The Hartford Sparx 18U softball team is currently enjoying a very good 2022 season. The Sparx finished the month of May with a 7-2 record. They were 17-9 overall in the month of June for a current record of 24-11.
The Sparx won the Silver Bracket of the Mt Rushmore Classic in Rapid City June 24th-26th. This tournament was their most recent set of games in their schedule. They finished 1-2 in pool play. They defeated Matrix 16-0, but lost to Grand Junction Drillers (9-2) and River City Wolfpack (6-5). That record put them into the Silver Bracket of the classic.
Hartford Spark 9, Minot Storm Blue 3
The Sparx defeated Minot Storm Blue 9-3 in the opening game. Hartford scored seven times in the bottom of the third, and then got a single run in the fourth and fifth innings. Minot scored all three of their runs in the fifth inning.
Riley Morrison had two hits, a triple and double, and three RBIs. Caitlyn Maa had two hits, one a double, and two RBIs. Jenna Lueth also had two hits, one a double, and an RBI. Addy Kramer finished with a double and RBI. Grace Harden and McKenna Sichmeller both had a single and RBI. Taylor Kunzweiler had two hits, and Bryten Roth and Payten Meinke each added a single.
Kunzweiler pitched all five innings and allowed three earned runs on two hits and two walks with two strikeouts.
Hartford Sparx 4, SoDak Softball 3
Hartford scored four early runs against SoDak Softball and held on for a 4-3 victory to put them in the championship. The Sparx had a three-run first inning and added another run in the top of the second for an early 4-0 lead. SoDak Softball got two runs in the bottom of the third and one more in the bottom of the fifth, but Harden got a strikeout to end the game leaving the tying run on third.
Maa had a double and an RBI. Avery Evans, Kramer, Kunzweiler, Morrison, and Roth all had singles in the game. Harden pitched all five innings and allowed three earned runs on five hits and four walks with seven strikeouts.
Hatford Sparx 3, CO Diamonds Road 1
The Sparx held CO Diamonds Road to just one hit and took the title with a 3-1 win. Hartford broke a 0-0 tie with two runs in the bottom of the third inning. CO Diamonds got a run in the top of the fourth, but the Sparx got that run back in the bottom of the inning. The Sparx held he Diamonds scoreless in the fifth inning for the win.
Harden had two hits, one a double, and an RBI. Evans and Maa both had a single and an RBI. Kramer and Morrison both added a single. Kunzweiler pitched five innings and allowed just one earned run on one hit with two walks and had five strikeouts.