The Fresno Force defeated the San Diego Renegades 6-3 to win the 2014 18u TC Western World Series in San Diego, CA. The Force finish the tournament with a 9-0-1 record including winning seven games in a row en route to the championship. The Tournament had a record 212 entries..
With the Force trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the 4th, pinch hitter Teddi Diedrich entered the game. Diedrich crushed a two-run homer to give the Force the lead and ultimately the win.
“This is a really big win for our four seniors who are going on to play college softball. Those four have really been our leaders and carried us through,” said Fresno Force Head Coach Jeff Jennings. “Ultimately it was a team effort and there wasn’t a single player on this team that didn’t make a contribution the entire week. I am really proud of our girls.”
The Force added to their lead in the 5th inning following two doubles and a sac fly giving the squad a 6-3 cushion. Force pitcher Arizona Pilgrim pitched a full game and struck out the final Renegade batter in the top of the 7th for the victory.
“We came into bracket play knowing we have a pretty good club,” said Jennings. “We felt like we were in a good position to make a little run and it just kept building after each win. Our pitching got better as the games went on and we got more efficient and were throwing strikes.”
The Force moved through pool play with a 3-0-1 record earning the No. 1 seed in the C Pool. Their only tie came against a tough TC Stars club 3-3 in pool play game No. 3. The Force then went on a tear winning seven consecutive games holding opponents to a combined 10 runs including two shutout performances.
The San Diego Renegades had a fantastic tournament finishing with a 9-3 record. The Renegades fell to Teamsmith-Carlson early in bracket play and had to win three straight games to work their way back up into the championship. One of the wins included a redemption victory over Teamsmith-Carlson 9-3 advancing them into the championship game.
The Renegades scored two runs in the 3rd inning on a triple followed by a double to give the team an early lead. The Force quickly tied the game in the bottom of the inning on two errant pitches that scored runs.
The hitting frenzy by both clubs continued in the 4th as the Renegades regained a 3-2 lead on back-to-back doubles. But it was Diedrich’s homer that put the Force back on top for good.
Both teams end the 2014 season on a high note and have multiple seniors who have played their last game and will be competing for colleges starting in the fall.
The Force 16U team won the 2013 Triple Crown 16U Gold Division National Championship at Lake Tahoe, California.
