Ashburn Shooting Stars Win Fastpitch Tourney

The 12U Ashburn Shooting Stars Gold travel fastpitch softball team representing the Ashburn Girls Softball League won the 12U United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) Eastern World Series this week in Salisbury, MD. Thirty teams competed in the five-day World Series.

The 12U Shooting Stars Gold posted a 9-0 record and outscored opponents 89-4. The Stars Gold relied on a combination of great pitching, impressive defensive and an explosive offense, including aggressive base running, to win the title. 

“This was a total team effort, all eleven girls played a part in this win” said Head Coach, Rick McCarty, adding “that before each game I told the girls the only team here that can beat us is ourselves and they really took that message to heart.”

In addition to winning, the World Series title Emily McCarty received the Outstanding Pitcher Award and tournament staff presented Grace Mattimore with the Sportsmanship Award.

The tournament followed an impressive year with a 97-23-3 record. The team is the USSSA Virginia State Class A Champion as well as the PONY Mid-Atlantic Regional Champions. The Shooting Stars Gold won eight tournaments this season and was runner up five times. The team’s season concludes with the NSA Busch Gardens Classic next week in Williamsburg, VA, where the Stars Gold will face the 14U Division. The players hopes their success carries into next season when the team moves up to the 14U Division. Last month, the Shooting Stars were runners up in the 14U Crab Claw Classic tournament in Maryland.

The 12U Shooting Stars Gold players are:  Michelle Sullivan, Olivia Overton, Samantha Carver, Emily McCarty, Kailey Shannon, Allison Kreyer, Amanda Nee, Mackenzie Fisher, Mackenzie Meyer, Keira Womack and Grace Mattimore. Rick McCarty serves as head coach, with Dave Carver, John Nee, Chris Sullivan and Jeff Shannon working as his assistance coaches.

The Shooting Stars Gold tournament games:

• Stars Gold 14- Central Jersey Lighting (NJ) 2
• Stars Gold 16- X-treme Blue (PA) 0
• Stars Gold 11- Cape Crushers (DE) 1
• Stars Gold 12- Delaware Phillies (DE) 0
• Stars Gold 10- Ball Hawks (PA) 0
• Stars Gold 6- Tidal Wave (NJ) 0
• Stars Gold 1- Delaware Magic (DE) 0
• Stars Gold 12- Jersey Inferno (NJ) 1
• Stars Gold 7- Electric City Bombers (NY) 0

Players interested in trying out for the Shooting Stars Gold for next season should go to the team’s new web site www.14UStars.info for dates, time and locations of the tryouts.

[Thanks to the team for providing the information and photo.]