The Capital Region Reign 18U Gold team earned second place at the 16th Annual USSSA Softball B East National Championship in Ocean City, Maryland.
Placing in this tournament, which was comprised of 43 teams from across the United States and Canada, is no small feat. The tournament ran from Monday July 25th through Saturday July 30th, with the teams battling it out game after grueling game during hot weather conditions.
The tournament started out an uphill battle with Capital Region Reign going 2-2 in the four pool play games that kicked off the first two days of the tournament. Then on Wednesday morning, the Reign lost their first double-elimination–round game 8–0 to the New Jersey Raiders.
Spirits were low after this crushing loss.
“The manager’s family didn’t stick around for the second game and headed for the beach in disappointment,” said coach Tony LaPointe.
The prospect of victory was bleak, as the number of consecutive games that would need to be won was massive. The disappointment seemed to be continuing when Capital Region Reign were losing 2-0 after three innings of their second elimination-round game against the Pennsylvania Heat Elite. But determination and teamwork overpowered defeat and Capital Region Reign came back to win that game, 6-4.
And that’s when “the Reign Train got a rollin’,” said Coach Tony LaPointe.
Defying enormous odds, the team went on to win an improbable nine consecutive games and made it to the final championship games on Saturday. They eventually lost 5–0 to the USSSA Pride–Teal, out of Buffalo, NY.
Although they may not have clinched the winning spot, this team’s accomplishments were incredible. During their winning streak, the Reign notably avenged their initial 8–0 loss to the New Jersey Raiders Raiders with a 7–2 victory, and eliminated them from the tournament.
The Reign, with 10 amazing players and two pitchers, played an intense 15 games over six days. The players fed off the energy of intense intra-game drama and continued to grind it out day after day with several nail-biting finishes that led to a very exciting 2nd place finish and memories to last a lifetime. There were undeniable tears of joy in the eyes of the parents, players, and coaches alike.
In the words of Coach Joe Commisso, “This was an emotionally draining experience that nobody will ever forget. We battled tough schedules with rain issues and heat and humidity all week long; it was a gritty performance.”
Team Manager, Bill Mochrie, who has been running the Reign organization for 11 years, said this was his proudest accomplishment.
“I knew this team was special and we peaked in the nick of time to make for a fantastic finish.”
And a fantastic finish it was.
This group of players are from Saratoga and Rensselaer Counties. Kelsey Higgins (Shenendehowa) was named the tournament’s offensive MVP, with four home runs. Emma Marciony (Columbia) won the defensive MVP for her pitching, with two two-hit performances.
