By Jon Malavolti
C & G Sports Writer

The Macomb Explosion softball organization brought some pride to the east side recently.

The club’s 16-and-under and 14-and-under squads won their respective National Softball Association fastpitch state tournaments June 22 — events often won by teams on the west side of state.

“The east side has kind of been cast off ever since I’ve been a part of it,” said Jeff Damore, the Explosion’s vice president and coach of the U14 team. “Now, especially as dominating as (our performance) was, I’ve seen a big shift.”

“For one organization to win titles for two different age groups, that’s unheard of,” Damore said.

The U16 team went 8-1 and won its “B” Division title in Jackson, while the U14 Blue squad won its “B” Division tourney in Potterville with a perfect 5-0 mark.

Location, location, location
Speaking of perfect, the old adage says that’s what practice will get you. And in the Explosion teams’ case, full access to a training facility doesn’t hurt, either.

Damore has owned and operated Spring Training in Clinton Township for about three years. Macomb Explosion players have virtually made the 7,000-square-foot facility a second home, taking advantage of its amenities several hours each week throughout most of the year.

“We’ve been working intensely for nine months, by far more than any other team,” Damore said. “We’ve helped train a lot of these kids over the last three years to get them to the level that they’re at right now. We’ve seen tons of improvement.”

Mike Downey, the Explosion’s president and coach of the U16 team, referred to the facility as the organization’s, “central headquarters.”

“The girls treat it like it’s theirs,” he said.

Practice made perfect
Balance throughout the lineup was the key to the U14 team’s success.

“It was a total team effort from leadoff to the No. 9 hitter,” Damore said. “All their contributions were equal; it was pretty magical.

“The hitting was wonderful and the punching was dominant,” he added. “And the defense was strong.”

Players on the U14 team are Megan Downey, Jena Owsiany, Brittany Deck and Gina Vetere, Macomb Township; Katie Hoepner, Danielle Forhan, Michelle Tononi, Clinton Township; Brittani Dunford, Chesterfield Township; Amanda Bokshan, Shelby Township; Kelly Buttice, Birmingham; and Emma Cook, St. Clair.

Owsiany (3-0) and Buttice (2-0) led the way in the circle.

Comeback kids
The U16 team had a slightly different and significantly longer path to its title. The team, which consists of six players from Macomb Township — Christine Vetere, Lynnsey Norat, Rachel Rakes, Kristin Clauw, Nicole Deck, Haley Fleming and Kaitlyn Downey — Shelby Township residents Lauren Schurig and Becca Dyer, Roseville’s Melissa Richards, Sterling Heights’ Kayla Kubiski and Marysville resident Tori Fite Marysville, lost its first game of the tournament 2-1.

But the girls stormed back in dramatic style and emerged from the loser’s bracket to take the title, avenging their loss in the quarterfinals with a 2-1 victory in extra innings.

In the semifinals, Kaitlyn Downey broke a scoreless drought with a game-winning solo home run to send the team into the final.

Because they came from the loser’s bracket, the Explosion had to win two straight games to win the tournament title, and they got off to a good start with a 2-0 win in the first game.

Things got dicey in the second game, though, as their opponents had runners on second and third with no outs and the score tied 4-4 in the final inning — the top of the seventh.

The coach said he wanted to walk the next batter to improve their chances of getting a force out or turning a double play, but the girls insisted they could get out of the inning without giving up a run — and they did. Fite, who attends Sterling Heights Parkway Christian, then knocked in the winning run for the Explosion in the bottom of the seventh.

Dyer pitched nearly every inning for the Explosion, turning in what her coach called a, “Herculean effort.”

Not done yet
Both teams have now qualified for the NSA’s World Series and will compete in the “B” Division North tournament July 20-27 in East Peoria, Ill.

“We expect to absolutely totally compete and maybe even get a World Series title,” Damore said.

You can reach Sports Writer Jon Malavolti at jmalavolti@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1040.