The championship was the 26th in the Brakettes' illustrious 58-year history and third in a row under Manager John Stratton. It also tied the team with the New York Yankees for the most national championships.

Compiling a 4-0 tournament record, the Brakettes allowed only one run as they finished the season with a 50-4 record, including 16 straight victories after losing a pair of games to the United States Olympic Team July 17 at DeLuca Field.

Batting second in the lineup, McLean battled back from an 0-2 count against losing pitcher Christine Doyle before she lined a 2-2 pitch down the left field line. Pawol was inserted to run for Erica Sobel, who doubled to right center with one out in the inning.

"It was a great effort," said an exuberant Stratton just seconds before he received an ice-water shower by an excited group of Brakettes, many of whom were playing in their first national tournament. 'T'm really proud of our kids. They played extremely well and the teams we played were all worthy championship contenders."

Not many predicted the Brakettes would be the last team standing this time around, considering they lost virtually everyone from consecutive championship years that produced records of 78-1 and 65-5. Most of the players opted for the new National Pro Fastpitch league, leaving Stratton and General Manager Bob Baird a lot of holes to fill in the lineup.

Stephanie VanBrakle (8-1) picked up the championship game win as she struck out nine and allowed six hits. She worked out of several jams, including a one-out, first-and-third situation in the top of the sixth inning and a runner on third base with one out in the seventh.

McLean, who had a vintage season with a .315 batting average, pitcher Michelle Green, shortstop Stephanie Best and first baseman Callie Piper were first-team All-America picks. VanBrakle, third baseman Jessica Merchant and center fielder Teri Rooney were named to the second team. Green (9-1), who picked up two wins and a save, was the tournament's Most Valuable Player as well as the Bertha Tickey Award recipient.

In the winner's bracket final, Green struck out 12 batters as the Brakettes dropped the Carbondale, IL, Cougars into the loser's final with a 3-1 win. Merchant's RBI single in the first and Green's fielder's choice in the third accounted for two runs, while Best slammed a 300-foot home run in the bottom of the fifth after the Cougars had scored a run.

The Brakettes beat the St. Louis Saints 2-0 in the semi-finals. Rooney scored in the first on a wild pitch and Sobel gave the Brakettes an insurance run when she drove in pinch-runner Ellen Sarosy in the top of the seventh inning. Sarosy ran for Green, who lined a double to left field. Piper sacrificed Sarosy to third and Sobel delivered against the Saints' drawn-in infield.

In the tournament opener the Brakettes drew the Storm, the team that had finished fifth the year before in Pekin. The Brakettes scored the game's only run in the second inning. With the bases loaded and two outs, Rooney bounced a single up the middle to score Green, who pitched the 1-0 shutout and struck out 11. Piper and Green both hit safely twice.