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MCDONALD'S SWNEWS4U GAME OF THE WEEK (Club Softball): Colorado Sparkler 4th of July Tournament
Locals help Team Heat 16U softball team place 49th at 247-team tournament
Team Heat 16U
Members of the Team Heat Tri-State 16U softball team are (front from left) Kayahna Furrer, Kylie Cole, Aida Tuttle, Claire Kennedy, Brienna Wasley, Josie Kruser, Jaelyn Leitzinger, Lauren Francois, Ayla Nolan, Ava Hahn, Mikala Schnering, (back) coaches Chuck Schnering and Bob Lowe. Missing from photo was Payton Gile.

MCDONALD'S SWNEWS4U.COM GAME OF THE WEEK (July 2–9)
CLUB SOFTBALL: Colorado Sparkler 4th of July Tournament

By Jason Nihles, The Platteville Journal

Locals held Team Heat Tri State 16U softball team place 49th at 247-team tournament

DENVER, Colo. — The Team Heat Tri-State 16U softball team traveled to Denver to compete in the Colorado Sparkler 4th of July Tournament last week. 

The Sparkler is the largest fast pitch tournament in North America with more than 1,200 teams competing in divisions 12U through 18U. The 16U division had 247 teams. 

Platteville’s Mikala Schnering, Fennimore’s Kayahna Furrer and Kylie Cole, and Cuba City’s Payton Gile, Josie Kruser and Ayla Nolan are on the 12-player 16U Team Heat.

Other members of the team included Galena’s Ava Hahn, Prairie du Chien’s Claire Kennedy, Dodgeville’s Brienna Wasley, Mineral Point’s Aida Tuttle, Peosta’s Lauren Francois and Belmont’s Jaelyn Leitzinger.

Team Heat, which is based out of Platteville, slugged its way to a 4–3 record in the week-long tournament, and placed among the top 50 teams in the 16U tournament.

Team Heat went 3–1 win Pool play last Tuesday and Wednesday to finish second in its six-team pool. They beat Fury Platinum out of Virginia 8–6, before a 10–0 loss to Team Hustle from Phoenix, Ariz. last Tuesday to open pool play. Team Heat bounced back with a 16–11 win over Zias out of New Mexico and a 14–8 win over WYCO out of Wyoming on Wednesday to finish second in its pool.

The top two teams in each of the 42 pools qualified for the 84-team Mount Elbert bracket (for first and second place pool finishers).

The 84 team Mount Elbert bracket was divided into eight double-elimination brackets, six made up of 10 teams, and two made up of 12 teams. The top two finishers in each of these double-elimination brackets advanced to the 16-team single-elimination championship bracket.

After qualifying second in their pool against teams from around the country, Team Heat opened bracket play Friday with an 8–4 loss to Apex 08 National from Alabama. Apex national 08 went on to finish third in the bracket and tied for 17th–24th in the entire 247-team tournament.

Team Heat extended its tournament with a epic 10–9 comeback victory over Las Vegas Blast later on Friday, by far Team Heat's best game of the week.

Battling the injury bug going into play Saturday, Team Heat was eliminated from the tournament with a 20–2 loss to the Utah Redemption. The Redemption finished fourth in the bracket and placed tied for 25th–32nd in the entire tournament.

Team Heat tied for 49th–64th in the entire tournament out of 247 teams. The team slugged 10 homers in the seven games, with four coming from Furrer. 

Team Heat Tri-State is a 10U–18U travel softball organization operated out of the Platteville Sports and Activities Center owned and operated by Bob Lowe, an assistant softball coach at UW–Platteville, and his daughter Becca Runde, the UW–Platteville head softball coach. The teams are coached by the Lowes, as well as current and former college players. For more information email teamheattristate@gmail.com.