The  Benicia Outlaws 12-under fastpitch softball team wrapped up a successful summer with an impressive sweep of a tournament in Napa earlier this month.

THE BENICIA OUTLAWS 12-under fastpitch softball team closed out the summer season with a clean sweep of a tournament in Napa.

The Outlaws went 5-0 over two days and outscored their opponents 55-6. Bailey Valdez went 13-for-15 for the tournament while pitchers Amanda Ajari and Kate Gillum combined for two no-hitters.

Benicia opened the tournament with a 7-1 victory over host Napa Express. The Outlaws scored two runs in each of the first two innings to take early command. Napa scored its only run in the third, but Benicia answered with three more runs in the fourth inning to put the game away. Gillum pitched a four-hitter and got the win. Kylee Cerna had two hits, a run and an RBI, and Marlee Tuttle scored twice.

The Outlaws closed out the first day of the tournament with consecutive 16-0 victories. Ajari and Valdez combined to no-hit the San Ramon Slammers and struck out 8-of-9 batters in a game that lasted only three innings due to the mercy rule. Benicia scored nine runs in the first inning and six more in the second. Emily Rahill went 3-for-3 with a run and an RBI while Jordan Coombes went 2-for-3 with three runs and two RBI. Other hitting stars for Benicia against San Ramon included Sydney Vigil (two hits, two runs, two RBI), Loida Peterson (2-for-3, one run), Maci Wolf (two hits, two runs) and Haley Wibben (one hit, one run, one RBI).

Ajari pitched a three-inning no-hitter in a 16-0 win over the Marin Blue Angels. Valdez had two hits and one run, and Gillum two hits (including a homer) and three RBI. Rahill added two hits and two runs, Tuttle had two hits and two runs, Peterson had two hits and two runs, and Ajari had two hits, two runs and three RBI.

Sunday’s semifinal against the Napa Express turned out to be the toughest game of the tournament for the Outlaws. Benicia scored five runs in the first inning and led 7-2 before Napa closed to within two runs in the final inning. With the bases loaded and two outs, Ajari pitched out of the jam when she got the final batter to fly out to center. Valdez went 3-for-3 with a run while Ajari and Rahill each had one hit and one run. Gillum had two hits, two runs and two RBI, and Coombes scored twice.

There was no stopping the Outlaws in the championship game as Ajari pitched a two-hit shoutout in a 8-0 victory over the Petaluma Earthquakes. Valdez went 3-for-3 with two RBI and Ajari had two hits, one run and three RBI.

Benicia’s 12-under Outlaws went 23-7 overall this summer, winning three championships with one second-place finish in six tournaments entered.

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