The Oregon City Nightmare 16-U-B fastpitch softball team closed out the summer season in great form, winning four of seven games and placing fifth at the NAFA 16-B Summer Nationals, held July 26-29 in Newberg. The tournament featured 36 teams from Washington, California and Oregon.

“We lost 5-4 to the Grants Pass team that took second at state on Saturday [July 28]. If we had won that game, we would have finished no worse than third,” said Nightmare coach Todd Bennett.

Among the teams the Nightmare defeated en route to placing fifth in the double elimination tournament were: Vancouver Vibe (9-4), Gresham Eliminators (12-3), Taft Tigers (5-2) and Washington Phoenix out of Federal Way, Washington (4-2).

“Between the middle of the season, when we played in some really tough tournaments, and our last tournament [the Summer Nationals], it was like night and day,” said Bennett. “The girls improved in every phase of the game. Their confidence was up and their hitting improved dramatically. One kid would get on base and everyone would start hitting. It was like a domino effect.”

Although the Nightmare was a “B” team, they played in several open tournaments that included high caliber “A” teams. They played in the Bend Showdown and in the Valley Invitational, a tournament that featured sixty-four 16-U teams, with games played at several locations in the Portland area.

“I wanted to stretch the girls and show them what high-level softball is all about,” said Bennett. “We took our lumps in those tournaments, but it made us better.”

The Nightmare team included five players from Oregon City: seniors Stephanie Winner (second base) and Savana Bowman (outfield/pitcher), juniors Kelsey Bennett (shortstop) and Kristina Landen (outfield/catcher), and freshman Jessica Husband (utility).

Clackamas junior Eli Bennett (outfield) was on the team, along with Kailey O’Hara (first base/outfield), a Clackamas resident who will be a junior at Central Catholic.

Rounding out the roster were players from Newberg, McMinnville, Gaston and Sandy.