Kadena right-hander Peyton Lettkeman delivers against Kubasaki during Friday's Game 1 of the Okinawa best-of-three district softball championship series at Camp Foster, Okinawa. Lettkeman pitched a no-hitter, striking out seven and walking three, and helped herself with a two-run single as Kadena shut out Kubasaki 13-0. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
This article has been correction.
CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa – Kubasaki won, but at what cost?
Any excitement the Dragons girls soccer team expressed after shutting out Kadena 3-0 and winning the Okinawa season series 2-1 was tempered by the fact that they may have lost striker Sydney Johnson to a knee injury – possibly for the season.
“Obviously, we’re concerned about Sydney,” Kubasaki coach Terry Chumley said. “We hope for the best for her and that’s all we can do right now is send our good wishes to her.”
Johnson, second on the Dragons with nine goals, came down awkwardly on her right leg after jumping for the ball in the 23rd minute. Observers said they saw her right knee bend inward, and Johnson said she heard a pop when she came down.
The injury occurred just 10 minutes after Johnson scored the initial goal. Marissa Mesquita scored twice in the second half as the Dragons pulled away from Kadena in a match that sharply differed from their previous ones.
And the injury occurred one day after Johnson accepted a preferred walk-on offer to play basketball for Rio Grande, an NAIA school in southeastern Ohio.
Following Johnson’s goal, the teams traded great chance after great chance. Finally, in the 60th minute, Alexis Townsend crossed the ball from the right to Mesquita, who sent it past a diving Kadena goalkeeper Rita Feight. Six minutes later, Kelsey Spanganberger found Mesquita in front and she lobbed it over Feight to cap the scoring.
“We settled down a little bit and our passes were more crisp and the teamwork was better,” Chumley said. “I was proud of them. My girls played really hard tonight.”
Lettkeman’s no-hitter boosts KadenaCAMP FOSTER, Okinawa – Senior right-hander Peyton Lettkeman pitched a five-inning no-hitter Friday to give Kadena the early edge in the best-of-three OAAC softball finals.
She helped herself with a two-run single, Bailey Prince doubled twice and drove in two runs and Macalah Danielsen went 2-for-2 with three RBIs as the Panthers romped 13-0 over Kubasaki in Game 1 of the series. Lettkeman walked three and struck out seven.
“She’s working really, really hard … and when she’s on, she’s on,” Panthers coach Kelli Wilson said. “She’s really coachable and our defense is comfortable around her. It’s great.”
Lettkeman credited her teammates for making the best use of their breaks and opportunities. The Panthers had eight hits and took advantage of 11 walks.
“They did an awesome job,” Lettkeman said.
The lone bright spot for Kubasaki was in the fourth inning. With Prince on third and one out, Asia Abdul lined hard to third baseman Isa Munoz, who caught it, then tagged out Prince for a bang-bang double play.
Games 2 and 3, if needed, are scheduled for Saturday at Ryukyu Middle School’s Habu Field on Kadena Air Base.
Correction A previous version of this article contained information about Sydney Johnson missing the 2013 Far East tournament, which she attended.
