Roanoke’s Virginia Extreme Force 14U girls’ fastpitch softball team traveled to Williamsburg to participate in the 9th annual Busch Gardens Williamsburg Classic.  This is one of Virginia’s largest fastpitch events with over 90 teams from Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York.

The Force began pool play with the Post 290 Bombers from Fredericksburg, VA.  The Force scored quickly with Madison Via starting things off with a single.  Haley Green then reached on an error.  Morgan Decker and Bailey Grubb then had back to back RBI singles resulting in 4 quick runs for the Extreme.  The Force would then plate 4 additional runs in the 4th inning with hits from Bailey Grubb and Morgan Decker along with some help from errors by the Bomber defense.  Morgan Decker would get the win for the Extreme in the circle shutting out the Bombers 8 – 0 allowing only 1 hit and striking out 6.

The Force would then battle the Chesterfield Impulse ending in a 1 – 1 tie.  The Force’s only run of the game would come in the first inning when Morgan Decker reached base on a double.  Decker was then driven in by Bailey Grubb who reached base on an error by the Impulse first baseman.  The Impulse would scratch the tying run in the 4th on a single followed by a triple.  Bailey Grubb and Morgan Decker would team up in the circle allowing 1 run off of three hits while striking out 4.  The Force defense benefited from some great plays from 2nd baseman Morgan Stanley, right fielder Alaina Crockett as well as the catcher-shortstop connection of Amber Smith and Laura Leonard.  The tie would be good enough to allow the Extreme to hold on to the #1 seed moving into bracket play.

The Force would move on to face the Southampton Storm in the 1st round of bracket play.  The Force offense struggled going into the 4th inning down 1 – 0.  Raegan Parks would reach on a single and would then be driven in by Amber Smith on a deep sacrifice fly to left field to even the score at 1 – 1.  The Storm would then pick up another run in the top of the 5th off of a Force fielding error.  Going into the bottom of the 5th, the Force was down 2 – 1.  Haley Green would reach base on a walk and would then be moved over to 3rd when Morgan Decker doubled off of the center field fence.  Bailey Grubb would then pick up an RBI single to score Green to tie the game.  The Storm then made the decision to intentionally walk the Force #5 batter Raegan Parks.  Parks patiently watched two pitch outs go past.  On the third, the Storm pitcher mistakenly allowed the ball to get too close to the plate and Parks drove the ball down the left field line to score the winning run.  Morgan Decker would pick up the 3 – 2 win in the circle teaming up with Cassi Parulis allowing 2 runs on 2 hits while striking out 6.

The Force would advance to the tournament semi-final to face the powerful Tidewater Lady Tides.  This game would turn out to be a defensive battle between two great defensive teams.  Force pitcher Morgan Decker would face 31 batters allowing 7 hits and striking out 2 during the epic battle.  The Force defense would record 22 puts outs to shut down the Tides forcing an international tie breaker(ITB) at the end of regulation.  The Tides would score first in the top of the 8th going up 1 – 0.  Michelle Kembel would then reach base on an error by the Tides 2nd baseman while laying down a perfect bunt.  Raegan Parks would then walk to load the bases with 2 outs.  Madison Via then scored on a wild pitch to even the game at 1 – 1.  Cassi Parulis would then drive a shot up the middle to score Haley Green for the go ahead run and the win.

The Extreme would face off against the Delaware Dynamite in the tournament championship.  The Dynamite and the Force would trade jabs in the 1st inning with the Force picking up runs off of hits from slapper Madison Via and Raegan Parks.  The Dynamite would even the Force effort and add 2 to take a 4 – 2 lead after one.  A combination of great pitching from Cassi Parulis and solid defense by the Extreme would result in a scoreless 2nd and 3rd inning.  In the top of the 4th, the Extreme would begin their epic comeback.  With 2 outs, Cassi Parulis would start things off with a single followed by another single by Laura Leonard.  Patience by the Force batters would then result in the Dynamite pitchers putting three runners on base with back to back walks or hit batters.  Haley Green and Morgan Decker would then each single to drive in 2 runs to tie the game.  Bailey Grubb would then drive in 2 more runs with a 2 RBI single to the gap in right center.  Raegan Parks would then add another RBI single to bring the final run total to 7 for the inning for the Extreme……with 2 outs.  The Dynamite would scratch 2 more runs in the 4th and 5th as would the Force bringing the final total to 11 – 6 with the Force on top.  Cassi Parulis would pick up the win in the circle allowing 2 runs on 2 hits while striking out 3.

This was the first-year 14U Extreme Force’s 5th championship appearance of the season and 2nd tournament championship.  The young Force team is comprised of rising 7th, 8th and 9th graders from Northside, Glenvar, Cave Spring and Lord Botetourt.