OKLAHOMA CITY – The 2021 USA Softball All-American Games came to a close today as Region 10 Stars dominated through single-elimination bracket play with an undefeated 4-0 record while claiming a 2-0 shutout win over Region 5 Freedom in their final matchup of the weekend to earn the coveted All-American Games Championship title.
Region 10 Stars made their way to the Championship Game by scoring a total of 14 runs on 31 hits through single-elimination bracket play. The Stars came out swinging with 12 hits in their first game of the day, defeating Region 3 Stripes 4-1 before taking down Region 2 Stars 5-3 in their second contest. In the semi-final matchup, Region 10 Stars met Region 10 Freedom and came out on top with a 3-1 victory to send them to the Championship Game.
Meeting the Stars in the final game of the night was Region 5 Freedom who held an undefeated 3-0 record through bracket play. The Region 5 team outscored their opponents 22-3 throughout their first three games while limiting their opponents to seven hits compared to their impressive total of 35. Region 5 Stars started the day strong, scoring six runs in each of their first two games, defeating Region 1 Freedom 6-1 and Region 3 Stars 6-0. The Freedom offense exploded in their third game of the day with 10 runs on 14 hits to come out on top 10-2 against Region 5 Stars, advancing them to the winner-take-all game against Region 10 Stars.
The Championship contest was a tight defensive battle between the Stars and the Freedom. Malaya Majam-Finch got the start in the circle for Region 10 Stars, striking out three batters in her five innings of work. On the opposing side, Madelyn Doty and Abby Atlkinson split time in the circle and combined for eight strikeouts for Region 5 Freedom. The game remained scoreless through the first five innings before Region 10 Stars managed to take advantage of a defensive miscue by Region 5 Freedom to give them a two-run edge. That lead would hold through the final three outs of the game as the Stars issued 1-2-3 inning in the top of the seventh to seal the 2-0 Championship victory. Lilly Hauser led the Stars offense with two hits while Taylor Johns, Jerrell Mailo, Kiele Ho-Ching and Dailynn Battee each recorded one hit a piece in the win.
“We set our goal at the beginning that we’re here to win one game at a time. We won each game, and we came into the Championship Game with that same mindset – to win this game, and that’s what we did,” said Region 10 Stars Head Coach, Deb Hartwig. “This tournament is a fantastic experience for everyone involved. The parents, the players, the coaches, the fans, everyone here at this tournament – it’s just such a great thing to be a part of.”
About USA Softball
USA Softball (USAS) is a 501(c)(3) not-for profit organization headquartered in Oklahoma City, Okla., and is designated as the National Governing Body (NGB) of Softball in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. One of the nation’s largest sports organizations, USAS sanctions competition through a network of Local Associations, which includes all 50 states and select metro associations. USAS is dedicated to providing people of all ages the opportunity to play the game they love at a variety of levels by offering recreational, league, tournament and competitive play for fast pitch, slow pitch and modified pitch. USAS annually conducts thousands of tournaments throughout the country including over 100 National Championships. The USAS umpire program is among the nation’s largest and are widely known as the best trained umpires in the game.
As the NGB for the sport of softball, USAS is responsible for training, equipping and promoting the six USA Softball National Teams that compete in events such as the Olympics, Pan American Games, World Championships and other international and domestic events. For more information on USAS, including its founding and history as the Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA), please visit, www.USASoftball.com. |
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