June 27, 2024
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – For good reason, Morgan Chambers figured her hero-moment to-do list had already been covered.
Digging into her work Thursday with the Stars National-Coleman 18u team at the P5 fastpitch event (produced by Triple Crown Sports), Chambers launched a grand slam in the fifth inning against the Virginia Glory, part of a five-run frame that pushed the Stars into the lead in a wild back-and-forth affair.
But when the Glory responded with a gritty two-out rally in the sixth to take a 10-9 lead, the Stars had one more chance to make things right in the bottom of the inning. And after a double by Nikki Gallardo, Chambers responded again, punching in an RBI single in a contest that ended in a 10-10 tie since the time limit of the game had been reached.
“My confidence is definitely so much higher, and it was great to be able to come through in the clutch two times for my team,” said Chambers, who committed to play college softball at Delaware inside of a week ago. “I feel good about going into the games for the rest of the week and very excited for what’s next. I think there’s always that little bit of anxiousness in the back of my head, but I know it’s about having fun, and it’s just a game. I try not to think too much, and just swing the bat as hard as I can.”
“She’s been in that moment often, twice during last weekend, so she felt prepared in the game for that. I’m super proud of her, and the commitment to Delaware probably took some pressure off her as well,” said Stars head coach Rachel Coleman. “We’re learning every game, and afterward we talk about what we can do better as a team. The ultimate goal is to win Nationals.”
Glory starting pitcher Emily Collins (Georgetown) set the tone early, ringing up eight strikeouts in her first four innings. An untimely error allowed three unearned runs to score, but after the fourth the Glory did hold a 7-4 lead. Offensively, the big early jolt for the Glory was a three-run homer from Ella Dawson (New Mexico), and the lead was fortified by a two-run triple from Kaylie Avvisato (Northwestern).
Hoping to counter the Stars after their big fifth inning, the Glory reclaimed the lead with three runs in the top of the sixth. Maddy Johnson (George Mason), who had two hits and three RBI on the day, doubled after an error and a single stoked the threat, with the then go-ahead 10th run coming across on a single by Alyssa Hopkins (George Mason).
The Glory couldn’t quite hold on, and it made for a tough bookend after a one-run loss earlier in the day in a game that ended with a bases-loaded threat just coming up short. However, the roster sounded confident that they had the pieces for happier finishes down the road.
“We all stay positive; the team energy is really good, and we are very good about picking each other up after a bad inning or bad at-bat. It’s all about the team,” Dawson said. “I was really listening to my teammates as we passed the bat, looking at what they were getting from the pitcher. I was looking changeup, but I got a fastball, low and inside, and that’s what I got. We’re very excited to just keep playing.”
“l love the way these kids compete, and both games, we were right there. We compete to the very end, and that’s our standard,” said Glory head coach Suzy Willemssen. “Those were two heavyweights trading haymakers in the middle of the ring. If I was a fan, that would have been an awesome one to watch.
“For Maddy (who doubled in the sixth), to come up in that moment, she did it last weekend and has just delivered. I’m happy for her. You know, it doesn’t always just work out because you worked hard, you aren’t promised anything. When it happens like that, it’s great.”
