If you submitted this week’s story of the Extreme 2030 run to a PGF 12U Platinum championship, the script would be rejected by Hollywood filmmakers.

Why? Too unbelievable.

After Saturday’s 10-0 run-rule win in the championship over Explosion – Kim/Barreras and playing eight games in two days—including five on Friday and two on Saturday prior to the  championship victory—you can certainly believe the story is true and about as inspiring as you’ll find in the club ranks.

Earlier this week, in the third game for the Extreme in the winner’s, a controversial call led to a bitter loss for the Extreme and knocked them into the Loser’s Bracket.

After that 4-3 loss on Thursday, the team could have folded and given up, but it was quite the opposite.

Head Coach Raul Pena called his team together and offered the Marine Corps Rifle Prayer—also known as the Rifleman’s Creed—while his players held their bats as their on-field weapons and the prayer worked.

Boy did it.

From that moment on, the Extreme run-ruled almost everyone including the Explosion as the bats came alive for 10 hits and 10 runs in just four innings Saturday afternoon at DeAnna Manning Stadium in Bill Barber Park (Irvine, Calif.).

The offensive explosion during the week included scores of 10-2, 9-0, 14-0, 9-6, 15-5 and then the two victories over the Winner’s Bracket team, the BC Bengals – Miklos squad, and which the inspired Extreme team won by scores of 8-0 and 12-1.

And then came the championship game which pitted a pair of California teams—the Extreme traveling down from Northern California, Castro Valley to be specific, to face the Explosion team based in Tustin, Calif. (in Orange Calif.)

The Battle of the “E’s” (Extreme, Explosion) was practically over before most fans had reached their seats. With two runs in the bottom of the 1^st inning, three more in the 3^rd and five more in the 4^th to double the score from 5 to 10, it was all just a matter of time.

That’s because the offense was unstoppable with six players getting hits led by right-fielder and cleanup hitter Laila Preston who went 3-for-3 with five RBIs herself.

The pitching, however, was equally dominant as starter Bree Kelly went four innings and gave up just two hits and one walk and Kioni Reed came in to close out the game in the 5^th with a 1-2-3 finale.

In the bottom of the 1^st, leadoff hitter Samantha Lee singled up the middle, stole second and after Mags Horton was hit by pitch and Lee went to third, Preston singled with one out to plate the first run of the game. Horton would score on a botched run-down to give the home team the 2-0 lead.

The Extreme scored another trio of runs in the bottom of the third highlighted by Preston hitting a fly ball to centerfield that hit the glove of the defender but rolled to the wall to let two baserunners score and Preston herself as she circled the bases before the ball at the wall could be returned.

The backbreaking inning was the bottom of the 4^th as leadoff hitter Teran Wyn was hit by a pitch, Ava Dela Cruz singled and then Victoria Macugay doubled to the wall in left field to score two and make the score 7-0 and the game was effectively over.

On the Explosion side, Emma Fisher and Madelynn Mayer each went 1-for-2, but that was all the offense the local team could muster against an inspired Extreme team.

“We knew we had to be ‘proactive, not reactive” and to “find your calm” at the plate and it worked,” Coach Pena said after the team had its photo taken in front of the scoreboard.

Pitchers Kelly and Reed were asked, along with catcher Sophia Pena, what they were going to celebrate after the amazing week? Go to Disneyland, literally just 13 miles from Disneyland? Or maybe some spend some downtime at the beach?

Nope, the outstanding battery mates replied… two wanted to go get ice cream and the other wanted shaved ice, something you can bet Coach Raul will be more than happy to treat his team to after the inspired week his Extreme treated him to.

— Brentt Eads/Line Drive Softball

Here’s our video highlights from the Extreme’s amazing run to a title this week…