10U Ashburn Shooting Stars Win USSSA Title

Salisbury, Md. (July 24, 2012) -The 10U Ashburn Shooting Stars Gold travel Fastpitch softball team won the 10U United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) Eastern World Series held in Salisbury, MD, last week. The five-day World Series was comprised of 12 teams, mostly from the east coast but also from as far away as Michigan and Illinois.

The 10U Shooting Stars posted an 8-1 record while outscoring opponents 62-35. The Shooting Stars posted impressive wins against tough competition. Most notable was battling back through the losers bracket after suffering a loss to the Michigan Hurricanes Black on July 21. The next day the Stars faced the Hampton Roads Vipers to get back into the championship bracket. In order to win the overall championship, the Stars had to beat the Hurricanes twice. In Game 1, the Stars won 7-6, and then in Game 2, the Stars made up for their loss by defeating the Michigan team 11-5.

The Stars used a combination of outstanding pitching, stellar defense and an explosive offense, including aggressive base running.

“These young athletes competed in every game this year with heart and passion, said coach Jerry Sappington. “They amaze me every day with their continued development and ongoing desire to learn the fundamentals of the game.”

In addition to winning the World Series title, ace pitcher Emily Sappington was awarded the Tournament MVP Award, facing 222 batters and giving up just 34 hits, while striking out 68 and walking only 15. Emma Enright won an individual award from the USSSA tournament staff: the Defensive MVP Award for her outstanding play in the field, including a crucial backhanded running catch with the bases loaded and two outs late in the championship game.

The Shooting Stars Gold record of 8-1 included the following games:

• Stars 6- Hampton Roads Vipers (VA) 4
• Stars 4- Diamond State Swoop (DE) 3
• Stars 9- First State Force (DE) 1
• Stars 8- First State Force (DE) 0
• Stars 4- Naperville Diamond Flames (IL) 3
• Stars 3- Hurricanes Black (MI) 11
• Stars 10- Hampton Roads Vipers (VA) 2
• Stars 7- Hurricanes Black (MI) 6
• Stars 11- Hurricanes Black (MI) 5

This newly formed team for 2012 was comprised of a squad where the majority of players had never played travel ball. The Stars trained intensely and played hard all season, amassing several tournament wins. This young team of athletes has posted an impressive 57-24-1 record over the past year. The Shooting Stars won four tournaments this season, as well as being runner up twice, and earning seven total top five finishes.

The 10U Shooting Stars Gold players are: Emily Sappington, Abigail Neff, Emily Ludowig, Rebecca Ludowig, Annika Dunn, Kayla Wrigley, Jessica Marck, Tess Brady, Emma Enright, Brooke Crouch, and Caitlin Nee. The 12U Coaches are Head Coach Jerry Sappington, and Assistant Coach Paul Crouch.

[Thanks to the team for providin this information and photo. Post information about your team, including announcements and events on Patch. Or start a blog about your team.]