Churchville Lightning travel softball 18U and 12U teams finish summer with championships

The Churchville Lightning, a Harford County based travel softball program, recently closed out strong 18U-A and 12U-B seasons.

The 18U season ended earlier this month with a championship at the World Fastpitch Connection World Series in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

The Lady Bolts shattered many records this summer, winning 53 games against just two losses, the best win percentage (. 964) for a Lightning team over a single spring/summer season

The team won eight tournaments, also the most ever. It played in 10 events, winning eight and finishing second in the other two. The team finished the season on a 30-game winning streak.

USSSA Eastern Nationals

The 18U squad ran through the field at the USSSA Eastern Nationals, winning eight straight games en route to claiming the championship. The Lady Bolts, whose win was the 13th such title in program history, won 13-0 over East Coast Elite in the final.

The Lightning started the event with three pool play victories before opening bracket play against East Coast Elite. The Elite jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, but pitcher Alesia Doctor settled in to silence the Elite bats the rest of the game.

Tied at 2 in the seventh, Alexis Trzeciak hit a opposite-field single to plate Savannah Reedy and the Lightning advanced to the second round.

The Lightning next beat NJ Mystics Premier, 10-6. Mikayla Bryant and Jessica Bouthet hit back-to-back home runs to open the game. Bouthet blasted her second home run later for a 5-0 Lightning lead, but the Mystics cut the lead to 5-3 heading into the sixth inning.

Bouthet, though, wasn’t done. She hit a grand slam home run to give the Lightning a 9-3 lead. Kyrsten Coppage followed with a bomb of her own to make it, 10-3. The Mystics rallied for three late runs, but the Lightning held on to advance to the semifinals.

The Lightning battled the PA Razorbacks in the semifinals, winning easily, 8-0. Doctor dominated, tossing five scoreless innings, allowing three hits and striking out 10. Offensively, Bouthet blasted her fourth homer of the event and Trzeciak added three RBIs.

In the winner’s bracket final, the Lightning blanked East Coast Titans, 6-0, behind another strong outing from pitcher Doctor who only allowed four base runners in the contest.

The Lightning offense provided all the runs needed in the first inning on a Gretchen Barstad RBI single. Barstad added a second RBI single in the third inning and Tai Turner added three RBIs in the win.

In the final, Churchville scored five times in the first inning, en route to the 13-0 win. Turner provided the capper, blasting a walk-off grand slam.

The 18U-A roster includes Maggie Mullin, Jessica Bouthet, Alexis Trzeciak, Alayna Levee, Gretchen Barstad, Emily Curry, Mykaela Getz, Maddie Buher, Mikayla Bryant, Lexi Predmore, Natiah Turner, Alesia Doctor, Kyrsten Coppage and Savannah Reedy. The team is managed by Tim Favazza.

Churchville Lightning 12U

The 12U-B Churchville Lightning improved tremendously throughout the year, culminating in a USSSA Eastern National Tournament-Silver Division championship. The title followed up a Maryland state championship.

In the championship game, a 9-3 win, the Lightning hit .333 as a team. Emily Hildt provided three RBIs on three hits, while Emma Bare had four RBIs, highlighted by a bases-loaded triple. May Ambrose and Billi Heinz contributed two RBIs apiece.

Hildt pitched and allowed three earned runs, while striking out three.

USSSA Eastern Nationals

Churchville was one of 62 teams in the tournament held in Salisbury in July.

Churchville opened pool play with a 4-1 win over the Northeast Angels from New Jersey. Hildt pitched six innings, allowing an unearned run on two hits and a walk. She struck out four.

Hildt, Bare and Alaina Torrence contributed a single and three runs, respectively, and Audriana Hansen added an RBI double. Churchville’s scoring came in the first inning.

The Lightning dropped their next two games of pool play, 10-4 to CT Bombers-Teal of Connecticut and 10-0 to Newtown Rock from Pennsylvania. The 1-2 pool play record sent the Lighting into the Silver Bracket as the 44th seed.

The Lightning opened bracket play with a 10-3 win over the TC Tremors. Hildt pitched five innings, allowing three earned runs. Hildt aided her cause with two hits, while May Ambrose, Hansen and Leah McGivern each contributed a double.

Good offense and pitching continued in the second game of bracket play against the NJ Pride. The team totaled nine hits with Kaylie Schlelg and Ambrose adding three RBIs apiece. In addition to Hildt pitching, she provided two hits and two RBIs in a 13-4 win.

The Lighting had nine hits again in another win over the PA Extreme. Hildt lead the way with three hits, while Ambrose, Hildt, Torrence, McGivern, and Schlelg each provided doubles in an 8-3 win.

In the quarterfinals, Churchville was a winner by forfeit over Eastern Shore Velocity Blue. The win moved the Lightning into a semifinal matchup against Kaboom of New Jersey.

The offense pounded out nine hits for a third straight game, leading to a 5-3 win and spot in the championship. Hildt had the big hit, a bases-loaded and clearing shot down the third baseline.

The championship was a rematch with Kaboom, who needed to beat Churchville twice. Nine Churchville errors helped give Kaboom a 9-7 win, forcing the ‘if’ game for the title.

Hildt was backed up by solid defense and strong offense. Kaboom scored a run in the first inning, but was held scoreless into the sixth as the Lightning went on to win.

Hildt won the Outstanding Pitcher award for seven wins, 47 innings pitched, 11 earned runs, 35 strikeouts, 12 walks and an ERA of 1.64. Hildt also won MVP honors due to her performance at the plate, with 14 hits (. 538 batting average), four walks and 10 RBIs.

The 12U-B roster is Mia Anderson, Audriana Hansen, Billi Heinz, Leah McGivern, Addison Talts, Scarlett Malinski, Emily Hildt, May Ambrose, Emma Bare, Alaina Torrence and Kaylie Schlelg. The manager is Greg Hildt.