July 22, 2024
By Bradynn Belcher
CUMMING, Ga. — The Bombers Premier Gold-Stephens are not strangers to Triple Crown’s Southeast Nationals.
Before today, the memories of this tournament were marred by near-misses. Finishing third in 2022 and second in 2023 left a vile taste in their mouths as they had to wait until the next season to play together. The majority of the Bombers are graduating seniors, and after the lights on Sharon Springs Park dim, they will never wear the same name across their chest again.
Luckily, they saved their best for last.
The Bombers topped the Fury National 2024 Groenewoud 9-3 in the 18u division of Triple Crown Georgia’s Southeast Nationals. This unprecedented feat for the Bombers left many of their players emotional as they were handed their first-place medals. Winning pitcher Avery Wentz was fighting back tears as she spoke about what this championship meant to her.
“Winning our last game at this tournament is literally all I could ever hope for,” Wentz said. “This is the best team I could have ever wished to finish my travel ball career with. I don’t even want to finish now.”
The Bombers did not overwhelm the Fury with high exit velocity or unpredictable power. Their performance was way more frightening than flexing gap to gap power. As if they were playing as one person, the Bombers were able to capitalize on every error, mental and tangible, that the Fury fell victim to as well as execute situational hitting seamlessly.
It was the perfect storm.
The Bombers broke the scoring open in the bottom of the second inning. Wentz and her defense were able to hold an impressive Fury offense to a mere two hits and zero runs to that point.
Backing up their pitcher, Talee Sims began the inning with an infield hit. Morgan Willingham scorched a ball to centerfield, but a misstep from the Fury centerfielder would turn Willingham’s single into a triple and score Sims. Breaking the scoring open, the Bombers never looked back.
The team in the pinstripes scored three runs in the bottom of the second inning. Two timely hits allowed the Fury to score one run in the top of the next inning, but a hit from Megan Blanks and an RBI from Joi Hubbard allowed the Bombers to get that run back in championship fashion, shifting the score to 4-1.
A few strategically placed hits in the top of the fourth inning quickly made the score 4-2. When the momentum seemed to shift to the Fury’s dugout, the Bombers called time to ensure that they would not let this inning snowball into something more. After a few deep breaths, the Bombers defense shut down any further hope of the Fury team scoring anymore that inning.
“My defense is incredible,” Wentz said. “They are the reason that I am able to play the way I am. We would not win championships without them.”
The Bombers showed their know-how in the bottom of the fourth inning. Having hit for power thus far in the game, the Bombers switch up their strategy, which ultimately allowed them to run away with the lead. Turning to the short game, Kensi Ody executed a flawless squeeze play, scoring Willingham in the process. Relying on situational hitting, the Bombers ran back onto defense with a 6-2 lead.
The Fury would go on to make a last-ditch effort to claim a championship in the top of the fifth, but they were unsuccessful as they were only able to score one more run. The Bombers’ dugout began to rattle with excitement in the bottom of the inning as they turned their lineup over for a third time and scored three insurance runs.
Rain began to pour on the players on the field, but the Bombers were not upset. They realized what they had just done.
Sims, a senior, returned to the field this season after suffering with an ACL injury. With a knee brace on and tears in her eyes, Sims describes how this season altered her outlook on the sport.
“I am really aware of what I can and can’t do,” Sims said. “I have a chip on my shoulder now, and it’s because of the support from my teams and coaches. We could not have accomplished everything we did today without all of those moving pieces coming together.”
Associate head coach Richard Johnson is grateful that he can send his graduates to college on the right note, but more than that, he hopes that through the ebbs and flows of the season they were able to learn more than just softball mechanics.
“I hope my girls know to never give up, that adversity builds character, and that character builds championships,” Johnson said. “That is what we did here this week.”
