Thanks to a multi-run late-inning rally, the Arlington Impact Elite won the championship game of the 16-under division of the annual First Responders Cup girls softball tournament.
The top-seed Impact defeated the No. 3 seed Ashburn Shooting Stars, 10-8, in the Sept. 10 title game at Barcroft Park.
The Impact trailed 8-4, as the Shooting Stars played good early-inning defense. The Impact then scored six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, four coming on a grand slam by Kayla Keefe.
The homer was the first of her softball career that was hit over a fence, and it came on the waist-high fastball with an 0-1 count. The hit was Keefe’s fifth of the tournament.
The Impact finished with a 3-0-1 tourney record in the rain-shortened competition, outscoring opponents, 23-12.
The Impact were the first Arlington team in the 16-under age bracket to win the title in the tournament’s 22-year history, and just the second Arlington team at any age group to win a championship.
“It was definitely a group effort,” Impact coach Pat Keefe said. “The girls did all they had to do to win.”
The competition was the first of the fall season for the Impact, aside from two scrimmages.
“I think those scrimmages helped because it got the girls used to playing together as a team,” Pat Keefe said.
Other key hits provided in that sixth-inning rally for the Impact were by Marley Jackson, Calleigh Schroeder and Victoria Katilius (RBI single) and walks to Mae Brewin and Lucy Griepentrog, one of the team’s top hitters in the tournament. Guest pitcher, Annie Van Dyck struck out 13 batters in just eight innings.
Impact relief pitcher Anannya Jadhav got the win by retiring the Shooting Stars in the seventh behind some strong defense from first baseman Teagan Scott-Daniels. She successfully scooped two short throws on ground-ball outs. Jadhav pitched five innings of relief, allowing three hits and striking out six.
Another key Impact player was second baseman Reece Wilder. She accounted for two double plays and made other good plays.
Katilius went 6 for 9 in the four games to lead the team in hitting. She doubled, homered and drove in five runs.
Hannah Nilame had an on-base-percentage of .600.
Impact players Mae Brewin, Kira Zoeller, and Sophia Trendl all made contributions by playing strong defense in the tournament.
The fall season continues for the Impact until early November.
The tournament, which began in 2022, consisted of 22 teams participating in four different age groups.
The 12-under champions were Rock Gold, defeating the MD Integrity, 12-2, in the title game.
The 14-under champs were the Virginia Glory, with a 14-3 win over Rock Gold in the final.
The 18-under winner was the Virginia Glory, with a 5-4 victory over the Rock Gold in the championship clash.
The tournament honors the heroism of the Arlington fire and police, who were the first at the Pentagon after the 2001 terror attack. Net proceeds raised from the tournament, run by the Marymount University women’s softball team, are donated to the Pentagon Disaster Relief Charities.
Arlington County and the Arlington Girls Softball Association were tournament sponsors.
