The first game of the PGF National Championship Day for 18U’s and 16U’s have more twists and turns than an Aggie Christie novel (if you’re too young to get the reference, look it up… you’ll be glad you did).

Speaking of literature, this eventful game included a player’s mixture of tragedy and triumph what would probably be too cliched for a Hollywood script:

• the winning pitcher, Addison DeRoche of Mojo 16U – Lewis suffers the loss of her grandmother this week, but decides to support her team at the PGF Nationals and travels from her home state of Maine—where she was the Gatorade State Player of the Year and led her Cheverus (Portland, Maine) High to a state title,
• DeRoche pitches a masterpiece in the Friday semi’s where she tossed a one-hitter with 12 strikeouts in a 5-1 victory over Arizona Storm,
• starting today’s championship game before being pulled in the first inning after loading the bases with no outs,
• the 2027 grad pitcher re-enters the game in the 4^th inning and goes on to complete the title win as her Mojo team outlasted the talented Lady Lightning Gold – Corn 8-5.

Minutes after the championship win, Addison what was going through her mind after all the rollercoaster ups and downs she went through this week.

“It’s very emotional, definitely,” she told Line Drive Softball as her team celebrated behind her.

“Everything came true,” she said of her winning a national travel ball title. “My dream came true.”

Not a bad trifecta for the Northeast standout: high school state title (in which she struck out 21!), state player of the year and, today, a PGF Nationals trophy.

But she certainly didn’t do it all herself as she had great support from her supporting cast… or teammates.

The game was just minutes old when the oddities began.

In the top of the first inning, LLG loaded the bases with one out when a ball squibbed in front of the plate was collected by Mojo catcher Avery Stockwell who stepped on the plate but subsequently dropped the ball and the runner crossed the plate.

The original call was “safe” but—after a review by the umpires—it was called “out” and the next batter struck out to end the threat.

In the top of the third, Mojo loaded the bases with no outs on singles by Hannah Smith and Milan Torres followed by an error as an errant infield throw to first pulled the first baseman’s foot off the bag.

Stockwell hit a sac fly to left field scoring Smith and two more would cross the plate when Audrey Cathey hit a two-run single to left field to put the Mojo on top 3-0.

That lead, however, didn’t last long as one-out walks by LLG’s Lea Kendall and Mia Roland put the tying run at the plate. Chloe Chappell hit a deep fly ball to right center that looked catchable but was dropped, allowing Kendall to score and moving Roland to second putting the score at 3-1.

A single by Annika Johansson plated Roland, who looked to be out at home on a strong throw from the outfield but she jarred the ball loose to pull the Lady Lightning within a run.

The score was tied when a grounder to the pitcher was fielded cleanly, but the throw to second was bobbled allowing the tying run to come in.

It was 3-3 until the top of the 6^th when the play of the game allowed the Mojo to get out to a lead they would never relinquish.

With two outs and a runner on second, Audrey Pittman hit a flyball high and catchable for what would’ve been the third out, but it popped out of the third baseman’s glove allowing one run to score and then the dropped ball was thrown towards second, but rolled unimpeded to the center field wall.

This second error allowed Pittman, a first baseman, to sprint around the bases and make it home standing to make it 5-3 after five and a half innings.

In the bottom of the 6^th inning, DeRoche got three easy flyouts to left fielder Jordan Young and the Mojo would tack on three more in the top of the 7^th highlighted by a Young RBI single and a Norgard two RBI soft liner to put the score at 8-3.

LLG would put runners on second and third with no outs, but DeRoche and crew staved off any rally and took home the trophy 8-5.

For the winning pitcher it was doubly powerful.

“Earlier this week my grandmother passed away while I was out here so that was really, really emotional for me, but my whole team supported me and we all just came together and the outcome was amazing.”

Join us over the next week as we’ll have more coverage from the 16U game.

— Brentt Eads/Line Drive Softball