Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA)

Lady Outlaws breeze to Women’s D East title
9/6/2005

AUBURNDALE, Fla. --- The Lady Outlaws of Jacksonville, Fla. won the 2005 ASA Women’s Class D East Slow Pitch National Championship in dominating fashion over Labor Day weekend going undefeated while outscoring opponents 64-25. As champion of the East, the Outlaws advance to Oklahoma City and the Hooters Championship Series to decide the ultimate national champion in Women’s Class D division.

The Outlaws displayed stellar defense in its first two games posting shutout wins over I.L.A Lady Warriors of Norfolk, Va., 7-0, and Baxter/Heitink of Bloomington, Ind., 9-0, before disposing of Tampa Express, 16-5, in the third round.

In the semi-finals of the winner’s bracket, the Lady Outlaws found themselves in a slugfest with Kimball International of Jasper, Ind. Both teams scored in double digits for the second straight game, but it was the Outlaws who came away with a 15-11 victory.

With the championship within reach, the Lady Outlaws held on for a 7-5 win over Aspen Roofing of Ft. Myers, Fla., in the winner’s bracket finals to advance to the championship game.

In the loser’s bracket finals, Aspen Roofing met a familiar foe in Fortin Transportation of Westbrook, Maine. Aspen sent Fortin to the loser’s bracket in the fourth round with 12-3 win but it was not meant to be this time. Fortin avenged its earlier loss with a 14-13 win over Aspen to move into the finals.

Having spent all morning battling through the loser’s b racket, Fortin Transportation could not keep pace in the finals and dropped the championship game 10-4 to the champion Lady Outlaws.

Six players from the Lady Outlaws were first-team All-Tournament selections including tournament most valuable player, shortstop Cherice Cumming. Joining Cumming on the first team was outfielder Sonya Wynn, outfielder Leah Cummings, outfielder Lashon Cuyler-Searight, utility player Patricia Robinson, catcher April Williams and second baseman Kim Bradwell.

Kimball Internationals’ Heidi Fortin captured the batting title with a .786 average in five games.

The Lady Outlaws will face D&A Trucking of Wichita, Kan., in the Hooters Championship Series in Oklahoma City, September 23-25. The Outlaws won the Women’s Class D West Slow Pitch National Championship this past weekend in Topeka, Kan., with a 7-1 record.