It’s very, very hard to win a club nationals when you lose the first bracket game and then have to play a bazillion games in the Loser’s Bracket (OK, maybe not a bazillion, but it’s probably closer to a million).
It can be done: for example, we saw last year the OC Batbusters – Stith team run the gauntlet and win five emotionally exhausting games in the second-to-last day of 18U Premier although they fell in the title game to the Georgia Impact-Lewis team 6-4.
First glance at the blind draw of both 18U and 16U, conducted Friday evening at the Coaches Dinner in Anaheim, told us right away that some good teams would fall only because the initial bracket games were very competitive.
And that’s what happened… here are some games where well-respected teams well in the first round:
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Texas Bombers 2, Jersey Intensity 1
In the first game of the day in the 18U age division, the Jersey Intensity – KOD fell 2-1 to the Texas Bombers after leading 1-0 most of the game (from the third inning to the bottom of the sixth) when three singles and an error made the difference.
Pitcher Jessica Mullins (2020, Texas State) got the win, scattering three hits and just one earned run. Alana Vawter (2019, Stanford) suffered the tough-luck loss, allowing four hits and two runs.
Birmingham Thunderbolts 4, Jacksonville Storm 0
In a battle of two strong teams from the South, the Bolts looked strong behind the offense of Hannah Borden (2019, Southern Mississippi) who went 2-for-3 with a home run and the outstanding pitching of Shelby Lowe (2020, Auburn) who gave up just two hits in six innings while striking out four.
PA Chaos 8, Explosion – Jackson 0
If there’s one team to watch out for this PGF Nationals at 18U, it’s the PA Chaos behind perhaps the hottest pitcher in the age group, Maddie Penta (2020, Auburn) who once again looked great in the opening game victory as she went three innings with no hits allowed and had eight strikeouts.