NPF: HERE SAVANNAH BROWN Rockford Thunder Link: HERE CARRI LETO MARTIN New England Riptide Link: HERE GIRLS + ATHLETICS = CLICK HERE CARRI'S 2004-07 ARCHIVES HERE

NORSEMEN IN THE PROS
Valhalla High School is the lone school in the nation with two alumni playing in National Pro Fastpitch -- Rockford Thunder rookie catcher Savannah Brown (left) and New England Riptide all-star second baseman Carri Leto Martin.
Carri Leto Martin New England Riptide	Savannah Brown Rockford Thunder

Leto Martin, Riptide slide into NPF playoffs

© East County Sports.com
LOWELL, Mass. (8-18-08) -- Rancho San Diego's CARRI LETO MARTIN scored the game's opening run Saturday (Aug. 17), helping the New England Riptide knock off defending Cowles Cup champion Washington Glory in National Pro Fastpitch's final weekend of the regular season.

The victory not only clinched a postseason berth for the Riptide, it also knocked the Glory -- season-long leaders of NPF -- into second place and thus avoiding a first-round playoff pairing between the ballclubs.

The All-Star second baseman finished batting 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI in the 5-1 victory. New England went on to again down Washington in Sunday's (Aug. 18) finale, 2-1, as Leto Martin, capped the season ranked 11th in the league with a .295 batting average.

The Cowles Cup playoffs, played in a double-elimination format, will be held Aug. 21-24, again in Kimberly, Wisc. The fourth-place Riptide will meet regular season titlist Chicago Bandits in the postseason opener.

© East County Sports.com
ROCKFORD, Ill. (8-8-08) -- CARRI LETO MARTIN continued her hot hitting by going 3-for-4 and scoring twice, leading the New England Riptide past the Rockford Thunder, 5-1, in National Pro Fastpitch action Thursday (Aug. 7).

Carri Leto Martin makes the dive. Photo by Hope-Valarie Pashos Courtesy, © New England Riptide

With the triumph, New England (19-21) moved into a tie for fourth place with the Akron Racers for the final Cowles Cup playoff berth. Rockford (17-23) had a chance to catch the Tide for fifth place, but instead fell two games back.

The Riptide travel to Chicago to begin a 4-game series with the Bandits on Friday They return home to Martin Softball Field on August 14-17 to wrap up the regular season against the defending NPF champion Washington Glory.

© East County Sports.com
AKRON, Ohio (8-1-08) -- When you're a rookie with a pair of veterans playing in front of you, opportunities have been few for former Valhalla High/Georgia Tech standout SAVANNAH BROWN. However, given a rare start Thursday (July 31), Brown came through with the game-winning RBI, lifting the Rockford Thunder to a 3-2 National Pro Fastpitch victory over the Akron Racers.

Brown registered a two-out single to left field in the 5th inning, scoring Lindsay Gardner with the go-ahead run. The victory moved Rockford with three games of fourth place in the battle for the final Cowles Cup postseason berth.

Brown is only batting .209 this season, but in two starts over the first three games of the current 4-game series against the Racers, she is batting .400 (2-for-5). For the year, six of Brown's nine hits have gone for extra bases, including a pair of homers, giving the catcher a solid .349 slugging percentage.

According to the NPF website, Brown is sixth in the league in doubles despite her limited number of plate appearances, making a solid bid to gain additional playing time.

© East County Sports.com
LOWELL, Mass. (7-17-08) -- On a special out-of-season St. Patrick's Day celebration at Martin Field, Rancho San Diego's CARRI LETO MARTIN batted 3-for-5 and scored a professional career high four runs, powering the New England Riptide to an 11-6 slugfest victory Thursday (July 17) over the Akron Racers in National Pro Fastpitch action.

Leto Martin opened the contest with a triple into the right field corner, scoring when Jackie Pasquerella followed with a booming double to the gap in left-center, as the Tide eventually chased Akron starter Jamee Juarez before the inning ended.

Carri Leto Marrtin scores GW run. Photo by Hope-Valarie Pashos Courtesy, © New England Riptide

The Racers cut into the lead to move within 7-4, but Leto Martin registered hits and scored in both the 4th and 6th innings to stave the Akron rally. The Valhalla High product also stole a base to move back among the NPF Top 10 leaders. She is now 9th in both base thefts and runs scored.

The victory moved the Riptide a full two games ahead of Akron for the fourth and final Cowles Cup berth.

Rockford Thunder players SAVANNAH BROWN, Tonya Callahan and Kristen Zaleski will be featured in four ESPN-televised broadcasts over the next weeks. Appearing as members of Team NPF, the trio will all see significant time and at-bats in the games. According to National Pro Fastpitch officials, two individual games against Team USA will be aired twice each between July 8 and July 14. The original airings will be July 8 at 3:30 p.m., and on July 13 at 9 a.m. Those games will be shown on ESPN. Encore presentations can be seen on ESPN2 on July 10 at 11 a.m. and on July 14 at 11 a.m.

(Top) June 22: Savannah Brown (20) slides safely into third base against Canada. May 29: Brown smacks a double in professional debut vs. Chicago. (Photos by Chris Anderson, Rockford Thunder)

June 21: Carri Leto Martin delivers an RBI double for an early New England Riptide lead, but the Philadelphia Force rallied for a 2-1 NPF victory. (Photo by Debbie Leto)

AND SHE'S OFF...

Roz Savge has started her 3-year mission to row solo across the Pacific Ocean from the USA to Australia. LINK

ROZ' DAILY BLOG HERE

Leto Martin scores game-winner
in Riptide home opener

© East County Sports.com
LOWELL, Mass. (6-13-08) -- Rancho San Diego's CARRI LETO MARTIN dove across the plate with the game-winning run Thursday (June 12), as the New England Riptide captured their home opener by outlasting Team Venezuela, 5-4 in 11 innings, at Martin Field.

With the International Tiebreaker in effect, the Riptide scored once to outset a Venezuelan run, then Leto Martin, who entered the contest batting .444, singled and stole second base.

© East County Sports.com
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (6-7-08) -- SAVANNAH BROWN (Valhalla HS/Georgia Tech) opened the 4th inning with the first of back-to-back home runs off Team USA pitcher Cat Osterman for a 5-1 lead, but the first upset of the Olympic team was not to be after they rallied for six runs in the 5th to upend Team NPF, 10-8, Friday (June 6), at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium.

Brown, the catcher representing National Pro Fastpitch in a series of ballgames against the team which will represent the United States at the Beijing Olympics this August, sent a drive to right field against one of the world's top pitchers for her first homer as a professional. Shortstop Jaime Clark followed with a solo shot to centerfield to cap a 2-for-3, 3 RBI performance.

The contest is part of the Americans' Bound-4-Beijing Tour, which concludes in Irvine on July 26. The game will be held at Deanna Manning Stadium at Colonel Bill Barber Park. LINK

The final game against Team NPF is next Saturday, June 14 at 1 p.m. (PT) in Normal, Ill., the home of Brown's professional team, the Rockford Thunder. GAME TRACKER

© East County Sports.com
STERLING, Va. (5-30-08, 8:05 pm PT) - Rancho San Diego's CARRI LETO MARTIN slugged a 2-run single in the 3rd inning Friday (May 30), as the New England Riptide (1-1) scored three times to open the scoring and go on to down defending Cowles Cup champion Washington Glory, 6-2, in Friday's National Pro Fastpitch ballgame. MORE

© East County Sports.com
DENVER (5-29-08) -- In a prelude to the 2008 Beijing Games, the U.S. Olympic women's fastpitch team will play a series of ballgames against an elite team composed of National Pro Fastpitch players. And two of the players selected to participate hail from the East County.

Tabbed by NPF commissioner Cheri Kempf to represent the pro league on the 17-player roster will be 5-year veteran CARRI LETO MARTIN and rookie SAVANNAH BROWN. Both played locally for Valhalla High School.

Team NPF will meet Team USA in a two-game series. The first ballgame is slated for Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City on Fri., June 6, at 6 p.m. The rematch is scheduled for Champions Park in Normal , Ill. , on Sat., June 14, at 3 p.m. Both will be televised on ESPN on a delay basis (game one on July 5, the second contest on July 13).

Prior to the series, coined the Bound-4-Beijing Tour, Team NPF will compete against the national teams of Canada and China in a doubleheader on June 4 in Oklahoma City.

“We are excited to bring premiere NPF competition to fans this summer as we face off against the U.S. Olympic Softball Team, Team Canada and Team China,” said Kempf. “All three teams are preparing for the upcoming Summer Olympic Games in Beijing and NPF represents the highest level of competition they will face. We look forward to exciting games and showcasing our talented athletes."

Patti Gasso, the head softball coach at the University of Oklahoma , and Cindy Bristow, a former pro league head coach, will serve as co-head coaches of Team NPF. Bristow was head coach and assistant general manager of the Georgia Pride, which later became the Florida Wahoos, a team in the Women's Professional Softball League -- the forerunner to NPF.

“It is a pleasure and thrill for me to be coaching such an outstanding and accomplished group of the best the NPF has to offer. With such an elite group, we will be able to challenge any team at any time!” stated Gasso.

Leto Martin is in her second season with the New England Riptide. She joined the league in 2004, winning the Cowles Cup championship with the New York-New Jersey Juggernaut.

When the Nauts became the Philadelphia Force in 2006, Martin moved with them and led the team with a .307 batting average and a .371 on base percentage, while being named NPF Defensive Player of the Year.

Brown was selected with the No. 5 overall selection in the 2008 NPF Senior Draft out of Georgia Tech. As a junior in 2007, Brown set a single-season Atlantic Coast Conference record with 76 RBI, the second-best mark in the nation. Brown broke the record for set by Sara Larquier, who now plays for current Cowles Cup titlist Washington Glory. Entering the 2008 NCAA postseason, Brown was hitting .272 for the Yellow Jackets with eight home runs and 36 RBI.

The U.S. Olympic Team is comprised of 15 players and three alternates for the Beijing Olympics. The Bound-4-Beijing tour will make 42 stops across the country, playing more than 60 games against NCAA Division I opponents, Regional All-Star teams and International Competition. Monica Abbot, Cat Osterman, Kelly Kretschman, Vicky Galindo and Jennie Finch have previously played for NPF Teams and are expected to return to league competition in 2009.

Season Openers -- It was quite a pro debut for Brown, as her Rockford ( Ill. ) hosted Jennie Finch and the Chicago Bandits in Thursday's (May 29) season opener. Brown, just a week removed from the NCAA playoffs for Georgia Tech, singled home Jessica Williams from second base in the bottom of the 7th, powering the Thunder to a 2-1 triumph.

Cassidy Scoggins pitched a complete-game 3-hitter for the victory. Prior to the ballgame, inactive Rockford pitcher Cat Osterman, who is pitching for Team USA , threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Meanwhile, Leto Martin registered one of five Riptide hits, but New England fell to the defending champion Washington Glory, 4-0.

Another Norsemen goes pro Savannah Brown drafted 5th overall Savannah Brown © East County Sports.com ROCKFORD, Ill. (2-19-08) -- Valhalla High School now has a pair of former softball stars playing the National Pro Fastpitch after the Rockford Thunder drafted Georgia Tech senior catcher SAVANNAH BROWN with the No. 5 overall pick in the first round of the player draft. Due to NCAA regulations, Brown, the first position player taken in the NPF draft, will not officially sign with the Thunder until the Yellow Jackets win (or get eliminated from) the Women's College World Series. The four players selected before Brown reads like a Who's Who of the top pitchers in the nation, including: Katie Burkhart (Arizona State) and Megan Gibson (Texas A&P) by the Philadelphia Force, Angela Tincher (Virginia Tech) by the Akron Racers, and Anjelica Selden (UCLA) by the New England Riptide. Brown establish both school and Athletic Coast Conference marks for RBI in both a season and career, earning two berths on the All-Region teams for the Southeast. She was also a ESPN preseason All-America selection, ranking among the Ramblin' Wreck career leaders in almost every offensive category. At Valhalla, Brown was honored as East County Sports' Player of the Year and was an All-County selection while graduating in the top 10 percent of her class. The Thunder open their season on May 29 with a 4-game home series against Jennie Finch and the Chicago Bandits.

© East County Sports.com
CHANTILLY, Va. (5-25-08) -- Featuring All-Star second baseman CARRI LETO MARTIN, the New England Riptide opes to return the Cowles Cup to Massachusetts when they open the 2008 National Pro Fastpitch season on the road against the defending champion Washington Glory. The four-game series (May 29-June 1) will be held at Westfield Sporrs Complex.

RIPTIDE PREVIEW
Thirteen of last year’s sixteen players will be returning to New England this year, including all eight position starters, plus three of four pitchers.

INFIELD -- What do Jackie Pasquerella (3b), Lisa Iancin (2b, SS) and Carri Leto Martin (2b) have in common? All three are returning to the Riptide this season, all are infielders and all have won NPF Defensive Player of the Year awards, and each has made at least one NPF All-Star Game appearance. Thus, opposing teams had better hit the ball well past them if they expect to get on base.

Defensively, this infield is arguably the greatest defensive infield ever assembled in softball history, including past and current national teams. Not only does the unit as a whole commit very few errors, but also constantly robs the opponents of hits.

Last year, Pasquerella played 40 games at third base and in over 150 chances committed no errors. Add in first baseman Lyndsey Angus and the infield is strengthened even more. Angus was the NPF Player of the Year in 2006 with a .354 average, three home runs and only one defensive error. She is also one of the toughest to strike out, in 2005 fanning only three times in 140 at bats. Along with Forest, Angus is the other charter member of the Riptide returning for her fifth season. Amazingly, if one of the above players is not in the line up, Jess Merchant will be. Merchant, a key player with the 2005 Michigan team that won the College World Series, is not only a terrific shortstop, but also a huge threat at the plate. In 2006 she won the NPF Offensive Player of the Year award with a .345 batting average and twelve home runs.

PITCHING -- New England reverts to a 3-person rotation with the retirement of former Olympic gold medallist, Danielle Henderson. But the returnees are strong is stars Jocelyn Forest, Eileen Canney and Erica Beach.

Forest, one of two players from the original 2004 Riptide, has been the mainstay of the team and now leads the NPF in both career wins and strikeouts. Coming off a sub par 5-5 record last year, Forest is looking to rebound to her 2006 form in which she was 15-5 and led the Riptide to the championship, also garnering MVP honors for the championship series.

Former Northwestern star Eileen Canney, who played with Leto-Martin in the Big 10 Conference, returns after bursting on the scene last year to lead the league in both ERA (1.16) and strikeouts (137) to go along with her 9-6 record. Rounding out the pitching staff will be Erica Beach. Beach is also a 5-time NPF All-Star who joined the Riptide in 2006 as a free agent.

Beach pitched the 2004 and 05 seasons with the lowly Arizona Heat who finished well below .500 both years, yet managed to compile a 19-16 overall record, despite being overused in 2005 due to others being injured. Beach finished the season at 6-2 last year and tops off what should be one of the top pitching staffs in the league.

COACHES -- Taking the helm this year, following the three year tenure of legendary coach Sharon Drysdale, is Brad Hostman, assistant coach for the NCAA Division III national champion University of St. Thomas. Joining Horstman will be experienced NPF player and Quinnipiac University head coach Germaine Fairchild, and Boston University assistant coach Jen Deering.

Horstman has been at UST over the last seven seasons and has worked under one of the nation's top mentors and technicians in John Tschida. The St. Thomas coaching staff received National Coaching Staff of the Year honors in 2004 and 2005 and the same regional honor in 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006. Under Horstman, St. Thomas won the national championship in 2004 and 2005, placed second in 2006 and fifth in 2002.

Following her RBI triple, Carri Leto Martin (right) celebrates with Lisa Modglin after scoring in the 3rd inning on a squeeze bunt by Lyndsey Angus. (Courtesy, New England Riptide)

Carri Leto Martin slides into home plate against the Chicago Bandits.

Carri Leto Martin Leads NPF with .385 average. (Courtesy, New England Riptide)

Another hit

Carri Leto with a basehit against the Chicago Bandits. (Philadelphia Force courtesy photo).

Carri Leto slams a basehit against the Arizona Heat. (Philadelphia Force courtesy photo).

 

Featured on the 2006 Philadelphia Force team poster is two-time NPF All-Star second baseman Carri Leto (far right) and U.S. Olympian shortstop Natasha Watley (far left) -- the league's top-rated combination in turning the double play.

Carri Leto

Juggernaut players Lauren Bauer (24) and Carri Leto (5) high-five with teammate Jaclyn Pasquerella, (23) during the player introduction prior to a game. (Photo by Amy Newman/Herald News)

Carri's Bio (from NY-NJ website, circa 2004)
Professional: Leto joined the Juggernaut professionally in 2004 making an immediate impact on the team. She earned herself a spot representing the East in the 2004 NPF All Star game. Leto led the team in stolen bases (11), fourth best in the league. Leto finished her first season with 17 runs, 41 hits and 10 RBI. During the Cowles Cup NPF World Series Championship, Leto went 4 for 14, scored 3 runs, had 2 walks, stole 2 bases and had one hit in each of the four playoff games. In the Championship game, Leto scored two runs, hit a single and had a walk.

International/National Experience: Leto was part of the TeamSmith Nationals 2002 North American Tour sharing middle infield duties at shortstop with Julie Smith at 2nd base. The Nationals compiled a <35-3> tour record and defeated all their international competition at the Canada Cup to earn a 3rd place finish. Leto also played 2nd base for the Southern California Hurricanes Women’s Major team in 2001 and 2002. The Canes earned consecutive 2nd place finishes at ASA Women’s Majors Nationals and Leto earned 2nd team All-American honors in 2002. Leto was invited to the September 2003 and January 2004 USA National Team camp but was forced to decline because of a knee injury. Once recovered, she was invited and attended the January 2005 team camp.

College: A 2004 graduate of Northwestern University, Leto finished her career on a high by hitting safely in 28 of her final 30 games and by placing in the top seven in ten different Northwestern career offensive categories. She was named the 2004 Northwestern NCAA Div. I Woman Athlete of the Year and was made a member of the Co SIDA Academic All-District team. She was also named to the All Big Ten 2004 Tournament Team. Leto was the Wildcats' team captain in her junior and senior years. For three consecutive years, she was a 2nd Team All-Big Ten selection (2002 at shortstop, 2003 & 2004 at 2nd base) and Big Ten All-Academic Team honoree (2002, 2003 & 2004). She made the Big Ten All-Academic Team three consecutive years (2002, 2003, 2004). She was named to the NFCA MidEast Region First Team in 2001 and Second Team in 2004. She received the Thomas J. and Dorothy Somers Hoehn Athletic Scholarship in 2001 and the Steve and Audrey Sawle Endowed Scholarship award in 2004. Leto graduated with a degree in Communication Studies.

High School/Travel Ball: Graduating in 2000, Leto began her Valhalla High School sports career playing softball and soccer and running cross country where as a freshman she earned 1st Team All-CIF honors leading the team to the San Diego Division II championship with her 4th place finish and the team went on to a 5th place finish at the California State Championships. In softball, Leto was a four year varsity starter, earning All-League honors each year and All-CIF honors her junior and senior years. A 1999 and 2000 team captain, MVP and Breitbard-San Diego Hall of Champions 1st team honoree, Leto was named Grossmont South League Player of the Year as a senior. A four year honor student, Leto was a San Diego Union Tribune All-Academic Team Captain and 1st team honoree. Leto played four years for Southern California Lightning 18-U Gold leading the team offensively and defensively to a 5th place Gold Nationals finish in 1999. In 2000, she was a pick-up player for American Pastime during their 7th place ASA Gold finish.

Personal: Born Carrilyn Nicole Leto in San Diego, California to Nick and Debbi, Leto has an older sister, Allison. She and her family enjoy traveling and Leto has been to Europe, Japan and almost every state. Her family also hosted several foreign students as she was growing up. Leto’s maternal grandfather was a 1968 Olympic cycling coach and her paternal grandfather was a National and four-time Indiana State basketball champion.