The 1927 Yankees were dubbed Murderers’ Row. There was Cincinnati’s Big Red Machine. The old Pirates led by Willie Stargell were the Lumber Company.
Now someone needs to come up with a nickname for Madison High School’s slugging softball team.
Monsters of the Madhouse?
On a breezy Friday afternoon at the University of San Diego, No. 1-seeded Madison bashed its way to a 14-7 victory over second-seeded Grossmont to win the CIF San Diego Section Division 4 championship.
After watching his team put up three-run, five-run and six-run innings, Madison coach Tom Kamfomik created his own moniker.
“The RoboHawks,” said Kamfonik. “They just come out and get the job done.”
Madison (22-9-1) clubbed 12 hits and took advantage of four walks, an error, three wild pitches and a passed ball as eight players scored. Despite Madison’s offensive prowess, the Warhawks led by just one run going into the bottom of the sixth.
Said Kamfonik: “I told the kids coming into the last inning, ‘You’ve got one more inning to prove who owns Division 4.’ They told me, ‘Coach, we’ve got it.’ ”
The Warhawks went out and hung a six-spot.
With the bases loaded, one out and Madison leading 8-7 in the sixth, up stepped Warhawks pitcher freshman Aniyah Shelby.
“She had just thrown me a ball,” said Shelby. “I told myself if I got a pitch down the middle, I was going to swing lights out and do it for my team.”
Shelby rocketed a two-run double to center field.
Up next stepped senior Audrina Burnett, who dropped in a two-run single to center field to make it 12-7.
Said Burnett, “We feed off each other. We’re ‘The Eaters.’ ”
Shelby and Burnett both drove in three runs. Freshman Olivia Rosas drove in two. For Grossmont (18-11-1), freshman Drew Winchester went 3-for-4 and drove in three runs.
Grossmont coach Jerry Lerud, in his 32nd season coaching the Foothillers, was understandably proud of his team.
“At the beginning of the season, we wanted to take league and get here,” he said. “We won league and here we are.”
Shelby pitched a complete game for Madison. She finished the season pitching 183 2/3 innings, all but three of the team’s total.
The game ended in entertaining fashion. Madison right fielder Sophia Martinez made a sliding catch for the first out. With runners on first and third, Martinez roamed into the gap, bobbled a fly ball, caught it around her shoes, tossed the ball to Shelby, who doubled the runner off third to end the game.
“That,” said Martinez, “was a breathtaking moment.”