Tonight was more exciting than the NBA draft. The telephone call finalized negotiations that had started through emails between Yvonne Colón and Jim Mulligan, head coach for the So Cal Ringers fast pitch softball team. Cassie Colón was scheduled to play with the team at the upcoming Artesia Punishers' tournament. Colón joined the team after a tryout during the week.

The forecast was for a brutally hot day in Artesia as the Ringers began to arrive at Artesia Park. First up for the Ringers was Nemesis. The 1st inning opened with five Ringers going to the plate without scoring a run. Nemesis had seven batters score two runs on two hits and two errors. At the top of the 2nd inning, the Ringers scored one run as the lead off batter reached on a Nemesis error, a stolen base, a passed ball, and a sacrifice. Nemesis responded with five batters pushing across one run on a sacrifice and a Ringers' error. The Ringers started off the 3rd inning trailing 3-1. The Nemesis defense shut down the Ringers offense and retired the side. In the bottom half of the inning, Nemesis managed five runs on four hits (including a triple and a home run). The Ringers fought back in the top of the 4th inning by adding one run on a Nemesis error and a single. The second half of the inning crushed any possible hope for the Ringers to mount a comeback as Nemesis added two more runs on a walk and two hits. The 5th inning opened with the Ringers trailing 10-2. Nemesis again shut down the Ringers' offense, ending the game under the mercy rule.

After a brief rest, the Ringers warmed up to face off against the home team - the Artesia Punishers. The top of the 1st inning saw the first two Ringers ground out to the pitcher. The third batter reached first base on an error, but the last batter grounded out to the shortstop. The Punishers sent seven batters to face pitcher Maddy Long (Campbell Hall High School). Long gave up two runs on four hits. The Ringers managed one run in the 2nd inning on two hits; the Punishers were held scoreless as Long held off five batters. At the top of the 3rd inning, trailing 2-0, the Ringers' offense melted in the Saturday heat as the batters fell 1-2-3. The Punishers also seemed affected by the heat, as four batters were unable to produce a run. The 4th inning was a repeat for the Ringers as they went down in order. The Punishers must have caught a second wind; they rang up seven runs against the Ringers - on five hits, a walk, and four errors. The 5th inning was the final blow for the Ringers as they wentthreeup /three down. The Punishers scored their final run of the game in the bottom of the inning, beating the Ringers 10-1.

The third and final game of the day would place the Ringers up against the Ladies of Vegas (the team, not the city). The fans, exhausted from the heat of the day, probably expected another loss as the 1st inning opened up. Vegas batted first but could not score against the Ringers' defense. The second half of the inning saw the Ringers score one run on a single and a walk. Vegas tried to roll the dice in the 2nd inning by sending five batters to the plate. The dice came up snake eyes and Vegas was scoreless. The Ringers were unable to duplicate the first inning offense, as five batters could not produce a run. Likewise, Vegas continued scoreless as four batters failed to score on a single hit in the top of the 3rd inning. The bi-line was different for the Ringers as they scored three runs on two hits and two walks. Trailing the Ringers 3-0, Vegas once again fired up their offense, managing one hit from five batters. The Ringers' defense stiffened, leaving Vegas scoreless in the 4th inning. The bottom half of the inning saw the Ringers send five hitters to face Vegas, scoring two runs on three consecutive hits. With time running out, Vegas entered the 5th inning only to go down in order. As the bottom half of the inning started, the Ringers found themselves leading Vegas 6-0, an opportunity to win their first game of the tournament. The Ringers' offense seemed to heat up as they pounded Vegas with a double, a walk, single, triple, and another single. When the dust settled and the game was called, the Ringers beat the Vegas odds 10-1. Up next for the Ringers would be day two of the Artesia tournament, facing single elimination.