Both of the finalists in the DeMarini Invitational Showcase had come into the championship game after dominating in the semifinals offensively and in the circle.

The St. Louis Chaos got a no-hitter and grand slam out of pitcher Danielle Baumgartner (2015, Missouri) in a 9-0 shutout of the Rhode Island Thunder while the Birmingham Thunderbolts Premier team stopped Illinois Chill 6-0 on a one-hitter by pitcher McKenna Gillespie (2017, uncommitted).

So it was interesting to see how the final game of the 175 for the week would play out. Would it be a one-sided blowout or a back-and-forth nail-biter?

Turns out one team would continue its dominance at the plate and shorten the game significantly.

The St. Louis Chaos jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first as Katie Reed (2015, Kentucky) doubled and came home on a sac-fly by Jenny Schaper (2015, Kentucky)

The red, black and white clad team pushed across another run in the second as Danielle Baumgartner walked to lead off the inning and came home on a two-out single by Brittany Nimmo (2015, North Carolina State) to extend the lead to 2-0.

In its half of the second, the Bolts–dressed in bright yellow with purple trim– got the first two runners on as Morgan Nelson (2015, Northwestern) doubled to left-center and Kendall Veach (2015, Auburn) reached on a flair that dropped into the infield.

Bree Fornis (2015, Auburn) then tied the game on a bullet that landed at the bottom of the fence in right-center for a double bringing in two runs.

Carmyn Greenwood (2016, Auburn) next singled to right bringing home Fornis for a 3-2 lead and Elissa Brown (2016, Alabama) would add a fourth run in the inning on a flair over third base to make it 4-2.

Coach Evan Beatty of the Chaos made a pitching change with two outs in the inning as Nimmo came in to relieve Maddie Seifert (2015, Penn State), but the onslaught continued.

With runners on third and second and two outs, Libby Sugg (2015, BYU) hit a rocket down the left-field line to score two more. Nelson followed by torching a pitch over the left center fence for a two-run homer and, suddenly, it was 8-2 just in the bottom of the second.

In the bottom of the third, the Bolts picked up where they left off as Bishop, Fornis and Greenwood all singled to load the bases. Greenwood’s hit was a bullet that literally took the glove off Nimmo’s hand and rolled to second base.

Brown then drove a single to centerfield to bring in a run and make the score 9-2. Beatty made a second pitching change, bringing in Baumgartner to relieve Nimmo.

Then came the blast of the week: with the bases loaded, Sugg hit a fly ball to right that her mother initially blurted out, “Too much air!” but the rainbow shot kept drifting and drifting until the left fielder ran out of room and tumbled into the temporary fence.

And, that was it… the grand slam made the score 13-2 and the game was over because of the 10-run mercy rule after three innings.

The Bolts finished with 12 total hits in only three innings, with just one in the first and the other 11 coming in the second and third innings.

Stars on offense included Nelson, who had a home run and double in the same inning (the second) and Sugg, who also homered and doubled with a total of six of the Bolts’ 13 runs to her credit.

“It felt really good,” Sugg said of the final hit of the game, “and then I saw the outfielder going towards the fence and I knew it was gone.”

Of the week, Sugg said, “I think we were more relaxed and we were just going up and swinging and not thinking about it.”

She and her teammates admitted it was a great achievement, but there are bigger goals on the horizon.

“Our goal is to win Nationals and I think this was a great way to lead into it,” Sugg said.

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