Ice Silver 10U has done it again and the season is still very young. They have won a tournament championship for the second time.
They entered the Holiday Classic Softball Tournament held at the Genesee Field House Dec. 15 and 16 and placed first after going 4-0 in the tournament.
Abbey Barta was one of the many heroes of the weekend. Over a two-day span, Barta pitched in three of the four games including the championship and held all her opponents to only three total runs. While pitching against the Southeast Storm, Barta struck out 12 batters completing a no-hit shutout and Ice Silver won 7-0.
On day two of the competition, Barta was the scheduled starting pitcher to face the L.C. Bandits.
During the game, pitcher and first baseman Abbey Tolmie was injured. While sliding into third to steal the base, a thrown ball skipped off the indoor turf striking Tolmie under the helmet cage hitting her in the mouth. Tolmie had to be taken to the hospital to receive medical treatment to include stitches in her upper lip and the sealing of two front teeth that had been cracked.
“It was inspirational to see the heart of this team truly shined when it was able to persevere above the traumatic injury of their teammate and continue to rise above it to victory,” said Coach Paul Workman. “This, like the others, was a true team effort and the entire team and coaches should be congratulated on the victory.”
Barta stepped in and completed pitching against the Bandits and was called upon again to pitch in the championship game against Team Michigan with a final winning score 7-2.
More highlights of the weekend included a key double by Hannah Workman when she broke up the no-hitter being dealt by the Southeast Storm in their second game of the tournament. Hannah Cady followed suit with a double of her own during the same game vaulting Ice Silver to the 7-0 win.
Tolmie had a strong pitching outing against the South Lyon Stealth as well as hitting a hard line drive home run up the middle greatly contributing to the teams 8-3 win on the first day of the tournament. It was during the championship game when Barta helped her team with a long, high home run causing the fans and players to come out of their seats.
“Team highlights were the aggressive and smart base running making it an exciting and energizing tournament to watch,” said Workman. “Although there were some individual highlights, Ice Silver stresses nothing could be possible without the help of everyone on the team.
Tolmie added the cherry-on-top to the weekend when she returned from the hospital to support her team in the championship game. Through discomfort, Tolmie proved sportsmanship and dedication sometimes comes at a cost. Her inspirational leadership and courage did not go unnoticed.
Tolmie’s injury was just another reason why Ice Silver 10U and Ice Black 9U coaches support the mandatory use of face shields during softball for these young girls. It is a reminder to all to check and wear proper safety equipment while these young ladies continue to navigate learning the intricacies of this sport.