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Erin Sweeney was the right player in the right place for the Lions when they battled the Wildcats in the Los Gatos-Saratoga Girls Softball Association 10 and under Gold Division playoffs.
Sweeney stepped to the plate with the score tied 1-1 in the bottom of the fifth and runners on first and second. With one swing of the bat Sweeney ended the game and left her club with a thrilling 2-1 victory.
Sweeney's double chased home Jenny Goodlin with the winning run. Goodlin was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and moved to second when Rachel Silva walked.
The pitching heroics of Allie Frey and Silva had put the Lions into position to clinch the win. Frey threw three innings, striking out seven and walking just one, and Silva struck out three in two innings of no-hit pitching.
The Lions, who wrapped up a perfect 15-0 season with the win, had taken the early lead when Silva walked in the first, stole second and third and scored on a sacrifice fly by Frey.
The Wildcats, 13-3 for the year, tied it with a run in the top of the fifth when Brittany Oudewaal singled, stole second and scored when Katy Rohrer reached on an error.
Katie Fotion struck out five in three innings of mound work for the Wildcats and Sarabella Muise fanned five in two innings.
The Lions had blanked the Wildcats 8-0 earlier in the week on a combined 2-hit shutout by Silva and Frey. Silva whiffed seven in three innings of 1-hit pitching, and Frey accounted for all six outs in her two innings via strikeouts.
Muise starred at the plate for the Wildcats in the two games, going 3 for 4 with a double that hit the top of the left field fence.
Sweeney finished the year with an impressive .639 batting average for the Lions. He had a home run and nine doubles among her 23 hits, and she also drove in 23 runs—none more important than the last one, though.
Silva hit .581 and scored 23 runs and Frey hit .457 with four doubles and 22 runs-batted-in. The two were also the club's pitching stars. Frey struck out 63 batters and walked just seven in 27 innings, and Silva fanned 58 in 27 innings. Frey was touched for just three runs and Silva allowed only eight.
Crystal McGee batted .429 with five doubles for the Lions and Holly Holland hit .565, scored 16 runs and stole 14 bases.
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