Normally, in months when one of our kids has a birthday, I write my family blog post on that day. I will still do that for Ava’s fourteenth birthday later this month; however, our Fall 2025 14U softball season with the Hawks just came to an incredibly exciting end, and I felt the need to write a separate post about it. This was Ava’s favorite softball season, and I wanted to document our playoff run while the details are still fresh.
We entered the playoffs as the number two seed with a regular season record of 9–2–1. The playoffs use a double elimination format, which means every team can lose once and keep playing, although the second loss ends the season. Our first opponent was the Halos, the number three seed, on a Thursday night. They have one of the strongest pitchers in the league, and her dad is the most experienced coach around. It was their first season in 14U, although they had gone undefeated and won the championship in 12U the previous year. We beat them twice early in the season, then they beat us in our last regular-season matchup.
Their pitcher was locked in for this first playoff game, and they beat us 4–1. They played the Lady Outlaws, the number one seed, immediately after and won that game as well, which secured their place in the championship. Because they had not lost yet, they would get two chances to win the title.
Meanwhile, our team fell apart emotionally after our loss to the Halos. We always meet briefly after each game, but this one began with one player in tears and quickly turned into an argument among the girls about how one teammate had been treating others. I stayed quiet and let them work through it. When things finally settled, I reminded them of Ava’s first season in 12U. That team went undefeated during the regular season, then lost their first playoff game, and still won five straight to take the championship. I told them we had the talent to do the same if we could regroup and play together.
I was not sure what to expect the next evening. Would everyone show up? Would the argument linger? Fortunately, the girls seemed lighter and closer after letting everything out. We had no room for error, and our first opponent was the Thunder, the lowest ranked team in the league. We won 6–3, then played the Bomb Squad, the number four seed, right afterward. We had beaten them twice already, so I felt confident. Here is a short excerpt from the AI recap of that game:
“Hawks flipped the game on its head in the bottom of the first, scoring five runs on five hits to take the lead, 5-3. The biggest blow in the inning was a double by Ava Pellegrini that drove in two.”
It was another close game, but we won 10–7 and kept our season alive.
That game had two moments I will never forget. First, Lex, our starting pitcher and power hitter, hit a home run over the fence. Inside-the-park home runs happen now and then in our age group, but hitting one out is rare. She had been trying to do it for two seasons and had come close many times. When she connected on a high fastball late in the game, there was no question it was gone. Her brother recovered the ball, and she later asked me to sign it. It was the first over-the-fence home run in Hawks history at any level.
The second moment came in the final inning. Bomb Squad was down 10–7 and beginning to rally. With one out and runners on first and second, they hit a high fly ball to left field. Our left fielder that inning was a first-year player who had never played a season of softball before and had not caught an outfield fly all season. She tracked it perfectly and made the catch. The crowd erupted, especially her mom, who kept yelling, “Hell yeah”! I gave her and Lex co–player of the game awards.
Winning those two games sent us to Championship Saturday, although the road was still long. We first had to face the number one-seeded Lady Outlaws. They had beaten us every time since I became head coach. We tied them once this season, then lost the second matchup, and they beat us both times last year. I wanted that game badly. The winner of our matchup would move on to face the Halos, who would still need to be beaten twice.
Heavy rain postponed Saturday’s games to 10:30 Sunday morning. Ava and I arrived at the park at 9:15 for warmups. I always run drills with the players before each game, and I had a good feeling that morning. The girls looked sharp, and the energy was positive. I made sure to tell several of them, “Today is our day”.
We lost the coin flip again and batted first. I believe we are the best hitting team in the league, and we proved it by scoring the maximum five runs in the top of the first. The Lady Outlaws answered with four. After that, our pitcher settled in and never allowed another run. Meanwhile, our bats kept working. We won 12–4, our first ever win against them. Ava contributed an RBI double. I was thrilled with that win alone and would have considered the day a success even if we lost to the Halos afterward.
Here is the video of the game with the Lady Outlaws:
We lost the coin flip again for the first championship game and went down 7–0 by the end of the third inning. At that point I was hoping only that we would avoid a shutout. Fortunately, our bats came alive in the fourth and we scored the maximum five runs. The Halos scored two more in the bottom half, giving them a 9–5 lead. I told the girls they were still alive but needed at least four runs in the next inning to extend the season. They responded with another five-run inning, which gave us a 10–9 lead. We still needed three outs. The Halos loaded the bases with one out, and a base hit likely would have scored two. Their hitter ripped a line drive, but our shortstop snagged it, then our pitcher earned her biggest strikeout of the season to secure the win.
Here is the video of that game:
Once again, we lost the coin flip (what are the chances?), which made us the away team for the final game. I welcomed it because our pitcher had thrown two complete games already and needed as much rest as possible. The Halos’ pitcher clearly did not have her best stuff, and I told our team the momentum had shifted our way.
Ava came up in the top of the first with a runner on second and no outs. She singled and drove in a run, our only run of the inning. The Halos answered with five. More importantly, one of their hitters lined a ball straight at Ava at third base. She got both hands up, but the ball hit her bare hand rather than her glove. It was a frightening moment. She was crying and apologizing. Jessica helped assess her hand, and thankfully, she was not injured. She refused to leave the game. I kept her in the dugout for the second inning to calm down, which frustrated her, but I reminded her she had not missed a defensive inning all season. She was our only player with perfect attendance for the entire year, including practices, clinics, and games.
Neither team scored in the second inning, and our bats woke up in the third. Ava hit an RBI double, and we scored four to tie the game. We held the Halos scoreless, then headed into what would almost certainly be the last inning of the season. I gathered the team and told them that time was about to run out. I reminded them of what they were capable of and asked them to prove it one more time.
They did. Ava hit another RBI double, and the other Ava on our team hit an inside-the-park home run. We hit the maximum five runs and led 10–5. Lex fought through exhaustion and held them scoreless again. The five runs they scored in the bottom of the first ended up being the only runs they scored in the game. Here is part of the AI recap:
“Hawks collected 14 hits in the game. Ava Pellegrini led the Hawks with three runs batted in. The third baseman went 3-for-3 on the day.”
Here is the video of the final game:
Winning that game felt surreal. I walked out of the dugout with my hands in the air, and Ava ran straight across the field to hug me. She was crying and overwhelmed. The whole team was celebrating, except for Lex, who had nothing left in the tank. She had thrown 59 pitches on Thursday, 180 on Friday, and 228 on Sunday. That is 467 pitches in one weekend! Our backup pitcher never appeared for the playoffs, so Lex had no choice but to carry the load.
After the game, I invited the families to join us for our final talk. I praised the girls for their work and their ability to resolve Thursday’s issues and come back stronger. I told them to be proud of themselves because no one can give this to them; they have to earn it as a team. I talk to the team a lot about how there’s so much more to youth sports than wins and losses. Whether they realize it or not, they’re learning lessons that will serve them well later in life. Things like setting goals, hard work, how to be a good teammate, and working towards a common goal. I then gave out a few awards, and we took plenty of photos with the trophy.
I know several coaches with far more experience who have never won a championship, so doing this in my second season as head coach felt special. I became an assistant coach because Ava is my only child who plays team sports, and I wanted to be involved. I never expected to become the head coach, and even when I did, I had no idea what the role would demand. There is far more off-the-field work and conversation than I ever imagined, and not all of it is enjoyable, but when a parent pulls you aside and tells you about the positive impact you’ve had on their child’s life, that is a humbling and rewarding experience that can’t be replicated. I may have started coaching for my daughter and my love of the game, but it became something larger. It made me a motivator, a teacher, and a confidant, and it brought new friendships into my life.
I do not know what the Spring 2026 season will look like. Several of our top players are starting high school and will be trying out for their school teams. I hope they also return to our league, although there are no guarantees. I know I will be coaching in some capacity, but I do not know how many of the same players will be with me.
On Monday evening, Ava and I watched all three games on YouTube. After the excitement of Sunday, it felt strange to be still. We were not sad about the outcome; we were sad that the season was over. Only one team gets to end the season with a win, and we were fortunate to be that team, but the sudden quiet after so many games, practices, and shared weekends hits hard. You get used to the rhythm of it, to the families you see several times a week, and then everything stops. I explained to Ava that, by definition, all seasons must come to an end. There will be more to come, although none will ever replace this one.
This season was special for both of us, and we will not forget it. Even though we are sad it is over, we have already started working on her game for next season. Today, we started refining her batting stance and part of her swing mechanics. We are also excited to work on elevating her defensive play at third base. I think she is beginning to understand that while the wins are a lot of fun, the journey is the real reward.
