Grays Harbor Crushers 12U team places second at summer nationals

Pitcher Madisyn Baker named tourney MVP after leading Crushers to 6-2 record in Oregon

By Ryan Sparks • August 2, 2023 2:30 am
SUBMITTED PHOTO The Grays Harbor Crushers 12U team placed second at the NAFA Summer Nationals on Sunday in Newberg, Oregon. Pictured are (front row, from left): Ashlyn Lytle, Eastyn Siano, Harper Lowery, Annika Gaddis, Piper Brule. Middle row: Assistant coach Natalie Mills, Makaya Donais, Klementine Servellon, Madisyn Baker, Addisynn Williamsen, Brooklynn Brown, Jordyn Mills, assistant coach Lisa Baker. Back row: coaches Adam Williamsen and Brandon Siano.
SUBMITTED PHOTO The Grays Harbor Crushers 12U team placed second at the NAFA Summer Nationals on Sunday in Newberg, Oregon. Pictured are (front row, from left): Ashlyn Lytle, Eastyn Siano, Harper Lowery, Annika Gaddis, Piper Brule. Middle row: Assistant coach Natalie Mills, Makaya Donais, Klementine Servellon, Madisyn Baker, Addisynn Williamsen, Brooklynn Brown, Jordyn Mills, assistant coach Lisa Baker. Back row: coaches Adam Williamsen and Brandon Siano.

UPDATE: Added information for all-tournament selection Brooklynn Brown.

The Grays Harbor Crushers 12-and-under team capped off a successful run at the North American Fastpitch Association’s Summer Nationals Tournament with a second-place finish in Newberg, Oregon on Sunday.

The Crushers opened the four-day tournament with a 10-0 mercy-rule drubbing over the Cyclones (Eugene, Oregon) in four innings on Thursday followed by a close 3-1 win over Twin Harbors counterparts Elma Xtreme later in the day.

Grays Harbor then beat the Northwest Bomb Squad (Ridgefield, Washington) 4-1 on Friday followed by blowout wins over the Fundamentals (Springfield, OR) 11-4 and their shared namesake Crushers (Veneta, Oregon) 11-2 on Saturday.

The Crushers then lost in walk-off fashion to the Renegades (Lake Oswego, Oregon) 7-6 for its first loss in the double-elimination portion of the tournament.

Grays Harbor rebounded with a 5-2 win over the Cougars (Aumsville, Oregon) 5-2 to advance to the championship round against the Renegades.

The Crushers fell behind 5-1 after three-and-a-half innings before falling 8-2 in four innings to place second out of 24 teams competing in the national tournament.

“I’m super proud of them. They really gutted it out,” Crushers head coach Brandon Siano said. “I’m proud of the way they went down there and competed the whole time. I love to see it. … I think this is huge for their mentality. When you can go out and realize a team from the Harbor can go play with anyone, anywhere and we’re just as good as anyone else, I think it’s huge for them.”

Leading the way for the Crushers was ace pitcher Madisyn Baker who was named tournament MVP after allowing 11 earned runs on 22 hits and 16 walks while striking out an impressive 55 batters in 26 1-3 innings pitched.

“We wouldn’t be where we are without Maddie Baker’s right arm. There is just no doubt about that,” Coach Siano said. “She’s just relentless. She just goes and never complains, never hurt. She’s just a tough kid, is an absolute stud on the field and is an even better kid. I can’t say enough about her.”

Joining Baker on the all-tournament team were Klemintine Servellon, Eastyn Siano, Brooklynn Brown and Ashlynn Lytle.

Servellon, a catcher, led Grays Harbor by batting .500 (9-18) with four doubles, a triple, five runs scored and eight RBI in the tournament and caught all but one of eight games in four days of 90-degree heat.

“She caught almost all the innings and she never complained and just kept going and going,” Coach Siano said of the standout catcher.

Crushers shortstop Siano hit .300 (6-20) with a double and six runs scored while outfielder Lytle hit .400 (6-15) with five runs and four RBI in eight games.

Brown, an infielder and pitcher, took care of the circle duties in lieu of Baker, allowing one earned run, seven hits, four walks with four strikeouts in 10 innings pitched over the tournament. She also reached base in seven of eight games played with three hits – including a double – five runs, four RBI and drew seven walks.

At the conclusion of the program’s first season fielding a 12-and-under team, Coach Siano was impressed by what he saw on and off the field.

“We had a lot of pretty dang good performances,” he said. “They battled through it. They handled it well and they were tough.”

Coach Siano attributed those characteristics to the support his players had on the home front.

“We have a really good group of parents,” he said. “They were great. They’re the right kind of parents.”