Youth Sports - Softball: 12U Ashburn Shooting Stars Gold Take the Gold at BRYC Fall Classic

(Nov. 18, 2011) - The 12U Ashburn Shooting Stars Gold took first place in the BRYC Fall Classic, held last month in Annandale. The travel, fast-pitch softball team is made of up 11 girls age 12 and younger from Ashburn, Sterling, Leesburg and Purcellville.


The Stars dominated in the tournament ending their games 5-0, and outscoring their opponents 59 to 5 before entering the championship game. The team was lead by pitchers Michelle Sullivan, who won three games, and Emily McCarty, who won two games. The girls lowered their season Earned Run Average to 1.97.

The first game of the day was against the ‘99 Xplosion, which the Stars won by a score of 14-2. In this game the Stars offense was led by Amanda Nee, who got on base each of her three at bats and drove in three runs. In the next game, the Stars faced the Bayside Blues from LaPlata, MD, and won 15-0. In that game, the Stars were led by Keira Womack and McCarty who both got hits. McCarty also threw a three-inning perfect game striking out six of the nine batters she faced.

The Stars ended Saturday's play against the Southern Maryland Shockers who also entered the game undefeated. The Stars earned a victory in that game by a score of 12-0, making them the top seed in the tournament. In that game, Sullivan pitched her second consecutive no hitter striking out five of the nine batters in the game.

Sunday, the Stars opened elimination play against the second seed Germantown Titans and the Stars ended the game 10-0, after four innings. Sullivan threw her third consecutive no-hitter and the team's fourth no-hitter in a row. New team member Mackenzie Meyer and Grace Mattimore led the Stars offense in that game, and the Stars stole a team record 15 bases against the Titans.

The championship game pitted the host Virginia Stingrays against the Ashburn Shooting Stars Gold. Both teams entered the game undefeated. The Stingrays took a 3-1 lead into the fifth inning when the Stars scored three runs to take the lead. In the sixth inning, the Stars added four more runs to their score. The Stars defense held the Stingrays scoreless in the sixth and final inning and ended the game with a 8-3 victory. The Stars were led on Sunday by Meyer, who went 5 for 5, and Mackenzie Fisher, who went 4 for 5, in the final two games.

The win earned the Stars first place in the USSSA BRYC Fall Classic, as well as a berth to the USSSA 12U Class A World Series in Orlando, FL.