PGF 12U Premier National Championship: Bengals CKM – Caffrey vs. Arizona Storm – Kobasew

Second verse, same as the first.

Just as the PGF 10U Premier National Championship played earlier today was a five inning 8-0 run-rule win for the Thunderbolts 2030 team over SoCal Firebyrds, the middle contest of the three today—featuring the age divisions of 10U, 12U and 14U—finished the exact way as the first game as the Bengals CKM team blanked Arizona Storm – Kobasew 8-0 in five, scoring three runs in the bottom of the 5^th to end the game.

The two teams had different routes to make today’s final as the Bengals—advancing impressively through the winner’s bracket her at PGF this week–have dominated all summer and a win today would give them a tremendous 101 wins for the 2023 summer season.

The strong AZ Storm team, however, had to win two yesterday against the Beverly Bandits and did so to advance from the loser’s bracket so perhaps that longer schedule in the warm Southern California sun had an impact.

As for the game, the Bengals scored a run in the first and four more in the second to effectively put the game away early. The run-rule at PGF Nationals is eight after five innings and that’s exactly what happened today as the team from LaHabra, Calif. team put three more on the scoreboard in the bottom of the 5^th to win the team’s first National Championship.

The Bengals jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first as catcher Eliana Corona singled to right field with two outs, stole second and then came home on second baseman Kaylyn Yi flair hit over the shortstop to plate Corona and put the first run on the board.

The California squad—located only about a half hour from the Deanna Manning Stadium in Bill Parker Park, Irvine, Calif.—blew the game open in the bottom of the 2^nd inning left fielder left fielder bMakena Caffrey line a shot down the third base line that hit the bag and skilled into left field for a one-out single.

Shortstop Hazel Renteria hit a fielder’s choice in the infield but the throw to second base was late putting runners on first and second.

Leadoff centerfielder Erica Martin next singled to center but the runners advanced just one base, but it did load them for Bengals’ pitcher Emily Yoon who grounded out to shortstop but it allowed Caffrey to score making it 2-0 with two outs and runners at second and third.

Then came the play of the game: Corona smashed a two-run triple to the left field wall to make the lead 4-0 and force an AZ Storm pitching change.

Third baseman and clean-up hitter Guiles Vega hit a grounder to shortstop but was safe at first base, allowing Corona to score run No. 5 heading into the third inning.

When the Storm was on offense, they were kept off-balance by Yoon who would give up five hits in the five innings pitched, no runs and have four strikeouts against one walk.

The Storm did put runners on first and second base in the top of the 5^th as leadoff hitter and left fielder Milly Mendez singled in the infield and shortstop Koah Jones singled over second base, but Yoon was able to close the inning with a flyout to center.

Heading into the bottom of the 5^th the score was 5-0, giving the Bengals a comfortable lead, but they scored the three runs to end the game as a walk and an error put runners on first and second with one out when Jenell Monzon hit a grounder to shortstop, but the throw to third hit the runner and, suddenly, the based where loaded.

Outfielder Quinn Kearney was hit by a pitch to make the score 6-0 and a Makenna Caffrey single to left made the tally 7-0. Still with just the one out, the nine-hole hitter, Hazel Reteria singled to left and that did it: an 8-0 win by the Bengals.

After the game, pitcher Emily Yoon was mobbed on live TV during an interview and told Extra Inning Softball that she’s taking a trip with her family starting tomorrow to Korea and Japan.

Not much time for Coach Paul Caffrey to rest though: he’s an Athletic Director at a local school which starts its fall season on Monday.

And a touching moment too: after taking pictures in centerfield, the 12U team saw older players in the Bengals organization coming down the field to greet them and the newly crowned national champions sprinted over to their club peers to celebrate together.

— Brentt Eads, Extra Inning Softball

Here’s an interview we did with Coach Caffrey after the title game win along with his tremendous battery of catcher Eliana Corona and pitcher Emily Yoon: