The Emporia Energy U-10s softball team took first place at this weekend’s Emporia Energy Diamond Classic with a 5-0 record. Team members are, front row from left: Haylee Boulanger, Abbey Jackson and Morgan McCoy. Middle row: Sierra Potter, Emma Harmon, Kelsey Gordon, Morgan Holmes, Aly Boyer, Jade Smith, Kylee Giffin and Abby Weiser. Back row: coaches Adam Smith and Jared Giffin. Not pictured: coach Kent Weiser.
It took one tournament for Brittney Dymnioski to get acquainted with her new Emporia Energy U-18s teammates, but it took one swing for Dymnioski to make a name for herself.
Dymnioski, who is from Newton but is playing for the Energy this summer, blasted a fifth-inning grand slam in Emporia’s final game of the Emporia Energy Diamond Classic at the Trusler Sports Complex on Sunday, helping the Energy U-18s wrap up a second-place finish in the team’s first action of the summer.
The 15-year-old Dymnioski, playing up a level, knocked an 0-2 pitch easily over the left-field fence at Thomas Field, giving the Energy a six-run lead on its way to a 8-0 victory over the Legit.
“It felt good. It was a good, solid hit,” Dymnioski said.
While Dymnioski’s shot proved to be the most memorable moment of the tournament for the Energy, the fact that the team came in second place was a source of pride for its coach.
With a team made up of several new players this year from various points across the state, U-18s coach Jeff Lynch said the 4-1 record his squad compiled over the weekend was impressive, especially because the team as a whole hadn’t played together competitively yet.
“It was great to see all of us come together because this team had not played together before,” Lynch said. “Obviously, a few girls have played together, but I hadn’t even seen a couple of them play before.”
Photo by Jordan Haiduk
The Emporia Energy’s McKenzie Cinelli knocks a infield single to the shortstop during Sunday’s game against the Topeka Sixers at the Emporia Energy Diamond Classic at the Trusler Sports Complex. The Energy U-18s came away with a second-place finish in their first action of the summer.
In wrapping up second-place medalist honors on Sunday, Emporia began the day with a 9-5 victory over the Topeka Sixers before coming back with the shutout over Legit.
In the first game against the Sixers, the Energy fell behind 3-2 after the first inning but came back with a four-run second inning to take the lead for good.
After Amber Jones and McKenzie Cinelli each scored in the first — Jones on an sacrifice fly by Dymnioski and Cinelli on a wild pitch — Emporia took advantage of three Sixers errors and three walks to score four runs without the aid of a hit in the second.
Hannah Lynch and Kylie Scott each drew walks to lead off the inning, and then Javyn Carl reached on an error by the Topeka catcher, who bobbled Carl’s bunt attempt, which loaded the bases.
Photo by Jordan Haiduk
Javyn Carl of the Emporia Energy U-18s starts her swing during Sunday’s game against the Topeka Sixers during the the Emporia Energy Diamond Classic.
After a strikeout and a popout to the pitcher, Jones reached on an error by the Topeka second baseman, who pulled the first baseman off the bag with her throw, allowing Lynch and Scott to score.
Cinelli also drew a walk, and then Carl and Jones scored when the Topeka left fielder dropped a shallow pop fly for the Sixers’ third error of the inning. That put Emporia ahead 6-3.
Emporia would plate three more runs in the third, while Topeka scored single runs in the second and third, and the game ended because of time after the third inning.
In the game for second place, the Energy took a 2-0 lead after the first but found the scoring a bit tougher over the next few innings, as Emporia did not score again until Dymnioski’s homer in the fifth.
However, thanks to the pitching of Jones, Emporia did not need any more runs.
Jones, playing for the Energy despite being from Independence, had a perfect game going through three innings before giving up a single to start the fourth. Still, Jones threw all six innings for the complete-game shutout, striking out six while allowing just three baserunners — the other two came off a walk and an Emporia error.
Photo by Jordan Haiduk
Amber Jones of Emporia Energy U-18s pitches against the Topeka Sixers on Sunday during the Emporia Energy Diamond Classic at the Trusler Sports Complex.
“I felt great,” Jones said. “Everything was off toward the beginning of the tournament, but this game went really well.
“The pitching was working a lot better in the last game, the defense was great and the hitting really came around. By the end, everything was working.”
Meanwhile, the Energy came through with 13 hits, including six in the fifth inning, with Dymnioski’s home run being the hit of Emporia’s tournament.
With Elyse Hecht, Jones and Cinelli on base, Dymnioski turned on a pitch up the middle and sent it sailing far over the left-field fence.
The grand slam, however, wasn’t anything new for Dymnioski, who is playing for Emporia after her team from last summer disbanded.
“The first home run I ever hit was a grand slam,” Dymnioski said. “It was out in California. I was 12.”
In play on Saturday, the Energy was no-hit in its first game by the Topeka Mavericks for Emporia’s only loss of the tournament, 3-0.
Jones pitched for the Energy, scattering four hits over six innings while striking out five.
In the second game, Emporia’s Amy McAfee tossed a no-hitter of her own, as Emporia defeated the Shenanigans by run-rule, 10-0. Dymnioski belted two doubles and drove in three runs to lead the offensive effort.
In its final game on Saturday, the Energy won over the Rockin’ Jays, 3-1, behind the pitching of Jones. Jones gave up only two hits and one unearned run while striking out five. Jones also came through at the plate with a single and double.
“Amber is a great player,” Lynch said after the tournament. “She’s willing to play anywhere. I think she would have pitched every game if we would have asked her, but I didn’t want to overuse her.”
The Energy plays next weekend at a tournament in Chapman.
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