Tsosie-Hood experiences girl’s fastpitch softball Western National Championship

FORT DEFIANCE

Competing against top teams in the ASA 12-Under Girls Fastpitch Class B Softball Western National Championships is an experience Alexis Lucy Tsosie-Hood will always cherish.

Twenty-nine teams competed in the four-day Western National Championships in Kingman, Arizona.

Tsosie-Hood, a Navajo from Fort Defiance, competed for New Mexico Sol, a club team from Albuquerque.

She said the competition was what she expected it to be at the national level.

“The experience I gained as a player, was I learned that there is another level of competition in the 12-Under Class B level,” Tsosie-Hood said. “I did recognize my strengths and weakness. I know I have plenty more to learn and will continue to work hard to make myself a better player for my team.”

Tsosie-Hood is no stranger competing in the national tournament.

“It was not my first time playing in a national tournament,” she said. “This is the same as a World Series. So it’s actually my second time, but my first with my travel team New Mexico Sol. In 2014, I went to the USSSA World Series at West Covina, California, with Shiprock Dust Devils.”

New Mexico Sol competed in six games, finishing 3-3. Tsosie-Hood, who plays various positions, played third base, shortstop and pitched. She said her fielding was good, but committed two throwing errors.

“I pitched in all six games we played in,” she said. “I came in as a relief pitcher in four games and started two games,” Tsosie-Hood said. “I had a couple of Ks and one walk. My job was to get outs. So there was a lot of grounders and pop ups. I felt my pitching was good. I did what my coach asked me to do. The batters I faced were very competitive, aggressive and knew how to hit. I gave up one home run and one walk in the tournament. I averaged four strikeouts per game.”

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