LANDSTUHL, Germany — Bitburg made it four straight Division II softball titles with an 8-3 victory over Patch on Saturday.
There were tears of joy, nostalgia and sadness as the Lady Barons defeated Patch, the only team to beat them during the conference season.
“This was my last game,” said tearful MVP Tanja Moore, who has been involved in all four of Bitburg’s European titles and the winning pitcher in the past three Division II title games, as she hugged her teammates. “I’m really proud of my team.”
Moore pitched a six-hitter, striking out six and walking one. She hit one batter.
She also went 2-for-2 at the plate, driving in a run with a booming triple to right in what was the last game for many on the senior-laden team.
“Most of these players have been together all four years,” said Bitburg coach Hope Matthews, whose team has won every Division II championship. Mannheim won a combined D-II/D-III event in 1999.
“Now, some of them are graduating and others are PCSing, one of them tonight,” Matthews said. “We’ll be starting over next year.”
Freshman Ashley Kazimer drove in a pair of runs for Bitburg, which shut down Patch for the final three innings in the second meeting of the day between the two teams.
Bitburg defeated Patch 11-10 Saturday morning in a pool-play game.
In Friday’s opening games, Bitburg defeated AFNORTH 18-4 and Mannheim 18-1, and Patch beat AFNORTH 15-3 on a no-hitter by Lauren Sanchez.
