Tremors place second in state tourney

FORT LEONARD WOOD -- The Southeast Tremors, a girls fastpitch softball team based in Sikeston, finished second in the Missouri National Softball Association's 16-and-under Class A state tournament held June 27-29 in Fort Leonard Wood.

The team was made up of eight Sikeston players, three Poplar Bluff players and one New Madrid player. The team was coached by Ron Brinkmeyer, Kiki Curtis and Kevin Wibbenmeyer.

The Tremors, who finished third in the 14-and-under state tournament last summer, won three games on the first day of the tournament to finish as the top seed of the winner's bracket.

They defeated the St. Louis Angels 10-2, the Diamond Cats 8-4, and Hannibal's O'Donnell's 4-3 in an exciting international tie-breaker inning when the game ended 3-3.

Winning pitchers on Saturday were Kris Ploetze and Allison Blurton in the first two games. In the third game, Ploetze got the win in relief of Brinkmeyer, who pitched six-plus innings.

Ploetze also delivered the game-winning hit in the tiebreaker inning to down O'Donnell's.

In the finals on Sunday, the Tremors fell to the O'Donnell's team twice by scores of 8-0 and 10-2.

Pictured members of the Southeast Tremors softball team are front row, from left: Julie Annesser, Paige Silverthorn, Erin Wibbenmeyer, Samantha Gaines, Barbara Hobbs and Beth Ziegenhorn. Middle row: Jessica Owens, Shannon Hudson, Amelia Porter, Allison Blurton, Kristen Ploetze and Molly Brinkmeyer. Coaches: Kiki Curtis, Kevin Wibbenmeyer and Ron Brinkmeyer.