Standouts lead 14U squad to a National crown

With Seattle staging a late rally with two runners on and one out, down by four runs in the top of the seventh inning, The Dalles’ Emma Smith made a highlight-reel catch from second base on a hard liner that appeared to be destined for right field.

Smith came down with the ball, set her feet and fired the ball to first base for the title-clinching double play.

Smith, Kilee Hoylman and Maddie Troutt represented three athletes from The Dalles, as head coach Brandon Messenger field a group of 12 players from across the Portland area and beyond for competitive action.

All three local athletes earned all-tournament honors, with Troutt picking up first-team recognition for her play at catcher, Smith chalked up first-team status at second base, and Hoylman was a first-team pitcher and the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

“Playing together with Emma and Maddie has been a fun and rewarding experience,” said Hoylman, who went 3-0 at Nationals. “It means so much to be able to continue to play with Maddie and Emma. We have played together a long time and they are both amazing players.”

In pool play action, Hoylman dominated from the circle to lead her squad to a 4-1 win over the Newberg Ambush, and the streak continued in the team’s second game, a 9-0 rout of the Gresham Vengeance.

Staked by the tournament’s top seed entering bracket action, the Bows made it three in a row after a 17-5 blowout against the Central Oregon Yellow Jackets.

Up next, versus the Kingers Fast Pitch squad, the Rainbows cruised to a lopsided 12-1 victory for a 4-0 record.

With a quarterfinal berth on the line, Hoylman shut down Seattle Fast Pitch in an 11-0 win, to set up a showdown against the Corvallis Lady Knights.

In that contest, Troutt went 2 for 2 with a 235-foot, three-run home run to lift the Bows past Corvallis, 6-2, and into the semifinals.

Hoylman took the circle once again and struck out seven in her team’s 5-1 win over Roseburg.

The Troutt-Hoylman battery has been a fruitful combination over the past two tournaments, so with that level of comfort and trust, the two can communicate and come up with a game plan of how to approach opposing hitters.

“I continue to tell Kilee and Maddie that you don’t need to throw a 60 mile an hour fastball to be effective,” said Leroy Tharp. “Being able to spot the fastball and throw the change-up would get the job done. They bought into that philosophy and it was the reason Kilee went undefeated in both tournaments.”

Through travel ball and Cherry City Crush play, Tharp and Roger Hoylman have seen first-hand the amount of work and attention to detail Troutt, Smith and Hoylman put into their craft.

“I know, as parents, we couldn’t be more proud of these kids,” Tharp added. “We can take pride in the fact that these young ladies have been taught the right way, with good fundamentals of the game. Now, they’re just putting them out on display and it’s fun to watch.”

With the summer softball season completed, Tharp knows these girls will continue to sharpen their skills in preparation for next year.

With a National Championship under their belts, Troutt, Hoylman and Smith head to 2018 brimming with confidence.

“Having the opportunity to play summer ball has increased my softball skills and will hopefully help my high school team this spring,” Kilee Hoylman said. “I’m so glad we had the opportunity to represent The Dalles. I’m looking forward to the next three years of softball with them.”