Chain 04 softball team battles its way to world fast-pitch title

The Chain 04 fast-pitch softball team didn’t exactly do it the easy way.

But after playing 11 games in a six days, it was able to capture the 12-and-under World Fast-Pitch national championship held in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, in a tournament that ended on July 16. The team, made up from players all over Middle Georgia, ended its summer season with an impressive 49-22-2 record.

After cruising through the pool round of the tournament with a 3-0 record, Chain 04 was seeded as the top team in the tournament. But any hopes of breezing through the tournament quickly ended as it dropped its first game in bracket play to Riptide out of Florida by a 4-3 score. Chain 04 battled back through the losers’ bracket, winning three straight games on Friday to make it to Saturday.

But it still faced an uphill battle.

“We got off the field about 10:45 on Friday night, which means no one got to bed before midnight, and we had to be back at the fields at 6 a.m. for a 7 a.m. game,” Chain 04 head coach Jeff Jones said. “But all of the girls came back ready to play. We knew we had a long Saturday to win the tournament.”

Chain 04 had its back to the wall in the first game Saturday. The Richmond (Virginia) Rampage actually had a 6-2 lead heading into the fifth inning, but Chain 04 scored eight runs in the inning for a 10-7 win. That led to a championship berth, and it had to beat Riptide twice to win the tournament.

“I was worried heading into Saturday because the teams we were playing were rested and we were playing while they were resting,” Jones said. “When we were down 6-2, I didn’t have to say much to get them going because this is a very motivated group. Looking back now, I can see what a great effort it took to even get in the championship games.”

Chain 04 rolled early and often in the first game of the championship, cruising to an 11-5 win. But it had to deal with yet another challenging situation, when the weather pushed the game back a full 3 1/2 hours after the first game was played.

“At that point, I really think we were just ready to get back on the field and play, but we were able to keep our focus through the delay,” Jones said.

The championship was close all the way, but Chain 04 found a way to win 4-3.

Chain 04 was led by outfielder CC Luna, who hit .483 in the tournament, and Sarah Hatcher, who hit .455. It got strong pitching from Hailey Daughtry and excellent defense that was led by Hudson Smith, Kaitlyn Hallman and Luna.

“We play softball year round, and it takes a lot of dedication not only from all the girls, but from the parents also,” Jackson said. “We feel like this team was prepared for a national tournament because we played such a tough schedule. This is a first year 12-U team, and I don’t think I could have asked for a better season.”

This story was originally published July 25, 2016 at 9:59 PM with the headline "Chain 04 softball team battles its way to world fast-pitch title."