by Shaun Knittel - SGN Staff Writer

The final game of the Emerald City Softball Association (ECSA) World Series Second Berth Tournament was very well-played. The two D Division teams, The Seattle Stealth and Xtreme, were competing for a chance to advance to the Softball World Series.

The score was 2 to 5 after the first inning. Xtreme scored three runs to Stealth's zero in the second inning. No one scored in the third inning, Stealth scored one to Xtreme's three runs in the fourth inning, and both teams scored two runs in the fifth. This made the score Stealth 5 to Xtreme 13. The Stealth bats roared and scored a whopping 12 runs in the top of the sixth, making the score 17 to 13. All Stealth needed to do was hold Xtreme to less than four runs.

Xtreme followed by scoring three runs. It was 17 to 16 with only one out. Then, an Xtreme batter hit a grounder and got on base. The next batter up hit the ball to second base, making the second out, and then threw to the first baseman just in the nick of time for a double play. The Seattle Stealth had won!

Now, on any other day, that game may have gone unnoticed; but the Seattle Stealth had just finished the 2010 season by losing 14 games in a row, with their final stats reading four wins to 14 losses. At the end of each season, the ECSA sends two teams from each division to the Softball World Series to play teams from all across the country. The first-place team in the division automatically gets to go, while the other teams are determined at the Second Berth Tournament.

The dramatic win, coupled with the losing season, makes for one heck of a Cinderella story. The Seattle Stealth earned its way to the 2010 Gay Softball World Series in Columbus, Ohio on August 16!

"It was really awesome the way it went down," Seattle Stealth coach Denny Krantz told SGN. "The win was very emotional. Some of the players were crying. It was very unexpected."

According to Krantz, the Seattle Stealth is "an older team." Krantz says he's the youngest, at 29, and the oldest player is 58. He says that despite the team's losing record, "We had it in us all season, I don't think the record depicts how good a team we are."

"I am very excited about playing in Columbus with this team," Seattle Stealth player Pam Sager told SGN. "Our coach Denny Krantz stuck to his excellent teaching techniques and philosophies to make us believers, even though it took us a while. I have seen improvement from so many players thanks to him. Go Stealth!"

Mike Olarte, a member of the Seattle Stealth, said after coming off a losing season he wasn't expecting much out of the tournament. "Sitting in the dugout during that last inning when were we were so far behind, the team was still pretty relaxed, stoked, and cheering. We just pulled it all together because we had nothing to lose," he said. "The best part was after we had won. Seeing fans coming from the bleachers crying and congratulating us. It really choked me up and I had to stop myself from crying. Experiences like this are few, and I'm really glad to have it with such a great bunch of people."

"As scorekeeper for the Seattle Storm, I must say this the best game I've ever seen," Gina Cari told SGN.

Unfortunately, every Cinderella story has a chariot that turns into a pumpkin at midnight - for the Seattle Stealth, that pumpkin comes in the form of a cash shortage. Unlike many teams, Seattle Stealth is not sponsored by a local company or bar, and therefore must pass the hat to cover at least some of the cost of the trip. It will cost an estimated $800-$1,000 per player - of which there are 16 - to make it to Columbus and the World Series.

Seattle Stealth is asking for your support so they can "bring home the big Gay pennant."

The Stealth will be selling Jell-O shots at the Eagle and Elite every Saturday night through August 7. In addition, the team will also sell Jell-O shots at Purr on July 31.

Not into Jell-O shots? That's OK; The Stealth has put together a bowling fundraiser at Roxbury Lanes on August 7 from 3-6 p.m. Registration starts at 2:30 p.m. and it costs $15 for three hours of bowling.

The Softball World Series is the biggest LGBT sporting event in the nation. This year, an expected 5,000 athletes and supporters will descend on Columbus for the event.

"The team is going as underdogs," said Krantz, "but we have the potential of doing Seattle proud and winning games!"