Janece making waves in desert

Janece Mae Crisostomo Salas had found the opportunities she has long been looking for to excel in fast-pitch softball and is making the most of them.

Janece, daughter of Samantha and J.J. Salas of Saipan, is now based in Peroia, Arizona, and is suiting up for the Apache Warriors.

The 13-year-old Janece left Saipan in the summer of 2008 to study at Apache Elementary School.

Before leaving Saipan, Janece played for the Shell Suns in the Saipan Little League Baseball going up against boys Little Leaguers. The CNMI does not have an all-female Little League and girls wanting to play are squeezed into a boys-dominated SLLB teams.

The Commonwealth has a fast-pitch event for girls, but the league, which is led by Public School System, usually lasts for only two months and plays only twice a week.

Janece played for Gregorio T. Camacho Elementary School in the PSS league before moving to Apache.

“We decided that for her education and for her to pursue the sport she loved so much, she and her sister Julia had to go back to Arizona and live with their grandparents (Francisco and Julita Crisostimo),” Samantha said.

In Arizona, the seventh grader Janece played third base for the Warriors and helped the team to a 6-0 record en route to winning the 2008 district title.

“As a school team, they would also play many weekend tournaments and often they will advance to championship games and win. With her strength, speed and good eye for the ball, in one game, she completed a cycle with an inside the park homer,” Samantha said.

The elder Salas said Janece started to get involved in baseball when her daughter was only nine years old.

The younger Salas played Little League baseball for two years starting in 2002 when their family moved to Kentucky.

“Then we relocated to Arizona where the sport of softball—mountain pitch and underhand fast-pitch—was introduced to her at the school she attended. She played for two years and excelled in the sport,” Samantha said.

Samantha said Janece looks up to Jennie Lynn Finch, who pitched for the USA softball team that won the gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics. In college, Finch played for the University of Arizona Wildcats.

When Janece and her family returned to Saipan in 2006, her experience in playing in various softball tournaments in Arizona helped her become one of the top players of GTC.

Now that she is back in Arizona, Janece, who is also a motocross competitor having rode for Team Erricco in MRA races, hopes to learn more about fast-pitch softball.

“Janece has recently been invited to participate in the AGS fastpitch clinic for Team Chaos in Arizona.

The Chaos is a four-time All ACC tournament team and are coached and trained by former Florida State starting catcher Kristi Terry.

Samantha said Janece will begin attending the clinic on Feb. 14.