Salinas, Calif. - James Madison University incoming freshman Jenny Clohan (Ashburn, Va./Broad Run) pitched her club team, the Virginia Shamrocks, to the Amateur Softball Association’s 18-and-Under Gold National Championship this past weekend, as they topped the Arizona Hotshots 3-1 in the finals.
Clohan picked up the win in the title game, striking out two over five shutout innings. It was Clohan’s second victory of the tournament, as she also pitched the Shamrocks into the semifinals with a 5-1 victory over one of the pre-tournament favorites, the Worth Firecrackers.
It was the second appearance in the championship round in the past three years for the Shamrocks. Finishing second in 2003, they are the only east coast team to ever make the final round. The Shamrocks-Hotshots final was the first Gold title game to not involve a California team.
The Shamrocks were undefeated for the week rolling to seven consecutive victories, including topping the runner-up Hotshots twice. They opened with a 2-0 victory over another pre-tournament favorite, the second-seeded California Cruisers. The Georgia Force forced the ladies to eight innings in their second round game, but the Shamrocks prevailed 1-0.
After defeating the Beverly Bandits 4-2 in 11 innings, Clohan pitched a four-hitter against the Firecrackers moving the Shamrocks into the semis.
The Gold Nationals Tournament is the largest and most prestigious in club softball as 64 teams earned bids to the tournament and then fought for the title over a one-week span.