After a long week of competition in Reno and Tahoe, Nev., today wrapped up the TC/USA Nationals in the 18U, 16U and 14U age divisions.

Below are the recaps of the title games in each division.

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14U Platinum

*** CHAMPIONSHIP: So Cal Choppers-Fausett 4, Sorcerer 1

Game Recap:

The battle of two California powerhouses–the Choppers from So Cal and Sorcerer from Nor Cal–went to the team from the South.

Gary Fausett had pitched Shealyn O’Leary, but an injury prior to the TC/USA Nationals meant he had to ride Makenna Harper, a 2018 commit to Arizona State, and ride her to the championship he did.  Harper pitched “five and three quarter games” according to the coach as she pitched every inning of those games.

In the title game, Harper used a drop and change to keep Sorcerer off balance and her team in the game.  The score was 1-1 into the fifth inning when catcher/infielder Makena Smith hit a two-run double to provide the difference.

Coach Fausett said going into the game he was confident Harper could get the job done.

“You could see it on her face,” the coach said. “She’s a bulldog and a fighter, but she’s also the kind of kid who’s the first into the dugout and the last one out and will be the one who picks up the trash–anything to get it done.  I told her, ‘No more picking up trash for the rest of the year.'”

Semi’s:

• Sorcerer 5, Firecrackers-Brasher/Thornburg 2
• So Cal Choppers-Fausett 1, NW Nightmare 0

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16U Platinum

*** CHAMPIONSHIP: Oklahoma Exclusive Gold-Hughes 6, San Jose Sting-Perales 5 (9 innings)

Game Recap:

It wasn’t an easy ride for the Oklahoma Exclusive Gold-Hughes team, which has been on the road for five of the last six weeks and only routinely travels 10 players.

Even this week, the Exclusive Gold lost to Explosion Gold on Thursday morning to make their path a bit more difficult to the championship game.

But once on the field at the Univ. of Nevada-Reno the 16U team from the Sooner State looked more than comfortable.

The game was scoreless until the bottom of the third when the Exclusive Gold exploded for four runs keyed by a two-run double by Arielle James with the bases loaded. Exclusive also added a run on a failed force out at the plate.

In the bottom of the 4^th inning James was clutch again hitting a two-out RBI single that put the lead at 5-0.

But the Sting didn’t go quietly. In the top of the 4^th inning the San Jose squad loaded the bases with no outs but pitcher Logan Simunke recorded a strikeout for the first out and a floater to second doubled off a runner on second and the threat was avoided.

In the top of the fifth, the Sting put two runs on the board as Megan Perron was hit by a pitch and Sara Gayer singled to right.

An infield groundout moved the runners to second and third and when Jordan Maddox hit a deep fly to left, it scored Perron who was hit on the throw to the plate which allowed Gayer to spring home.

The score was still 5-2 going into the top of the 7^th but the Sting loaded the bases with no outs before a sac fly by Sarah Wulff pulled the Sting within two.

Delanie Wisz then hit a rocket to deep center for a two-run double and suddenly it was tied 5-5 and the momentum seemed to below to the Sting.

The game would go into the ninth inning when runners were put on second and third, but the Sting’s first batter hit a fly to right that was caught and the throw to home nailed the runner for a controversial double play as the Sting argued that the catcher had obstructed the plate.

A fly out ended the inning and the Exclusive suddenly had a golden chance to win the National Championship. Chelsea Alexander was intentionally walked and Abigail Johnson hit a knuckler to short that was bobbled and the play at the plate was late and Exclusive had escaped with a dramatic win.

But Head Coach Donnie Hughes said he never doubted even when the Sting roared back from five down to tie it.

“These kids work so hard all year, including the off season,” he said after the game, “We knew we’d have an opportunity to win and I trust our pitching and our hitters. And that’s what happened. It feels so good for these girls, they deserve it.”

Semi’s:

• San Jose Sting-Perales 3, Texas Glory-Naudin 2
  
• Okla Exclusive-Hughes 5, Impact Gold-Jackson 4

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18U Platinum (all games at Golden Eagle Complex)

*** CHAMPIONSHIP: #64 NW Bullets 18, #17 Texas Bombers 9

Game Recap:

Neither team was favored to make the championship game at the 18U division of the TC/USA Nationals if you went by rankings, but both played well enough all week to win a title.

But Scott Smith of the Texas Bombers warned earlier in the day that his team was spent, especially after winning four games on Thursday and two on Friday and it showed as his team jumped out to a first inning 2-0 lead on a two-run double by Rylee Rodriguez and a 4-2 lead in the fourth.

But the depleted pitching fell victim to the strong bats of the NW Bullets, which exploded for 10 runs in the third inning and six in the fourth to jump out to an 18-4 lead enroute to an 18-9 exclamation point victory.

Bullets head coach Tony Campos was excited before the game about his team’s playing well on all cylinders and though the pitching game gave up an uncharacteristic number of runs, the three pitchers could coast knowing that the offense was on fire.

Twelve Bullets hitters had at least one hit–that’s 12!–and nine had at least one RBI.  Pacing the offensive onslaught was Cal-bound 2016 infielder Bradie Fillmore who went 3-for-4 with 3 runs knocked in.

“I couldn’t be more proud of this team,” Coach Campos said. “We were balanced all week and every aspect of our game–pitching, hitting, defense–was on.  When one area would be down, an other one would pick us up. Winning a National Championship is something we’ll remember the rest of our lives.”

Semi’s

• NW Bullets 7, Mustangs 0 (forfeit)
• TX Bombers 2, EC Bullets 0
  

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