Elma Xtreme Fastpitch had two teams earn trophies at the conclusion of the North American Fastpitch Association’s Summer Nationals in Newberg, Oregon on Sunday.

Xtreme 14U places fourth overall

After suffering two losses earlier in the tournament, the Elma Xtreme Fastpitch 14-and-under team roared back with five straight wins to earn a fourth-place trophy at the NAFA Summer Nationals on Sunday.

Competing in a 21-team field, the Xtreme opened its tournament play with a 13-6 win over the Aftershock (McMinnville, Oregon) on Thursday before falling 3-0 to the Cyclones (Junction City, Oregon) later that day.

On Friday, Elma shutout the Freedom 9-0 before suffering a 6-4 loss to the Braves (Banks, Oregon) later that morning.

But the Xtreme found success in the elimination bracket, winning three straight games on Saturday with victories over the Aftershock 9-1, the Canby Rebels 8-5 and the Albany Rebels 10-4.

On Sunday, Elma exacted some revenge on the Braves with a 7-2 victory to secure no worse than a fourth-place position.

Elma fell to the Rage (Moses Lake, Washington) 10-1 on Sunday to close out its tournament.

“We took the hard route and had to come through the elimination bracket all weekend,” Xtreme head coach and president Russell Luellen said. “They played really good considering we had to comeback to win five in a row to get fourth, and we had to play four in a row on Saturday, which is tough when you are limited on pitching.”

Elma was led by starting pitcher Violet Prince, third baseman Hadley Lowery, and catcher Hana Lessard – all of whom were named to the All-Tournament Team.

Prince carried the bulk of the load in the circle for the Xtreme, tallying 80 strikeouts while allowing 28 hits in 33 innings pitched. Prince went 6-2 at the tournament as the ace of the Xtreme staff, all while dealing with three blisters on her hands over the final days of the event. Prince also hit .454 (10-22) with four runs and six RBI.

“Violet pitched very well,” Luellen said. “She pitched in almost every single game and pitched well on Saturday and Sunday.”

Lessard hit .510 (13-25) with a pair of doubles and eight runs scored while recording multiple pick-offs and gunning down would-be basestealers from her catcher position.

Lowery, a third baseman, led the Xtreme with a .619 average (13-21) – including three doubles – with nine runs scored and eight RBI.

Luellen also menioned the play of utility player Cheyanna Kohn, who hit .416 (10-24) with 10 runs, three doubles and seven RBI while playing second base, outfield, backup catcher and as a secondary pitcher who logged 10 1-3 inning pitched in the tournament.

Though the fourth-place trophy is a solid acheivement, Luellen may be more pleased with his team being honored with the tournament’s Sportsmanship Award, of which only one is awarded across the four divisions at the tournament, approximately 85-95 teams.

“That just shows what kind of team we have beyond our playing abilities,” he said. “I’ve coached a lot. … These girls were a coach’s dream to coach. They really were.”

SUBMITTED PHOTO The Elma Xtreme Fastpitch 12U team won the consolation final at the NAFA Summer Nationals on Sunday in Newberg, Oregon. Pictured are (front row, from left): Gracie Mae Hurd, Emelia Kohn, Mykah Longshore, Makayla Lee, Caroline Cole, Ava Horst, Caitlyn Burnett. Middle Row Left to Right Ella Roose, Vannessa Sterling, Emi McFarland, Kensi Johanson, Ava Wright. Back row: Coach Samson Kohn, Coach Darrell Longshore and Coach Jamie Johanson.

Xtreme 12U win consolation final

The Elma Xtreme Fastpitch 12U team defeated the Bothell Rage 8-4 in the consolation final of the NAFA 12U Summer Nationals on Sunday in Newberg, Oregon.

Coming off a first-place victory at the Hoquiam Battle of the Bay Tournament a week prior, the Xtreme opened its tournament with an 8-4 win over the Eugene Cyclones before falling to the local Grays Harbor Crushers 3-1 on Thursday.

The Xtreme defeated the Rage (Moses Lake, Washington) 8-1 before closing out Friday with a 7-1 loss to the Cougars (Aumsville, Oregon).

On Saturday, the Cyclones defeated the Xtreme 4-0, relegating the Xtreme to the consolation bracket.

Elma rebounded with an 11-1 win over Cowlitz Elite in its first consolation-bracket game on Sunday followed an 11-1 win over the Canby Rebels later that day.

The Xtreme closed out its tournament with an 8-4 victory over the Rage to win the consolation final. Xtreme pitcher Emelia Kohn picked up the win, allowing four runs – one earned – on six hits with no walks and 13 strikeouts in a dominant performance.

Ava Horst (2-3, R, 2 SB), Kohn (2-3, RBI); Ava Wright (2-2, R, 3 RBI) and Gracie Mae Hurd (2-2, 2 R) each had multi-hit games for Elma.