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MCFADDEN GIVES BOMBERS 16U TFL TITLE IN DRAMATIC FASHION
Texas Bombers Gold-Smith/Burgess, #7 in the Extra Elite Eighty Club Rankings, has had a very successful summer season and the Bombers topped it off with a dramatic 9-7 victory over #12 Texas Glory Naudin in the 16U Lonestar finals at the Texas Fastpitch League Championships on Saturday at Russell Park in Plano, TX.
UT San Antonio-commit Olivia McFadden delivered a walk-off, three-run triple with two outs in the bottom of the seventh for the final blow that gave the Bombers the win.
“When I went up to bat, (all) I was thinking about (was) I needed to score these runs in to help my team,” McFadden said. “I went up there with a plan to hunt strikes and putting this barrel on the ball, then it happened!”
Louisiana Lafayette-commit Mihyia Davis and Abby Flores led off the bottom of the seventh with back-to-back singles and Leighann Goode sacrificed them over. With two outs, Katie Lott walked to load the bases. Coach James Burgess called on McFadden to pinch hit and she lined a triple down the right-field line to clear the bases and touch off the Bombers’ celebration.
“The finish was exceptional,” Bombers coach James Burgess said. “McFadden was actually a starter. I pulled her earlier in the game because I felt at the the time Ellington Whitaker was having better at-bats vs. Rylee Crandall. But at the end of the game I opted to put McFadden back in because she has so much big game experience. She’s played in two PGF national title games and has hit 22 home runs this season. Coach Rodney Williams and I just felt in that situation Livvy would have the answer.”
The Bombers had to win three games on Saturday morning, including two over #9 Texas Blaze United, 16-12 and 10-4, in the semifinals to reach the championship game.
The title game against Texas Glory Naudin, which beat the Bombers 12-4 on Friday, featured huge swings of momentum. McFadden had an RBI single and Davis had a two-run double during a five-run rally in the bottom of the second that gave the Bombers an early 5-0 lead.
It was a short-lived lead as Tia Warsop and Oklahoma State-commit Haidyn Sokoloski had RBI singles and Sydney Lewis had a two-run single during a five-run rally by Texas Glory in the top of the third to tie it, 5-5.
Lewis’s solo blast to center field gave Texas Glory a 6-5 lead in the top of the fifth.
Keyannah Chavez drove in Lott with a fielder’s choice in the bottom of the sixth to help the Bombers tie it, 6-6, but Texas Glory regained the lead on Sokoloski’s solo homer to center field in the top of the seventh. That set the stage for McFadden’s heroics in the bottom of the seventh.
McFadden went 2 for 3 with a triple, a run scored and four RBIs, Davis went 2 for 4 with a double, a run scored and two RBIs and Aiyana Coleman went 3 for 3 to lead the Bombers.
“This win was really big because it was our last tournament, last game and we wanted to win this championship,” McFadden said. “I’m glad I got the opportunity to help my team win a national title. This is a emotional moment I will never forget. I’m so proud of everyone on my team.”
Sokoloski went 2 for 3 with a homer, two runs scored and two RBIs and Lewis went 2 for 3 with a homer and three RBIs for Texas Glory.
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