The Goleta 12U Thunder of the Goleta Valley Girls Softball Association captured the 12U Gold Division title at the Moorpark Mother’s Day Tournament last weekend.
Goleta went 4-0 over the weekend and outscored opponents 27-10 along the way to finish atop the 14-team field.
The most dramatic of wins came in the championship game, where Goleta pulled out a 10-7 victory in extra innings.
After trailing 6-0 after 1 ½ innings, Goleta scored six unanswered runs to send the game into extras. Both teams scored in the sixth to make it 7-7, and the score held there until the bottom of the ninth when Goleta won the championship on a walk-off, three-run home run.
“The championship game lasted almost three hours, and we used every player we had,” Goleta 12U Thunder manager Nick Henderson said.
“We were out of subs by the end of the seventh inning and every girl contributed in a meaningful way with a big at bat to start a rally, a key stolen base or a great defensive play to end an inning.”
The Goleta pitching staff allowed just two earned runs across the four games played, while the offense hit over .300 as a team and stole 17 total bases.
“This team has only had three practices before this tournament, and they gelled as a team faster than our coaching staff could have imagined,” Henderson said. “The belief they have in each other and how they cheer each other on and pick each other up is special.
“The comeback in the championship was incredible and showed the heart and character of this team, and the walk-off home run was an epic way to end the long day.”
The Goleta 12U Thunder roster consists of Adalina Baltadano, Alanna Millinghaus, Farrah Weiss, Kaliyah Sutherland, Kayla Hollowell, Lillian Onishi, Maclean Fergus, Maddie Anderson, Marissah Corral, Myla Perez and Peyton Henderson.
The team is managed by Nick Henderson, with assistant coaches Devonte Millinghaus, Julie Weiss, Justin Anderson and Jason Sutherland.