Softball | Softball Tournament | 3/15/2021

PG Spring Kickoff Recap

Jerry Miller

Photo: PG Spring Kickoff Champs: AAFP Elite-18U Cozart (Perfect Game)

2021 PG Spring Kickoff Event Page

The spring fastpitch season truly kicked into high gear on Saturday, March 13 at two different venues across three age divisions. Play was exciting and highly-competitive as the Coastal Region crowned four champions at 12U, 14U Gold and 14U Silver, and the High School level, as organizations continued to hone their collective games in preparation for the first of four Perfect Game Regional Qualifiers scheduled for next weekend in suburban Charlotte, N.C.

High School

Two highly-competitive, well-coached, hard-nosed, and very talented teams met in the high school division championship game on Saturday evening at George Poston Park in Gastonia, N.C. The All-American Fastpitch Elite-18U Cozart club bested the never-say-die Elite Diamondcats-Ball squad by a score of 6-2.

The scrappy, daring, highly-aggressive AAFP team was led offensively and defensively by their shortstop and tournament MVP, Tayjah Cooper (2023, Warrenton, N.C.). Cooper seemed to be in the middle of every important moment for the AAFP club. When her club needed an offensive spark, they usually saw Cooper come to the plate. When they needed a clutch defensive play, the ball always inevitably found Cooper’s glove. Tayjah plays with great intensity, like all of her teammates. And she plays, always, with a smile on her face. One would be hard pressed to find a player, anywhere, who plays the game with more joy.

The AAFP club could have been the most fundamentally sound teams to play on any of the fields at Poston Park on Saturday. It is apparent that they are well-schooled and understand the details involved with higher-level competition. They rarely make mistakes, and they don’t make the same mistake twice. They cruised to the championship with a 3-0-1 record and could have easily been undefeated. The AAFP team plays the game the right way and they pull for each other. They unquestionably earned and deserved the big silver PG Championship trophy.

The Elite Diamondcats-Ball squad is also a tough and determined bunch that plays with a lot of emotion and has a winner’s mindset. Their trip to the championship game was highlighted by a 3-0 semifinals victory of the top-seeded and previously unbeaten RC Swarm-Cole club. The Diamondcats take their cues from their talented coaching staff and play the game the right way. They pull for each other and their enthusiasm is contagious. Although they limped into bracket play going 0-1-1 in the pool play portion of the tournament, the D-Cats caught fire in the single elimination tournament. They scored 14 runs in their first two playoff games, which included the aforementioned 3-0 win over the top seed. They hit the ball hard in the championship contest, but just ran into some tough luck and a very talented All-American team.

There was a great deal of talent on display in the High School division. Any of the teams that participated could have easily won the championship. The number of young players with college potential was almost limitless. There were a number of athletes whose career will continue far beyond their high school and travel ball years. We look forward to following all of them as their careers continue.

2021 Perfect Game Softball Spring Kickoff High School Runners-Up: Elite Diamondcast-Ball

2021 Perfect Game Softball Spring Kickoff High School MVP: Tayjah Cooper

14U Gold

Two impressively talented clubs met in the 14U-Gold division championship contest where the final score wasn’t determined in this grind-it-out game until the last out was secured. The Lady Dukes-Sturgill bested TC Elite-Pruett, 5-4, to capture the Spring Kickoff 14U Gold championship. Tourney MVP Madeline Sturgill (2024, Davidson, N.C.) led her gritty, mentally-tough, very talented Lady Dukes team to the winner's circle. Although the Lady Dukes cruised through pool play by a combined score of 33-0, their mettle was truly tested in bracket play, where they had to win three one-run contests to claim the crown.

TC Elite-Pruett was equal to the Lady Dukes in just about every aspect. TC Elite scored 24 runs in pool play and only allowed one. In the quarterfinals and semifinals, they scored 11 runs and only allowed a single tally. The championship nail-biter could have gone to either club. TC Elite was certainly worthy of their spot in the finals and would have been a just and deserving champion.

We are certain to hear from these two fine organizations in the not-too-distant future as both are loaded with very talented players.

14U Silver

Offense dominated the 14U Silver championship contest as Team Venom edged out Bandits NC-Brooks by a score of 9-8.

Both teams had up and down days, especially during the pool play portion of the tournament. However, each club came to life once bracket play began. Team Venom, which was outscored 11-8 in going 1-1 during pool play, came to life in their march to the 14U Silver championship. Although they allowed 17 runs in three games in capturing the crown, their offense supported their pitching staff, scoring 29 runs. Their bracket games included a 15-5 quarterfinal run-rule victory that may have saved a little bit on their pitcher’s arms. That little bit of pitching life probably saved just enough to eke out a high-scoring, one-run win in the final contest over a very game Bandits NC-Brooks club.

Bandits NC-Brooks had to make their run to the finals the tough way. They dropped an early pool play game and tied another. Their bats showed up during bracket play however, as they scored 10 runs in their first two bracket games and only allowed four. Their offense provided more than enough support in the final contest, but Team Venom, by the narrowest of margins, had just a tick more left in the tank.

Each deserved to be in the Sliver championships as they played their best when it mattered most. We certainly look forward to following the players on these two outstanding clubs as they continue through their careers. The best is yet to come for all of these talented individuals.

12U

Next Top Recruits-Joyce, led by tournament MVP Peyton Cantrell (2026, Hurdle Mills, N.C.), completely dominated the field in their impressive march to the silver PG Championship trophy. Cantrell, whose talent far exceeds her current age group, threw two dominating shutouts on the day. She was supported by an air-tight, very mature, highly-advanced defensive effort from her teammates, and an overwhelming offense that scored 38 runs in four games. NTP-Joyce allowed zero runs the entire tourney. Hard to lose games when your opponents don’t score.

Next Top Recruits-Joyce defeated an equally talented club, the Comets 12u-Gillmore, by a score of 7-0 in the championship game. The Comets, the tourney’s second seed, had allowed only one run before the championship contest against the juggernaut Next Top Recruits club.

Great things are on the horizon for the players from both of these well-coached, highly-skilled clubs.

Congratulations to the 2021 Spring Kickoff 12U champions, the Next Top Recruits-Joyce and the runners-up, the Comets 12U-Gillmore.

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