Softball: Loudoun Storm 16U Red Wins National Title

 (front row) Addison Dieterich (Loudoun Valley), Hannah Ritter (Skyline), Taylor Stocks (Musselman), (Back row) Jami Adler (Tuscarora), Paige Schaeffer (Woodgrove), Emily Ritter (Skyline), Holly Speacht (Woodgrove), Brittany Umphlett (Woodgrove), Kailey Liverman (Loudoun Valley), Courtney Dieterich (Loudoun Valley), Carrie Merchant (Woodgrove), Jazmyn Rohrer (Woodgrove)

Sterling (Aug. 7, 2012) - The Olympics in London are not the only place where gold medals are being won. A Loudoun county girls fast pitch travel softball team, the Loudoun Storm 16U Red, coached by JJ Merchant, just completed a 32-6-1 spring/summer season by winning the 2012 Amateur Softball Association 16U National Championship Eastern title.

They also finished as the Virginia state runner-ups in both ASA and USSSA age group tournaments. The ASA National Championship tournament, which this year was held in Sterling, had teams from across the eastern and midwest United States attend in the 16U and 18U age groups.


The Storm finished the tournament as the only undefeated team in their age bracket winning 7 games. In the championship game they defeated the Bethlehem Blaze (Bethlehem, PA) 3-1 in the final (7th) inning with two runners on base and two outs.

Brittany Umphlett (Woodgrove High School) hit her first home run of the season to win the game for the Storm, scoring all three runs. Other notable players on the team include pitcher Jazmyn Rohrer (Woodgrove) who went 18-4 with a 1.62 ERA.

On offense catcher Addison Dieterich (Loudoun Valley) lead the Storm in average .384 and on base percentage .453.

The team plays 16U and 18U tournaments on the east coast and will be conducting tryouts on August 9 from 6-8:30 p.m. and August 11 from 1-3:30 p.m. at the Woodgrove High School varsity field in Purcellville. For more information go to: http://16u.ldnstorm.org/ .