish the 2005 season with a record of 57-12.