When it comes to club softball, you can’t spell “amazing” without the A’s… the So Cal A’s, that is.

For the fourth time in four year, the So Cal Athletics out of Upland, Calif. won the PGF 18U Premier National Championship as the Bruce Richardson-led team topped Team Mizuno-Stith 3-2 before a packed crowd Saturday at Bill Barber Stadium in Irvine, Calif.

The game featured two of club fastpitch’s best pitchers—Delanie Gourley of the A’s (Florida, 2013) and Kaylee Carlson (North Carolina, 2014)—but both threw a lot of innings over the week, especially Carlson who pitched 26 innings alone Friday.

“I think fatigue did have something to do with it,” said Richardson immediately after the game, “but you have to give that team credit.  They are aggressive and can hit.  You have to look at the team you’re playing and that was a big factor.”

Both starters were not as dominant as they had been—both gave up home runs, for example—and Carlson was only able to go five innings before being pulled.

Still, the A’s pitcher, who went 6-0 this week with a 0.98 ERA and 69 strikeouts I 43 innings, says she never was concerned.

“I had a few bumps,” said Gourley, including two walks in the fifth, “but I never was worried.  I always know this team has my back.

Team Mizuno jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first as Amanda Lorenz (Florida, 2015) singled to left and stole second before a two-out single over second base by Alyssa Palomino (Arizona, 2015) knocked in the game’s first run.

Mizuno had a chance to open up a bigger lead two innings later when Lorenz reached on an error and Justine McLean (Florida, 2013) followed with a slap single that put runners on first and second with two outs.

Shortstop Delaney Spaulding (UCLA, 2013) hit a fading shot to right center that was snow-coned off the grass by A’s centerfielder Megan Geer (Tennessee, 2013) to end the threat.

The A’s first scoring threat came in the bottom of the third.  With one out, Brooke Marquez (Northwestern, 2014) recorded an infield single on a deep bouncer to shortstop that the infielder beat out.  A Geer single to right put runners on first and third, but Carlson was able to get catcher Carlee Wallace (ASU, 2014) to ground out to third.

Mizuno threatened in the top of the fourth when Morganne Flores (Washington, 2015) doubled to left center, but Gourley was able to record a strikeout to get out of the inning.

They could have used the extra runs, as the A’s finally broke through in the bottom of the fourth.

Kaylea Snaer (South Carolina, 2013) led off with a walk and within seconds came around to score on a mammoth two-run home run by Faith Canfield (Michigan, 2015) that easily cleared the left field wall.

After allowing a single to Mo Mercado (Arizona, 2013), Carlson’s day was done and Team Mizuno brought in Andie Forby (Virginia, 2014) to take over pitching duties. Forby was able to induce a double play and end the inning with the A’s up 2-1.

Gourley gave up the two walks in the top of the fifth, but was able to escape unscathed when Taylor Lockwood (LSU, 2014) was thrown out trying to steal second because of a perfect throw by A’s catcher Wallace.

The A’s used the long ball again to tack on another run as Marquez hit a shot over the left field wall that was as long and high as Canfield’s blast the previous inning.

With the score 3-1, the A’s could have added another run when Wallace doubled with two outs, but Spaulding, as she has done all week, put out the fire with a diving catch to her left that kept Team Mizuno within two.

That play loomed big when Spaulding showed why she is not only a defensive wiz, but an offensive threat when she went the opposite way on a Gourley pitch and knocked it over the right field wall to cut the lead to 3-2 in the top of the sixth.  That gave her five home runs and 17 RBI in 13 games in the tournament.

In the top of the seventh, Gourley allowed a single to Lorenz, but was able to get a groundout to short to end the game and add a four-peat to the A’s resumes.

And so dominant is the program right now, earlier in the day the So Cal A’s 12U team won the PGF National Championship as pitcher Payton Tidd allowed only one hit in the 9-0 win over the Arizona Suncats.

Naturally, the word “dynasty” was brought up and Richardson laughed when it was mentioned the A’s are becoming the Lakers and Yankees of club ball.

“I don’t know about that,” he said as the team was waiting to receive its trophy.  “We have a long ways to go, but it is surreal.  It still hasn’t sunk in we got the third (championship) last year and now it’s four.  It’s great for our seniors, we have players like Megan Geer and Mo Mercado who have been with us and won all four titles so I’m happy for them. I guess all we can do is go out and try to get it done again next year.”

Click here to see the boxscore…

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Team Mizuno-Stith (title game batting order)
18 Amanda Lorenz (Florida, 2015)
19 Justine McLean (Florida, 2013)
99 Delaney Spaulding (UCLA, 2013)
32 Alyssa Palomino (Arizona, 2015
5 Janell Wheaton (Florida, 2013)
47 Morganne Flores (Washington, 2015)
13 Sashel Palacios (ASU, 2013)
1 Hannah Flippen (Utah, 2013)
9 Taylor Lockwood (LSU, 2014)
Flex 16 Kaylee Carlson (North Carolina, 2014)

So Cal Athletics (title game batting order)
4 Brooke Vines (Stanford, 2015)
23 Megan Geer (Tennessee, 2013)
00 Carlee Wallace (ASU, 2014)
12 Kaylea Snaer (South Carolina, 2013)
22 Faith Canfield (Michigan, 2015)
11 Mo Mercado (Arizona, 2013)
6 Kolby Romaine (Missouri, 2015)
15 Taylor Koenig (Tennessee, 2013)
7 Brooke Marquez (Northwestern, 2014)
13 Delanie Gourley (Florida, 2013)