For the third straight major national event, #5 Hotshots Premier-Nelson got knocked into the loser’s bracket and came all the way back to win the title. This time it was the USA Softball 16U GOLD Nationals championship on Saturday afternoon at Broken Arrow, OK.
Lone Star State-rival Texas Bombers Gold-Smith/Burgess handed the Hotshots a 6-5 loss in the third round of the winner’s bracket on Thursday. The Hotshots had to win seven straight games, including an 8-5 win over #7 Bombers-Smith/Burgess in the semifinals on Saturday morning, then they had to beat #41 California Breeze-Birch twice, 5-2 and 9-1, in the finals to win the title.
“Although we were disappointed after losing to a very good Bomber’s team, we found ourselves in a familiar position,” said UCLA-committed 2022 lead-off hitter Kennedy Powell, who went 3 for 10 with three runs scored, three stolen bases and two RBIs in Saturday’s three games. “We told ourselves ‘We’ve done this before and we can do it again.’ Especially, since we’ve come out of the loser’s bracket in the two other national events that we’ve won this year. We’ve also been playing for 10 days straight, so we’ve figured some things out and got into a groove. Coach has put us through some hard practices and I think that was one reason that we could fight through nine games. The hard work and mental toughness we’ve developed paid off for us.”
Uncommitted 2023 Kasidi Pickering started in the first game against the Breeze, allowing three hits, one earned run and striking out six in four innings to pick up the win. She also went 1 for 3 with a stolen base and two runs scored at the plate.
“When getting put in the loser’s bracket, we knew it would be hard, but not harder than practice,” Pickering said. “We live for the moments like these and prepared for them. There’s no other team who could have done what we did besides our team. Going on with our third national title this summer and eighth for Kennedy Powell, Cecilia Vasquez and myself with this team.”
Uncommitted 2023 P/1B Ava Brown hit a grand slam in the semifinals against the Bombers, she went 2 for 2 with an RBI and pitched three scoreless innings of relief to get the save in the first game vs. the Breeze and she hit a solo homer and got the complete game win in the second game vs. the Breeze.
“Getting into the losers bracket early in a tournament is never ideal for a team,” Brown said. “But if any team can do it and has proven that you can come out of it, it’s us. That’s the great thing about this team and these girls, we will never back down from a challenge. After losing a game to a very tough opponent, we were faced with seven games to get us back where we wanted to be, the championship stage. It took everything we had to push through a total of nine seven-inning (give or take) games to win the title. And we showed everyone watching that no matter the circumstances, or the number of games you have to play, with this team and these girls everything is possible.”
Uncommitted 2023 UT Maddie McKee went 3 for 5 with two doubles, a run scored and four RBIs in the two games against the Breeze in the finals.
“It was hard but we all knew we could do it,” McKee said. “We played nine games in two days and it took all of us coming together and playing for each other not ourselves. Coach Nathan (Nelson’s) practices are long and hard, so that got us ready for weeks like this!”
The Hotshots won the Top Club National title at the end of June, the Triple Crown Southwest Nationals last weekend and the 16U GOLD Nationals this week. Each time they came out of the loser’s bracket to win.
“The Hotshots are known for fighting back from adversity,” said Dee McClarity, who had a two-run single during a four-run rally in the bottom of the fifth in the first game against the Breeze.
“We played 25 games in 10 days after winning the Southwest National from the loser’s bracket. We knew that we could bounce back and play some quality ball with our backs against the wall. There is something special about this team and the way we fight for each other. We were built to win championships. Our team motto for this season is #RiseOfAChampion!”
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