The Mayors Cup Championship

Brookline Little League Association
Citisports Baseball/Softball
Mayor's Cup Championship - 2021

Brookline Little League Association players and fans made what has become their yearly pilgrimage to PNC Park, this time to cheer on the 12-Under and 16-Under girls as they competed in the prestigious Pittsburgh Citisports Mayor's Cup championship games on Friday, August 6, 2021. When the dust had cleared on the diamond, both teams had claimed their respective title.

Brookline's 12-Under girls, coached by Tara Garrubba, put on a dominating performance in their contest, routing Elliott by the score of 23-3 in just four innings. The 16-Under ladies followed up with a 7-5 victory over Morningside, making this a dual-banner weekend for the community!

12-Under Girls 16-Under Girls

The Batgirl and the Ball

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Pittsburgh Citisports

12-Under Girls

Brookline's defending champion 12-Under girls came to PNC Park on Friday, August 6. 2021, for their eighth appearance in the Pittsburgh Mayor's Cup title game. The ladies from the South Hills successfully added another notch to their championship belt by trouncing Elliott, 23-3, to claim their seventh title in eight attempts.

The top-seeded Brookline girls jumped off to a 5-0 lead in the upper half of the first inning. Elliott capped off the opening frame with three runs of their own. From that point on the game was all Brookline.

In a stunning display of offensive firepower and defensive prowess, all fourteen Brookline girls reached base and scored at least one run. Elliott, on the other hand, were held to just a pair of singles during the next three innings. After the fourth, the game was called on the "mercy rule."

At the plate, Brookline batters pounded out twenty-four hits, led by Aubrey Williamson 3-3, two doubles, three runs scored; Angelina Sohngen 3-3, double, three runs scored; Kaylan Philistine 2-3, HR, two runs scored; Mariya Chajkowski 2-3, double, HR, two runs scored; Quinn Phinney 2-2, two runs scored; Maddy McElroy 2-2, two runs scored.

Members of the Brookline 12U Girls Softball Mayor's Cup Championship team include: Alaina Hogle, Angelina Sohngen, Kaylan Philistine, Mariya Chajkowski, Aubrey Williamson, B.B. Stowe, Dana Jones, Chelsea Averell, Bailey Wyland, Quinn Phinney, Julia Walker, Gabby Dietz, Evelyn Damas and Maddy McElroy. The coaches were Tara Garrubba, Bob Sohngen, Hank Hogle and Joelynn Jones. The batgirl was Kayleen Jones.

The Batgirl and the Ball

For the daughters of Michelle Shelly-Jones, the Brookline softball season has been a highly anticipated yearly activity, beginning with the eldest of the three, Joelynn. During the 2018 18-Under championship, Joelynn was a key member of "Karissa's Army," and ended her Brookline playing days as a Mayor's Cup champion.

During that game, three years ago, Joelynn's younger sister Dana, then just beginning her softball career, was invited to be the team batgirl. After the game, she was presented with a ball autographed by all of the team members as thanks for doing such a fine job.

That signed ball became one of Dana's prized possessions, and in due time she developed into a fine ballplayer, just like her big sister. This year, Dana got her chance to play at PNC Park in the 12-Under Mayor's Cup title game, banging out a hit, scoring a run and joining Joelynn as one of Pittsburgh's champions.

The batgirl for this year's Brookline team was Dana's younger sister, Kayleen, the next in line for the Jones family softball trio. Kayleen joined her sisters on the team bench (Joelynn was a team coach) and performed her batgirl duties with diligence and charm.

In what has become a bit of a Mayor's Cup tradition, Kayleen was presented with her own special ball, signed by all of the team members, including the names of both her older sisters. There are now two autographed balls sitting on the mantel in the Jones home, and one more young lady with Mayor's Cup aspirations.

With hard work, dedication and a pinch of lady luck, it won't be long before we see Kayleen Jones gracing the PNC Park diamond as a player, following in the footsteps of her Mayor's Cup champion sisters, Joe and Dana.

16-Under Girls

Brookline's 16-Under girls made their sixth trip to Pittsburgh's Mayor's Cup championship game, at PNC Park on Friday, August 6, 2021. In a closely-contested game, the ladies from the South Hills triumphed over a tough Morningside team, 7-5, to claim their third title in six attempts.

The Brookline girls jumped off to a 1-0 lead in the first inning, and after three complete frames held a 5-2 edge. Morningside fought back to within a run at 5-4 in the bottom of the sixth inning.

In the final frame, a single by Aubrey Williamson drove in two runs to give Brookline a three run advantage. Morningside advanced one runner across the plate in their final at-bat, and had runners on second and third base when the final out came on a grounder to third.

Brookline batters banged out twelve hits: Alexa Hogel 3-3, double, two runs scored; Jaedyn Zilch 2-3, run scored; Kaylin Philistine 2-3; Alexa Philistine 1-2, double, walk, run scored; Taylor Roberts 1-2, walk, run scored; Haley Willy 1-2, run scored; Aubrey Williamson 1-3; Breanna Stowe 1-3, run scored.

Members of the Brookline 16U Girls Softball Mayor's Cup Championship team include: Alexa Hogle, Jaedyn Zilch, Laci Blanchard, Alexa Philistine, Breanna Stowe, Brianna O'Neil, Taylor Roberts, Aubrey Williamson, Kaylin Philistine, Gabriella Dietz and Haley Willy. The coaches were Justin Dietz, Eric Zilch, Joelynn Jones and Mikaela Vogel.

Others to reach the title game were the 1994 Little League boys, the 2013 12-Under girls, the 2013 15-Under girls, the 2015 12-Under girls, the 2016 15-Under girls and the 2017 Little League boys, the 2018 15-Under girls, the 2018 Pony League boys, the 2018 Colt League boys and the 2019 Little League boys.

Photos provided by Clint Burton, Megan Hutchinson, George Glass and Michelle Shelly-Jones.

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