After a full resceduling due to wet weather, the 2024 Under 18 Girls' State Championship went ahead on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 May at Blacktown International Sportspark, showcasing the best Junior female softballers across the state! With eight (8) teams participating in a full round robin, it was an action-packed weekend.

The 2024 Under 18 Girls' State Championship featured the following teams:

Cumberland Nepean

Hornsby

Manly Warringah

Newcastle / Tamworth

North Shore

Penrith City

South West

Sutherland

Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award Winners

Cumberland Nepean - Jessica Middleton

Hornsby - Isobel Lambert

Manly Warringah - Andi Lau

Newcastle / Tamworth - Maggie Attard and Molly Gill

North Shore - Tayla Moore

Penrith City - Chloe Johnston and Addison Mitchell

South West - Markayla Butler

Sutherland - Maya Gillies

Best Batter and Best Pitcher Award Winners

Batting Award:

Charlize Aplitt

Sutherland Shire

0.818 batting average; 1.091 slugging average; 0.929 on base average; 12 Runs; 3 RBIs

Pitching Award:

Arwen Kavanagh

Cumberland Nepean

15 innings pitched; 65 batters faced; 6 hits; 23 strikeouts; 1.91 ERA

Level 3 National Umpire Accreditation

Congratulations to the six (6) NSW candidates who successfully achieved their Level 3 National Umpiring Accreditation during the 2024 Under 18 Boys' and 2024 Under 18 Girls' State Championship events.

Brandon Clark - Newcastle & District

Craig Hemphill - Sutherland Shire

Peter Markowiak - Hornsby District

Noah McGaughey - Cumberland Nepean

Karin Ursino - Central Coast

Christopher Walker - Southern Districts

Girls' Grand Final

The 2024 Under 18 Girls' State Championship Grand Final was a highly-anticipated event, after two challenging elimination Semi Finals earlier in the afternoon - one with a come-from-behind win for Manly Warringah over North Shore, and the other with an 8th inning extra time showdown allowing Sutherland Shire to progress over Cumberland Nepean.

Would Manly Warringah look to take their first Championship in this age group since 2017, with an undefeated streak across the weekend? Or would Sutherland take back the shield for their first appearance in the Grand Final in ten years?

With both teams battling through their fifth game of the day, at the end of the seventh inning we were at a 1-1 deadlock. Smart batting and fast base running at the start of the tie-breaker gave Manly a 4-1 lead at the top of the eighth, but a handful of outfield singles and a two-run double from Sutherland's Maya Gillies in the bottom tied the game back at 4-4. With the winning run now on second base, and Sutherland down to their last out, Addison O'Connor's RBI double to the fence at right centre secured the game. With a three-run deficit, Sutherland weren't ready to go down without a fight, taking out the Under 18 Girls' State Championship title five (5) runs to four (4), in one of the best State Championship Grand Finals hosted at the Sportspark.

Grand Final Umpires and Statisticians

Plate - Joel Grimes

1st Base - Nicholas Beashel

2nd Base - Andrew Birks

3rd Base - Leith Roberts

Statistician - Sylvia Kohut

Grand Final Livestream: 2024 Under 18 Girls' State Championship - Manly Warringah vs. Sutherland Shire (Grand Final)

Final result: Manly Warringah 4 - Sutherland Shire 5

Final Placings

Champions - Sutherland Shire

Runners Up - Manly Warringah

=3rd Place - Cumberland Nepean and North Shore District

5th Place - Hornsby District

6th Place - Penrith City

7th Place - South West

8th Place - Newcastle / Tamworth

Softball NSW would like to thank all of the volunteers, athletes, team management and attendees who made the 2024 Under 18 Girls' State Championship such an amazing success!

Photography credits: Glenn Nichols (G.I.N Photography) - https://www.facebook.com/Glenn.GINPhotography/

For any further information relating to the event, please contact Softball NSW Events & Facilities Coordinator, Aimee Sutton, at events@softballnsw.org.au.