Patch's Rachel Vroegindewey connects for a run-scoring hit against Mannheim in a Division II opening day game at the DODDS-Europe softball finals in Ramstein on Thursday. (Michael Abrams / S&S)
Patch's Rachel Vroegindewey connects for a run-scoring hit against Mannheim in a Division II opening day game at the DODDS-Europe softball finals in Ramstein on Thursday. (Michael Abrams / S&S)
Bitburg's Kelsey Wilson pitched in Bitburg's Division II 22-2 victory over Vilseck on opening day of the DODDS-Europe softball finals. (Michael Abrams / S&S)
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany — Ramstein rode a three-run first inning and a six-run second to a 10-4 round-robin victory over defending European Division I champion Lakenheath on Thursday’s opening day of the high-school softball tournaments for Divisions I, II and Small Schools.
The victory, Ramstein’s second of the day, landed the five-time champs in a best-of-three D-I championship series which begins at 3 p.m. today.
Ramstein’s opponent will be the winner of Friday’s 9:45 a.m. game between Lakenheath and Heidelberg, both Ramstein victims on Wednesday.
Ramstein opened its quest for its sixth D-I crown in the 10-year history of the sport in DODDS-Europe with its first quick-strike victory of the day, 9-3 over Heidelberg. A three-run first-inning and a two-out four-run second by Ramstein ended things quickly.
"We got behind early," said Heidelberg coach Al Simoncic, "and it’s tough to come back against a team like Ramstein."
Back-to-back errors and back-to-back doubles by Maddie Byrd and Mary Peterson fueled Ramstein’s first inning. Four straight two-out singles propelled the Lady Royals’ four-run second.
Brianna Day three-hit Lakenheath in Ramstein’s second victory. Karis Wadsack went 3-for-3.
Lakenheath opened the day with an 8-3 victory over Kaiserslautern by scoring six runs over the final three innings. Heidelberg rebounded from its loss to Ramstein to eliminate K-town 10-8.
Division II
Runaway games were the order of the day in this division, with Bitburg hammering winless Vilseck 22-2 and Wiesbaden blanking Mannheim 29-0.
Wiesbaden’s Wanda Jerry slammed a triple, two doubles and a single and scored four runs for the Lady Warriors. Shirtoria Satterwhite scored five runs by walking four times and clubbing a triple, and Nancy Jensen doubled twice and singled.
Bitburg left no doubt of its mastery of Vilseck, striking for 13 runs in the first and eight in the second to make a winner of Kelsey Wilson.
Small schools
In round-robin play, defending champion Rota turned back Baumholder 11-7 and top-seeded Alconbury routed AFNORTH 10-1.
Play continues Friday at Ramstein High School. All divisions are scheduled to complete pool play Friday; the top two from D-I are scheduled to play Game 1 of a best-of-three final at 3 p.m.
