T-Bird softball opens on a high note
Jeff Moses
The lady Thunderbird Softball team has opened its 2011 campaign with a solid victory over the Gateway Community College Geckos. The Geckos came into the game an inexperienced team, “the entire infield including the pitcher and catcher are freshman” said Gateway assistant coach Gary Erwin, and youthful exuberance was no match for the T-birds experience.
Mesa started out strong going up 3-0 by the end of the second inning off a 2-run rbi double by Angela Arredondo with 1 out in the second, and a 1 run rbi sacrifice by Sylia Honne to score Bailey Blake.
But the true star of the game was sophomore pitcher Tiffanee Frampton who shut out the Geckos and held them to only 2 hits, while also going 4-4 from the batter’s box.
Of his ace coach Malgradi said “I expect her to be an all-American like she should have been last year.”
Coach Malgradi wasn’t the only person with high expectations for Frampton and the T-birds, all the T-bird faithful who made the trip to St. Agnes’s church in Phoenix one fan who chose to remain anonymous exclaimed that Frampton “Is the best player in the league.”
And Dave Frampton added that the T-birds “should be favored to win the division.”
Even coach Erwin of the opposition stated of the T-bird that he “expects them to be strong.”
MCC added another 2 runs while cruising to an easy 5-0 win over the Geckos, of the victory coach Malgradi said “it was a good win, we’re still working out all the kinks, but it’s always good to win”. Humble words from a man who’s team just shut out the opponent.
The Ladies of Mesa were ranked 9th in the nation as of this publication and if the T-Birds play up to expectations winning is something coach Malgradi can become accustomed to.
