The 12-and-under Pride of Morgan Hill travel softball team completed the final task in its four-year goal, clinching a United States Specialty Sports Association World Series championship in Independence, MO. on Saturday.
Morgan Hill finished the 55-team, 11-state tournament unscathed at 8-0-1, allowing 16 opponents’ runs while scoring 41 of its own in the nine games.
After winning the championship game, Morgan Hill’s Madison Gallagher was named the tournament’s Outstanding Pitcher and catcher Allyson Nodohara took home the tournament’s Most Valuable Player award.
Though Morgan Hill came out on top, it wasn’t an easy tournament for Pride, which had an average margin of victory of just two runs, and the only time the team didn’t win was the tournament’s first game. After the Pride started the tournament with a 2-2 tie to St. Louis Diamond Cats, Morgan Hill finished with an eight-game winning streak to take the national crown.
Following pool-play victories over Eich’s PAC Purple Twister (2-1), DC Attack Burton (3-2) and Sparx (11-1), Morgan Hill entered bracket play Friday against SEP Sting from Iowa.
With Gallagher in the circle, Morgan Hill rolled. The Pride pitcher threw all six innings – allowing only two runs – and struck out six. She also contributed at the plate by going 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs.
Skylar Millard, Sam Parish and Ianna Schlaesli each added two hits in the win.
In the game, the Sting took an early 2-0 lead before Morgan Hill erupted for three runs in the third inning.
In Morgan Hill’s second game Friday, the Pride defeated Kansas’ After Shock 7-3 in extra innings.
After regulation, the game remained tied 3-3, but Morgan Hill erupted for four runs in the top of the seventh inning. In international softball rules – which the tournament was played with – Morgan Hill started the extra frame with a runner already on second base.
The extra baserunner helped Morgan Hill, as that runner, McKenzie Turnipseed, stole third base and scored on a single by Nodohara. Hits by Parish, Gallagher and Vanessa Ramos added three more runs for Morgan Hill.
Gallagher started in the circle, again, for the Pride.
What followed was Morgan Hill’s closest game. Against the Wichita Mustangs, Morgan Hill escaped with a 1-0 victory.
The Pride scored the only run in the second inning on a RBI-single by Ramos that knocked in Jordan Campbell from third base.
Gallagher threw all seven innings and struck out six batters in the win.
In the World Series’ semifinals on Saturday, the Pride stayed undefeated with a 4-2 victory over New Lenox Power out of Kansas City.
In that contest, Morgan Hill trailed 2-1 entering the sixth inning but rallied for three runs to take the lead and win.
Parish started the rally for Morgan Hill after she reached on an error. On the next pitch she stole second base and later scored on an RBI single by Mareila Mestaz.
Ramos added another RBI two batters later to give Morgan Hill the win and a berth in the championship game.
“It was an exciting game,” manager Gene Ciraulo said.
Keeping the game close, Ramos pitched well by allowing only six hits in seven innings.
In the championship, Morgan Hill never trailed, grabbing an early 3-1 lead and squeaking by in a 4-3 triumph over the Kansas-based Topeka Crushers.
Topeka scored two runs in the top of the seventh inning to even the game at 3-3 entering the final half inning. But Topeka was unable to keep Morgan Hill of the scoreboard.
With a lead-off single by Nodohara and a double by Gallagher, Ramos won the game for Morgan Hill with a line drive over the head of the Topeka right fielder.
“This team has been together for four years, and they’ve accomplished all of their goals,” Ciraulo said.
