Manhattan Optimist Moxie continued its strong start to the summer season over the weekend, placing third at the Father’s Day All Turf USSSA Tournament in Topeka with a 3-2 record.

Moxie opened the tournament Friday with a pair of victories.

In its first game, Moxie defeated South Dakota Phoenix 7-0 behind a dominant performance from pitcher Acelyn Rottinghaus. The soon-to-be Rock Creek senior tossed a no-hit shutout and struck out 10 batters.

Moxie collected seven hits in the win with Brooklyn Dye, Rottinghaus, Reese Grady, Maleigh Owens, Kaylee Liby, Elliot Barnes and Caitlyn Fleming each recording a hit. Dye added two stolen bases while Hailey Lies, Fleming and Grady each swiped one.

Moxie followed with a 6-1 victory over the 18U Wichita Bullets of Andover.

The game was tied 1-1 through three innings before Grady broke it open with an inside-the-park home run over the right fielder’s head. Grady finished 2-for-3 at the plate, while Fleming and Isla Sallman also recorded two hits. Rottinghaus added a double, while Lies and Emma Liby each singled. Sallman earned the win after allowing one hit and one run over three innings with four strikeouts before Rottinghaus struck out seven in relief.

Saturday brought Moxie’s lone pool-play loss as Chaos Fastpitch handed the team a 13-0 defeat. Fleming recorded Moxie’s only hit of the game. Rottinghaus and Sallman combined to strike out two batters in the circle.

Moxie bounced back Sunday morning in bracket play with a 5-1 win over the Kansas Knockouts.

The offense struck early as Dye opened the game with a hit before Fleming’s sacrifice fly and an RBI knock from Emma Liby helped Moxie build a 3-0 first-inning lead. The team added two more runs in the third inning behind additional run-producing at-bats from Fleming and Liby.

Moxie totaled eight hits in the win. Grady continued her hot summer start by going 2-for-3 with a triple. Rottinghaus doubled while Dye, Lies, Fleming, Liby and Delayni Clark each singled. Lies stole two bases and Dye added another. Rottinghaus earned the victory, allowing three hits while striking out seven.

The tournament came to an end in the semifinals as Moxie dropped a 2-1 international tiebreaker decision to Missouri Velocity.

Moxie outhit Velocity 5-4 but stranded several scoring opportunities. Lies drove in the team’s lone run with a hit that scored Grady. Lies finished 2-for-2 while Grady went 2-for-3. Dye added a double.

“We simply need to put the ball into play,” coach Jeri Brummett said. “Striking out on pitches outside of the zone and not making their defense do anything is too easy for any opponent. We left far, far too many runners on base and did a poor job of pushing the ball behind the runners, which is something I thought we understood by now.”

Sallman started the semifinal and allowed just one hit while walking two. Rottinghaus took the loss after allowing two runs while striking out three.

Moxie improved to 8-2 overall on the summer season and will travel to Nebraska this weekend to compete in the USSSA Championships.