San Rafael's Bottomley, Dallara Provide Fire for Heat

When the Novato Heat 12-and-under girls softball team chose to move up to the “A” Division this summer, it knew the competition would be tough.

So coach Charlie Slack made a wise move: He looked south for a little help.

Slack plucked one key pitcher, Ashley Bottomley, and one masterful hitter, Olivia Dallara, out of San Rafael, and the two have contributed big-time to the program’s immediate success.

“These two have become part of the Heat family and have gelled together very nicely,” Slack praised.

“Ashley has been steady all around -- pitching and playing the field. She has been a huge part of our success.

“Olivia plays shortstop and third base, and bats fourth for a reason. She’s batting over .500 this season. It is comforting for me when she comes to the plate.”

The Heat won its third and fourth “A” tournaments of the summer the past two weekends, claiming titles in Napa and Davis. Almost assuredly, neither would have been possible without the help of the San Rafael imports.

This past Sunday, for example, the Heat faced about as tough a pitcher as it's seen all summer. But Dallara came through nonetheless, belting an RBI single that produced the only run of a 1-0, championship-clinching victory over the Oakland Bandits in Davis.

Earlier in the tournament, Bottomley faced the same Bandits team on the mound and recorded a 6-2 win. She later moved to the outfield for further games.

In Napa the week before, the Heat went 4-0-1 in the two-day event, beating the previously undefeated San Mateo Slammers in the finals.

Bottomley once again got the ball rolling for the Heat, shutting out the Petaluma Steal Breeze 15-0 in the first game of pool play Saturday.

As usual, Dallara was equally productive with the bat. She provided a key hit in one of the Heat’s toughest games of the weekend, a 3-2 win Saturday over the Santa Rosa Hackers.

The Heat, which earlier won “A” tournaments in Rohnert Park and Napa, concluded its summer schedule last weekend. Now comes a new challenge: A move into the 14-and-under “A” ranks in the fall.

No doubt, Slack will once again come recruiting to San Rafael. Tryouts are scheduled for later this month.