By Carlos Arias
Photos by Orlando Ramirez/USA TODAY

Brooke Vestal, FloSoftball's No. 1 2018 prospect delivered the Firecrackers first 18U Premier PGF National Championship. The right-hander committed to Oklahoma beat the Cruisers, 2-0, to make history. 


Pictured: Brooke Vestal

"She was good," Washington-bound shortstop Nicole Bates said of Chloe Romero. "She had a lot of movement and natural up-spin, so as lefties we were just trying to get on top of the ball."

Bates, who had two of the Firecrackers three hits, slapped her way to a single to lead off the bottom of the first. With one out, Washington-bound Kaija Gibson layed down a sacrifice bunt, but the first baseman couldn't hang on to the throw. Gibson and Bates were both safe. Bates stole third on the next pitch and scored on an overthrow at third. Gibson ended up on third and scored the second run on Oregon-commit Mary Iakopo's sacrifice fly to right field.


Pictured: Kaija Gibson

"Just being lucky," Bates said, "putting the ball on the ground and trying to make something happen."

That was it for the Firecrackers' offense. Vestal and Romero proceeded to go toe-to-toe in a classic pitching duel from that point on.

"It was an amazing pitching duel," Vestal said. "My defense and offense did the little things we needed to get the win. It makes it so much easier to relax on the mound. It just allowed me to do what I needed to do for us to come out with the win. Our defense was incredible. All week they made the plays that we needed."


Pictured: Chloe Romero

Vestal retired the first 10 batters she faced before the Cruisers, who knocked off the No. 4 Birmingham Thunderbolts, No. 14 Texas Blaze, No. 2 So Cal Athletics-Richardson, and the So Cal Choppers during their run to the finals, got runners on first and second after a single by Rylie Seip and a walk. But Vestal  got a pop out and a ground out to end the mini-rally.

The Cruisers loaded the bases on a walk, an error by Vestal and a bunt single by Elyse Morris to bring up the top of the order with one out inthe fifth. But again Vestal took care of business, getting Mississippi State-commit Makenna Cantillo to pop out and Seip to ground out to end the threat.

Vestal, who walked three and struck out four, retired six of the final eight batters she faced to secure the three-hit shutout.

"We've been working so hard for this," Bates said, "and I honestly can't explain how great it feels."



The Firecrackers lost in the first two PGF championship games in 2010 and 2011.

"I felt good about us," Rico said. "We had talent and we have a lot of the right pieces, but I just know too much about this game. You can say you are going to do this and that, but I'm just really glad it worked out. Things worked out for us."

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