Everybody in the softball community has heard of the Firecrackers, but Firecrackers from Utah?
Fred Rollin's Firecrackers UT put themselves on the map with a 7-4 victory over Birmingham Thunderbolts-Dorsett to capture the PGF 16U Platinum national championship on Saturday afternoon at Deanna Manning Stadium in Irvine, California.
Photo: Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA TODAY Sports
"A lot of people thought we're from Utah and we're just an easy walkover," said Rollin's daughter, Jazmyn Rollin, a Missouri-bound third baseman. "We just come out and do our job and execute."
Rollin, who went 3 for 4 with two runs and two RBIs, smashed a solo homer to right field to send the Firecrackers to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first.
Photo: Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA TODAY Sports
Madi Rouska made it 2-0 with a solo blast to left-center field in the top of the second. Keisha White doubled and stole home plate on a first-and-third play and the Firecrackers added an unearned run for a 4-0 advantage in the top of the third.
White and Helena Gonzales had RBI singles and Rollin drove in a run during a three-run rally in the fourth as the Firecrackers seemed to bury the Bolts with a 7-0 lead.
The Bolts were on the verge of being run-ruled before Maddie Majors, Shelby Sloan, and Jordyn Manning led off the bottom of the sixth with consecutive singles. Then South Alabama commit Kassidy Wilcox stepped up and smashed a grand slam to left-center field to help the Bolts cut the lead to 7-4, but the Salt Lake City-based Firecrackers were able to hang on for the victory.
Photo: Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA TODAY Sports
Written by Carlos Arias
Follow him on Twitter @SoCalSidelines.
Fred Rollin's Firecrackers UT put themselves on the map with a 7-4 victory over Birmingham Thunderbolts-Dorsett to capture the PGF 16U Platinum national championship on Saturday afternoon at Deanna Manning Stadium in Irvine, California.
Photo: Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA TODAY Sports
"A lot of people thought we're from Utah and we're just an easy walkover," said Rollin's daughter, Jazmyn Rollin, a Missouri-bound third baseman. "We just come out and do our job and execute."
Rollin, who went 3 for 4 with two runs and two RBIs, smashed a solo homer to right field to send the Firecrackers to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first.
Photo: Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA TODAY Sports
Madi Rouska made it 2-0 with a solo blast to left-center field in the top of the second. Keisha White doubled and stole home plate on a first-and-third play and the Firecrackers added an unearned run for a 4-0 advantage in the top of the third.
White and Helena Gonzales had RBI singles and Rollin drove in a run during a three-run rally in the fourth as the Firecrackers seemed to bury the Bolts with a 7-0 lead.
The Bolts were on the verge of being run-ruled before Maddie Majors, Shelby Sloan, and Jordyn Manning led off the bottom of the sixth with consecutive singles. Then South Alabama commit Kassidy Wilcox stepped up and smashed a grand slam to left-center field to help the Bolts cut the lead to 7-4, but the Salt Lake City-based Firecrackers were able to hang on for the victory.
Photo: Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA TODAY Sports
Written by Carlos Arias
Follow him on Twitter @SoCalSidelines.