Local women part of national championship softball team

Tuesday, Sept. 14, 1999 | 10:49 a.m.

Ron Kantowski

Although they managed to keep their shirts on, four Las Vegas women recently experienced what it's like to be Brandi Chastain, Mia Hamm and the rest of the U.S. Women's World Cup-winning soccer team.

Played on a slightly smaller stage, the Women's USSSA Class A World Series is slow-pitch softball's equivalent of the World Cup. And the four Las Vegas women helped the Santa Monica (Calif.) Yankees get a big-time kick by winning the national championship event held in Lexington, S.C.

Connie Tutaj, Robin Burkowitz, Janice Holliday and Sun systems administrator Chris Wellendorf helped their teammates grab the brass ring with a 10-7 victory over The Shooters from Florida in the championship game.

The four Las Vegans thus will receive a gold ring, symbolic of the world championship, next year.

"This is the highest achievement in amateur slow-pitch softball for women," said Wellendorf, an outfielder who snagged a fly ball for the tournament's final out.

Sixteen teams -- the champions from 15 qualifying tournaments along with the defending World Series titlist -- comprised the field for the double-elimination event, which has been held since 1989.

"This is something that we've been trying to win since it came into existence," Wellendorf said.

It wasn't easy. The Yankees had to win five games in three days to capture the crown, and many of them were close. Wellendorf said the team started thinking title after its third game, when it came from behind to beat pre-tourney favorite Diamond Queens of Tennessee.

The Yankees trailed 10-6 after six innings but fought back against a Queens' relief pitcher to take a 12-10 decision.

"It was a struggle, and one of the most emotional games I have ever been involved in," Wellendorf said.

"They (the Diamond Queens) consisted of five coaches, two trainers and 20 players from all around the country with a full sponsor. Our team had two coaches, 13 players, primarily from the West Coast, with no sponsor at all."

Wellendorf said she and her Las Vegas teammates will proudly receive their championship rings next year, probably before the first major tournament held in Las Vegas.

Tutaj played third base for the champions while Burkowitz was the "extra" (designated) hitter and took over for Tutaj at third when the latter had some teeth knocked out on a hard, one-hopper during the big win over the Diamond Queens. Holliday was a key reserve.

"It was a great ending to something the team had been searching for for a very, very long time," Wellendorf said.