RANKINGS
EVENTS
I COMMITTED
COLLEGE
ABOUT
Get on board with Extra Inning Softball’s regular feature, The Last Inning.
We are scouring the Internet and Social Media and keeping our ears to the street for the latest going on in the softball community.
To contribute information, insights, thoughts or content ideas, email us at [email protected]. You can also send items/story ideas to Carlos Arias via email at [email protected] or via Twitter @Los_Stuff.
Here’s our TLI for Monday, July 20, 2020 …
****
Tampa Mustangs-TJ, #4 in the Extra Elite Eighty 18U Club Rankings, avenged its loss to #14 PA Chaos Gold-Spina with a convincing 9-0 victory in the 18U Elite Division championship game of the Triple Crown Southeast Nationals on Sunday at Fowler Park in Cumming, GA.
PA Chaos knocked the Mustangs into the loser’s bracket with a 1-0 victory in the third round of the winner’s bracket on Saturday afternoon. Auburn-bound Madison Penta, #3 in 2020 the Extra Elite 100, tossed a three-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts in six innings for PA Chaos in that game.
The Mustangs had to win five games in the loser’s bracket to earn the rematch against PA Chaos and this time they jumped on Penta for six hits and scored nine runs in the top of the second to put the game out of reach.
Florida-bound Avery Goelz had a three-run triple, Duke-bound Claire Davidson had an RBI double, Florida-bound Kali Reis had an RBI single and South Florida-bound Ryley Topliff had a two-run double to highlight Tampa’s nine-run outburst that chased Penta from the game.
Davidson allowed one hit and struck out three in three innings to record the run-rule victory for the Mustangs.
The Mustangs beat #21 EC Bullets Gold-Schnute, 9-0, #6 Birmingham Thunderbolts Premier, 2-1, and #37 Tennessee Mojo-Lewis, 11-1, during their run to the title.
“That is our third tournament championship in three tries this summer,” Mustangs coach TJ Goelz said, “and we are now 34-2, including the Florida collegiate league games we played.”
*****
IN OTHER TRIPLE CROWN SOUTHEAST NATIONALS CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES:
Atlanta Premier Gold-Locke 2, Tennessee Mojo 2023-Danley 0: Emma Davis, Jordyn Green and Kailyn Jones delivered back-to-back-to-back RBI singles to give Atlanta Premier Gold, #25 in the Extra Elite Eighty 16U Club Rankings, a 9-8 walk-off win in the bottom of the ninth over Tennessee Mojo, #5 in the Extra Elite Eighty 14U Club Rankings, in the semifinals of the 16U Elite Division.
“In 2019, we finished runner-up in the TCS National Championship,” AP Gold coach Steven Locke said. “We played the longest game in TCS history at 3 hours and 2 minutes in the semifinal game. This year, we played an epic semifinal game that lasted 3 hours.”
Tennessee Mojo knocked off Firecrackers GA-Sims, 9-1. in the loser’s bracket semifinals to earn a rematch against AP Gold. Brooke McCubbin pitched a shutout to lift AP Gold to victory in the 16U Elite Division championship game.
“This week was a true team effort,” Locke said. “We did not have our big power pitcher all week and we didn’t have our clean-up hitter in our Saturday bracket games due to her taking the ACT. The team pulled together and won some tough games when things were not really going our way.
“(2022) Marisa Miller ignited our offense the first day of pool play by hitting for the cycle … in home runs. I’ve never seen anything like it. It was like I was watching a video game. Every player had big plays or hits throughout the tournament to get us to the championship game.
“The semifinal game was nerve racking. It went into two ITB innings where we had to score three in the last one to win. And that we did. (2022) Emma Davis, (2021) Sadye Johnson and (2021) Jordyn Green set the stage for a walk-off shot to the fence from (Virginia-commit) Kailyn Jones. (2022) Jamison Brockenbrough, (North Georgia-commit) Kendall Huelsman and (Middle Tennessee State-commit) Anyce Harvey all got it done the previous inning in the first ITB. (Georgia Southern-commit) Reign Williams, (Georgia Southern-commit) Emma Strickland and (Mississippi State-commit) Nadia Barbary had huge hits throughout the week in clutch situations to help advance our team to the finals.
“Kudos goes out to all our pitchers. It was hot and we had two of our regulars — (2021) Sarah Currie and (Georgia Tech-commit Sophia Voyles — carrying the load with the starts every other game. (Western Carolina-commit) Tessa Jeutt helped clean up the games and hold these great offensive teams in place every time we needed it. (Clemson-commit) Brooke McCubbin was not available to pitch due to a sore back. However, she was able to go out in the championship game and get it done for her team when they needed her.
“I can’t say in words how proud of these girls I am. It is such a pleasure to watch them play and compete at the highest level. Their futures are bright and our coaches are fortunate to be able to love them a little bit through these younger years before they go out and try to impact this world in a positive way. Go Gold!”
*** Scroll down to read more…