2009 held in Sioux Falls, South Dakota at Sherman Park on July 30-August 2.
Champion – Northwest Blaze, Beaverton, Oregon (57-3)
Runner Up – Killer Bees, Tucson, Arizona (73-19)
There could not have been much more drama to the finale of the ASA 16-under girls fastpitch national softball championship at Sherman Park on Sunday.
In the second title game, the Northwest Blaze was down 4-2 in the bottom of the seventh and final inning.
With lightning flashing in the western sky, time was running out, but the Blaze had their big bats coming up against the Arizona Killer Bees, who had built a 4-0 lead after three innings.
As storm clouds rolled in, leadoff hitter Alyssa Gillespie and Tara Glover rapped out back-to-back singles, setting the stage for third place batter Kaitlin Inglesh, who won the first title game pitching relief and was working in relief once again.
On the second pitch, Inglesh launched a shot over the fence in right field for a three-run, walk-off homer and a 5-4 win, which set off a wild victory celebration by the Beavertown, Ore., squad.
“I just knew I needed to get a hit right then,” she said. “She (Bees pitcher Olivia Bergman, who delivered a yeoman’s work on the mound), was pitching me down the middle every time, so I figured after the first pitch, she would throw me another one and she did.”
At the moment Inglesh made contact, there was never a doubt it would leave the park.
The victory came in the 18th game of the tournament for the Blaze, who ended the season with a 57-3 record and a national championship in their sixth try.
The Killer Bees, from the Tucson area, ended 73-19 and nearly rallied to win the title in the first game.
The Bees tied that game at 4-4 with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh on RBI singles by Ashley Cruz and Darlene Valles.
But the never-say-die Blaze came up with the winning run in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI single by Krystin Jantzek with the bases loaded and no outs.
“Incredible. They were just unbelievable,” Blaze coach Chris Kelly said of his squad’s twin last-bat wins. ”
After we finished seventh in the nationals last year, these kids said they wanted another shot and this was the sixth time they’ve been to nationals, and they knew this was it. It was now or never.” After losing in the second championship bracket game earlier last week, the Blaze had no more room for error.
“We knew then it wouldn’t be easy,” Inglesh said, “but we also knew if anybody could do it, it would be us.” For Inglesh, it was her third strong pitching performance of the day.
“I wasn’t tired. I used my curve a lot. I just wanted to keep them guessing and get them to pop up,” she said. “I needed to show them I still had my best stuff.”
The Blaze had 11 hits in the final game and 10 in the first, while the Killer Bees had 10 in each outing. Catcher Elizabeth Brenner had a key two-run homer in the first game to give the Blaze a 4-1 lead before the Bees rallied late.
FINAL STANDINGS
1. Northwest Blaze, Beaverton, OR (14-1)
2. AZ Killer Bees, Tempe, AZ (7-2)
3. AZ Hot Shots Householder, Tempe, AZ (6-2)
4. Indiana Shockwaves 93, Frankfort, IN (6-2)
5t. Birmingham Vipers Hays, Morris, AL (5-2)
5t. So Cal Athletics, Fountain Valley, CA (7-2)
7t. Colorado Styxx, Lakewood, CO (5-2)
7t. Team Smith, LaVerne, CA (8-2)
9t. Firecrackers, Huntington Beach, CA (4-2)
9t. Hatters Gold, Deltona, FL (4-2)
9t. Orland Park Sparks, Orland Park, IL (4-2)
9t. Orlando No Fear Black, Orlando, FL (6-2)
13t. Midland Magic 92, Glen Carbon, IL (4-2)
13t. San Diego Renegades, San Diego, CA (4-2)
13t. Desert Thunder 93, Tucson, AZ (7-2)
13t. LA Patriots, Madera, CA (7-2)
17t. MN Irish Gold, Rosemount, MN (4-2)
17t. Georgia Impact Silver, Douglasville, GA (3-2)
17t. Texas Storm Demarini, Pearland, TX (3-2)
17t. Carolina Crush, Greenville, SC (3-2)
17t. Mobile Thrillers, Mobile, AL (5-2)
17t. Gold Coast Hurricanes, Plantation, FL (4-2)
17t. WJ Witches Black, Burlington, NJ (4-2)
17t. Corona Angels Howard, Riverside, CA (5-2)
25t. Beverly Bandits, Chicago, IL (4-2)
25t. Victory USA, Huntington Beach, CA (3-2)
25t. Southern Force, Johnston City, IL (3-2)
25t. Chi Town Express Silver, Indian Head, IL (4-2)
25t. Michigan Athletics, Kalamazoo, MI (4-2)
25t. Georgia Elite, Sharpsburg, GA (5-2)
25t. Texas Blaze Prinzo, Round Rock, TX (5-2)
25t. Oklahoma Diamond Girls, Tulsa, OK (6-2)
33t. Team Worth, Smyrna, TN (3-2)
33t. Gainesville Gold-Silverman, Gainesville, FL (3-2)
33t. MN Blizzard, Bloomington, MN (2-2)
33t. Huntsville Sparks 92, Decatur, AL (2-2)
33t. St. Louis Chaos, Wentzville, MO (2-2)
33t. Indiana Magic Gold, New Palestine, IN (2-2)
33t. MN Renegades, St. Louis Peak, MN (2-2)
33t. Shamrocks, Haymarket, VA (2-2)
33t. Orange County Batbusters, Claremont, CA (2-2)
33t. Huntsville Sparks 93, Toney, AL (2-2)
33t. Carolina Cardinals, Waxhaw, NC (3-2)
33t. Orriginals, Independence, MO (4-2)
33t. Windmills, Oak Park, IL (4-2)
33t. Frozen Ropes Fury, Omaha, NE (4-2)
33t. Atlanta Vipers Berry, Woodstock, GA (4-2)
33t. Fury Softball, Temecula, CA (4-2)
49t. Salt Lake Flames, Stansbury Park, UT (2-2)
49t. So Cal Hurricanes, Laguna Nigel, CA (2-2)
49t. Homer Hawks Black, Naperville, IL (2-2)
49t. Texas Glory Naudin, Princeton, TX (2-2)
49t. Tulsa Eagles, Claremore, OK (4-2)
49t. Oregon Shockwave, Gresham, OR (4-2)
49t. Indiana Gators, Camsy, IN (3-2)
49t. California Breeze, Lincoln, CA (3-2)
49t. East Cobb Bullets Fullem, Suwanee, GA (3-2)
49t. Irvine Sting, Irvine, CA (3-2)
49t. So Cal 3D, Lancaster, CA (3-2)
49t. Washington Sidewinders, Snohomish, WA (2-2)
49t. Texas Storm Elite, Houston, TX (2-2)
49t. Team Georgia, Duluth, GA (2-2)
49t. San Diego Mystic, San Diego, CA (3-2)
49t. Texas Bombers Black, New Braunfels, TX (3-2)
65t. Team Worth Cobras, Atlanta, GA (2-2)
65t. Midland Magic ’93, East Alton, IL (2-2)
65t. Germantown Red Devils, Arlington, TN (2-2)
65t. Texas Fusion, Irving, TX (2-2)
65t. Milan Aces, Milan, IL (2-2)
65t. Fusion, Sioux Falls, SD (2-2)
65t. Oklahoma Rebels, Broken Arrow, OK (1-2)
65t. Virginia Legends, Carrollton, VA (1-2)
65t. Texas Glory Foutch, Denton, TX (1-2)
65t. Lady Lasers Orange, Pride, LA (1-2)
65t. Neosho Flames, Neosho, MO (1-2)
65t. San Jose Sting, San Jose, CA (1-2)
65t. Absolute Blast, Bellevue, WA (1-2)
65t. Austin Stars, Austin, TX (1-2)
65t. MN Sting 93, North St. Paul, MN (1-2)
65t. American Pastime, Fontona, CA (1-2)
65t. Great Lakes Lightning, Coloma, MI (1-2)
65t. Utah Sting, Bountiful, UT (1-2)
65t. Louisville Lady Sluggers, Louisville, KY (2-2)
65t. Texas Travelers, Quitman, TX (3-2)
65t. Tulsa Elite Easton, Hominy, OK (3-2)
65t. San Jose Lady Sharks, San Jose, CA (2-2)
65t. Ohio Classics Black, Pickerington, OH (2-2)
65t. Nashville Nighthawks, Nashville, TN (2-2)
65t. Georgia Impact White, Findlay Macon, GA (1-2)
65t. Fury Fastpitch, Ooltewan, TN (2-2)
65t. West Windsor Wildcats, West Windsor, NJ (2-2)
65t. Sorcerer Castro, Valley, CA (1-2)
65t. Hit Away Thompson, Houston, TX (1-2)
65t. American Athletics, Mission Viejo, CA (1-2)
65t. Central Ohio, Nightmare Grove City, OH (2-2)
65t. Indiana Chaos, Frankfort, IN (2-2)
97t. Valley Extreme Blue, Poland, OH (2-2)
97t. Fresno Force, Clovis, CA (2-2)
97t. Wichita Mustangs, Wichita, KS (2-2)
97t. East Cobb Bullets Wells, Roswell, GA (1-2)
97t. MN Sting 92, Minnetonka, MN (1-2)
97t. Kansas Fury, Princeton, KS (1-2)
97t. Georgia Fire Black 92, Roswell, GA (1-2)
97t. Knoxville Fury, Knoxville, TN (1-2)
97t. CG Wizards, Greenwood, IN (1-2)
97t. East Cobb Bullets Schnute, Marietta, GA (1-2)
97t. Southern Illinois Attack, Columbia, IL (1-2)
97t. Kingsville Rage, Kingsville, TX (1-2)
97t. Sandhills Slammers, Columbia, SC (1-2)
97t. Lady Canes, Shelbyville, IL (1-2)
97t. Mize Diamonds, San Jose, CA (1-2)
97t. Houston Power, Katy, TX (1-2)
97t. Team Power Fleeman, Pleasant Hill, MO (1-2)
97t. Texas Glory Adkins, Flower Mound, TX (1-2)
97t. OC Wildcats 94 Dove Canyon, CA (1-2)
97t. Knoxville Thunder 93 Knoxville, TN (1-2)
97t. Miami Valley Xpress-Pearson Centerville, OH (0-2)
97th Lady Lasers Mojo/White Parma Heights, OH (0-2)
97th California Velocity San Luis Obispo, CA (0-2)
97th Illinois Outlaws Schererville, IL (0-2)
97th KC Lookouts Gold Kearny, MO (0-2)
97th Tampa Mustangs Blue Dade City, FL (0-2)
97th AXA Force Springfield, IL (0-2)
97th Washington Explosion Lake Stevens, WA (0-2)
97th Sioux City Stangs, Sioux City, IA (0-2)
97th Colorado Comets, Arvada, CO (0-2)
97th Bayside Blues, Owings, MD (0-2)
97th Lady Lakers, Columbus, OH (0-2)
129th Team Nebraska, Omaha, NE (0-2)
129th So Cal Pumas, Newberry Park, CA (0-2)
129th WA Lake Breeze, Wenatchee, WA (0-2)
129th OK Elite Jones, Midwest City, OK (0-2)
129th Wisconsin Bandits Black, Horicon, WI (0-2)
129th Compuware, Trenton, MI (0-2)
129th Esprit, Eureka, MO (0-2)
129th Tulsa Shootout, Broken Arrow, OK (0-2)
129th Finesse, Clarkston, MI (0-2)
129th Arkansas Lightning Byrds, Russellville, AR (0-2)
129th Kenosha Cyclones, Pleasant Prairie, WI (0-2)
129th Southern Elite, Lawrenceville, GA (1-2)
129th Cincy Doom, Cincinnati, OH (0-2)
129th PC Pride Elite Blue, Canton, MI (0-2)
129th OFC Heat Orange, Franklin, OH (0-2)
129th High Sierra Diamonds 92, Reno, NV (0-2)
129th Idaho Golden Gloves, Boise, ID (0-2)
129th Georgia Impact, Gold Marietta, GA (0-2)
129th Oregon Silver Bullets, Portland, OR (0-2)
129th OC Dynasty, Anaheim, CA (0-2)
129th Cal Stars Coast, Santa Maria, CA (0-2)
129th MN Northern Xtreme, Elk River, MN (0-2)
129th Illinois Chill, Round Lake, IL (0-2)
129th MO Pride, Bevier, MO (0-2)
129th Xtreme, Greenbriar, AR (0-2)
129th Fusion Black, Sioux Falls, SD (0-2)
129th Brandon Valley Speed, Brandon, SD (0-2)
129th WI Lightning Black, Salem, WI (0-2)
129th Maryland Chill, Ellicott City, MD (0-2)
129th SD Flash, Sioux Falls, SD (0-2)
129th Homer Hawks Purple, Lockport, IL (0-2)
129th Roseville Heat Waltrip, Orangevale, CA (0-2)
129th Sizzle Red, Omaha, NE (0-2)
129th Fury TNT, Horsham, PA (0-2)
129th Roseville Heat-Grisler, Sacramento, CA (0-2)
129th California Grapettes, Stockton, CA (0-2)
