Throwback Thursday: We Look Back at the 2021 PGF National Championship Games in 18U and 16U That Were Both One-Run Thrillers

As we approach Saturday’s 18U and 16U PGF National Championship games, it’s time to get fired up by looking backwards at the two outstanding games in 2021 that were as close as they could be with both being decided by a run and one going into extra innings.

Below are the stories that we published last year right after the title matches… and there are some names you’ll certainly recognize today!

Before that, though, let’s watch this video produced by PGF that will surely get you fired up for this year’s finales which will be Saturday, July 30 at 9 am PST on Fox Sports West (tape delayed) for the 16U Championship and 1 pm PST live on ESPNU for the 18U Championship…

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PGF Nationals 18U Championship: Battle Between Nebraska Gold & Lady Dukes Comes Down to 9th Inning Walkoff

Originally posted July 21, 2021 on Extra Inning Softball

Coming into Saturday morning’s 18U Premier Championship game between Lady Dukes – Lamar and Nebraska Gold 18U National, it was pretty clear that runs would be at a premium.

Between Nebraska Gold’s Jordyn Bahl, an Oklahoma signee and Lady Dukes’ Keagan Rothrock, a Florida commit – the first of two National Championship games on Saturday at PGF Nationals would be a pitcher’s duel in every sense of the letter.

But nobody at Deanna Manning Stadium was expecting the wild ride that pitcher’s duel turned into in the late innings, leading to Nebraska Gold’s capture of the 18U Premier National Championship, 2-1, in nine frames.

“I’m just amazed and so proud with our team,” Bahl said. “All the energy and passion we had started when we lost to the Dukes in the winner’s bracket [on Thursday] and at that point, our backs were against the wall and that’s when we’re at our best.”

For six innings, it looked like it would be the Lady Dukes who would be celebrating a national title, thanks to some heroics in the fifth inning.

Rothrock singled through the 5-6 hole to set it up, then courtesy runner Anna Sawyer stole second after the throw down was dropped. Kyye Ricks dropped down a perfect bunt to third and reached safely to send Sawyer to third. Ricks went to second on defensive indifference during Jolie Adams’ at-bat.

Adams squared around to bunt and on a 3-1 count, dropped a bunt to third on a squeeze play as Sawyer slid into home and made it 1-0.

Rothrock did what she needed to do in the late innings and got a huge double play from her defense in the home fifth to keep Nebraska Gold from responding.

Ava Kuszak singled with one away, which would be erased on a bunt popup to third, just three pitches later. Duke commit Ana Gold caught the popup and doubled Kuszak off at first to keep the Lady Dukes in front.

On the other side, in front of future head coach Patty Gasso, Bahl kept throwing another great gem, striking out 15 in the first seven innings, allowing just a hit and a walk and the earned run.

“It’s awesome having her here,” Bahl said.

But the future OU Sooner needed some help.

It came in the bottom of the seventh.

South Dakota State commit Kaelan Schultz smacked a softball deep to left to lead off the frame.

“I thought it had a chance [to go],” Singleton smiled.

Instead, it bounced off the left field wall and Schultz found herself standing on second base. Ava Rongisch singled to put runners on the corner, then Kuszak laced a softball to center field, sending Schultz racing home to tie the game.

To extras we went.

Bahl’s 17th strikeout sent the Lady Dukes packing in the eighth. Bahl’s 20th strikeout sent the Lady Dukes packing in the ninth, erasing the lone error of the game that put runners on the corners with one down.

“My mindset was that I was going to spin the ball the best I could, I wasn’t going to give them anything easy, was going to make them earn it,” she said.

Ole Miss signee Lexie Brady stood on second to begin the home ninth. Rothrock got Schultz to look at a called third strike for the first out. Next at-bat, the Florida commit worked quickly, getting Rongisch to an 0-2 count on two foul balls.

In protect mode, the South Dakota commit swung at a pitch high and away from Rothrock. The softball dumped into fair territory in right. Brady – one of just two non-Nebraska players on the roster – barreled around third and scored standing up.

Rongisch was quickly embraced and pushed to the bottom of the dogpile.

“I did think it was going to happen,” she laughed. “I’ve always dreamt of it happening.”

Nebraska Gold had walked it off.

An absolutely surreal moment for Rongisch, who recently had a grandmother pass away, laying her to rest last week.

“Last week, we had her funeral and I knew this week was going to be tough,” the rising senior said. “I wanted to win a national championship and I knew she was with me every step of the way and that she was going to be there for me.”

2021 was a remarkable year for Nebraska Gold’s highest team, which went 84-9-1 dating back to March. Six of those games were against Lady Dukes – Lamar, ending in a 3-3 split.

“We knew it was going to be a dogfight…always super low scoring and we knew it was going to come down to a few things,” Bahl said.

But Gold had won the most important one.

“This is what it should be. That’s a great ballclub over there and it’s been a close game every time,” Singleton said. “We knew we were going to have to fight. It was good to match up with them, but I’m glad we got this one.”

— Will Turner, Extra Inning Softball Correspondent

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PGF Nationals 16U Championship: Hotshots Premier-Nelson Battles Through Adversity to Capture Title in Thrilling 3-2 Comeback Win

Originally posted Aug. 1, 2021 on Extra Inning Softball

It’s one thing to become a national champion.

It’s another to be an undefeated national champion.

“Ain’t nobody could touch us,” center fielder Kasidi Pickering said.

It was true. Nobody could touch Hotshots Premier – Nelson, as they marched themselves to a perfect week at PGF Nationals on the way to the 16U Premier National Championship, walking off Tennessee Mojo – Fisher, 3-2, on Saturday afternoon at Deanna Manning Stadium.

“This group and the adversity they’ve faced to even be here and then to finish it off with a national title – this one’s special,” Hotshots head coach Nathan Nelson said.

That adversity included multiple broken arms – that of left-handed pitcher Madison Azua and outfield/infielder Maddox McKee (in bracket play, no less) – and the uncertainty of how things would look coming after the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We didn’t know what to expect,” Nelson added.

Nelson and the rest of his Hotshots team didn’t know what to expect coming into the week, either, since right-hander Ava Brown was dealing with a partial tear in her MCL.

“She called Wednesday before we left and she said, ‘Coach, I can go,’” Nelson said. “We got her cleared, got the MRI report back and that started the positive run that we’ve had.”

Brown came in and pitched the back four innings against Mojo – Fisher on Thursday night in a 3-1 win at the end of winner’s bracket play, and she was absolutely instrumental in the Hotshots run to a national championship on Saturday.

“I knew what was on the line and knew that I was never going to forgive myself if I was let to back down mentally,” Brown said. “I knew I had to power through those things because my team needed me. I feel like as big of a role as I play, even if I was 70 percent, 70 percent was better than nothing.”

She worked around two-out base knocks in the first and second to work a scoreless duel with South Carolina commit Kierston Deal through the first four innings.

Eerily familiar to Thursday night’s Bracket B final at Fountain Valley Sports Park, where Hotshots and Mojo were scoreless through seven and needed an ITB to create any separation.

“Yeah, I started to get that feeling in my gut that we were going to go another eight innings in a 0-0 ballgame,” Nelson said.

Good thing Brown left the yard to lead off the home fifth on a 2-2 count to make it a 1-0 game.

“When the ball left Ava’s bat, I felt we had an edge,” Nelson continued.

The slim edge lasted no more than a half inning.

Sylvia Burroughs led off the top sixth with a single for Mojo – Fisher, then KK Mathis sent a bomb to deep center field, two at-bats later, turning a one-run Mojo deficit into a one-run Mojo lead.

“Fell behind to a very good hitter in the Mathis kid,” said Nelson. “We knew that was coming. Can’t fall behind to these hitters like that, they’re too good.

Brown got Jayden Gailey to strike out, then Reese Hunter to pop out to end the inning, minimizing the damage to two, which kept the door open.

All Pickering needed was to reach on an error with one away in the sixth, getting to second on the same play.

Victoria Valdez, a Texas Tech commit, needed just one pitch – a changing changeup from Deal – to double to left center, scoring Pickering. The game was tied again, this time at two, and the Hotshots squad had crafted a vital response to Mathis’ homer.

“She’s our team, man,” Pickering said. “If she’s on, we’re on.”

Brown worked around a leadoff error and struck out Brionna Condon to give her side a chance to end it in seven.

That’s what they did. Brown reached on an error made by Condon at short, then Allie Thompson hit into a fielder’s choice, which Mojo could only get one out of. Kennedy Powell smacked a ground ball to first and reached on an error, then Isa Torres walked to load the bases.

It was down to Pickering, who stepped in at 0-for-3 to that point.

She needed one pitch to bloop over the second baseman’s head, sending Thompson home and sending the Hotshots into a frenzy as 16U Premier National Champions.

“We had two outs and the bases loaded, that was our shot,” Pickering said. “I just went up there swinging and prayed it went our way. It was dropping all the way.”

“Clutch. She’s got ice in her veins,” said Nelson of the walk-off hero. “She’s one of the top recruited players 2023s in the country for a reason. Kid has ice in her veins. And she does all the right things right, off the field, on the field, she’s a leader.”

Brown, partially torn MCL and all, struck out eight and worked around four hits, two earned runs and a walk on 101 pitches, 71 of them strikes.

“She gave us a chance,” Nelson said of Brown. “Ava’s heart is tremendous. To take that phone call on Wednesday and hear, ‘Hey, I got this, I’m going to put the team on my back’ is special. She was probably 70 percent today, if 70 percent all week. And to have her run out there and gut that out and have the performance she did…that’s a champion.”

Another incredible performance from a group of champions this past week from a team that continued to impress and seemingly put together those types of consistent, remarkable efforts day after day at PGF Nationals.

“After Game 1, we fell behind late in the game, 4-3, and I heard one of them say, ‘we’re not losing, refuse to lose.’ Whenever I heard that, I knew it would be a great week for us.

“They live with the motto of ‘I can, I will, I must,’ and I couldn’t be more proud of them,” Nelson added.”

— Will Turner, Extra Inning Softball