What do Loudoun County's Fire and Ice and the Shamrocks have in common with the country's top two college teams -- UCLA and the University of California, Berkeley? Answer: They are expected to place high, if not win, a softball title every year.

Both the 16-and-under Fire and Ice and the 18-and-under Shamrocks are bringing home more hardware after respective first- and second-place finishes in national tournaments earlier this month, proving why area softball teams have become the teams to beat.

"[Northern Virginia teams] are without question [the teams to beat], at least in the PONYs," said Fire and Ice manager Greg Jenkins.

In dramatic fashion, the 16-and-under Fire and Ice softball team bettered 116 teams to win the PONY National tournament, their fifth out of seven attempts.

Battling a scoreless tie into the bottom of the seventh inning, Fire and Ice finally secured the national championship with an RBI single up the middle. Kori Bonner hammered a fastball on a 2-2 count that scored Tanya Gittings from third and beat the Pennsylvania Leather and Lace 1-0.

"[The pitch] was the perfect height, and I just hoped the other team didn't catch it," Bonner said. "[My family, friends and coaches] were all very happy and congratulatory. I got lots of hugs."

Not lost in Bonner's one-man heroics was Kirby Jenkins, Fire and Ice's lone pitcher throughout the tournament. Jenkins finished with a lofty 14-0 record, struck out an astounding 311 and walked only three in 25 games.

"We have excellent defense," said coach Greg Jenkins. "We pride ourselves on our defense, and she prides herself on her pitching."

Coach Jenkins led his team to its most successful summer yet – a 44-9 record. He singles out the team's hard work and dedication to explain their accomplishments.

"This may be the best Fire and Ice team that I have had the pleasure of coaching," Jenkins said. "These girls showed what it takes to be national champions."

And speaking of national champions, the 18-and-under Shamrocks, which are based in Loudoun but draw from wider area, almost brought home a championship of their own, finishing second in the ASA Gold Nationals. The ASA Nationals is widely considered the crown jewel of all national softball tournaments. They lost 5-1 in the championship game against California's perennial power, Orange County Batbusters, but the Shamrocks left knowing they had lost to a worthy opponent.

"They were a very experienced team," said assistant coach Al Anch. "California is always the best. Nearly their whole team was going to the PAC-10."

The Shamrock's most consistent hitter throughout the tournament was Stonewall Jackson's Courtney Bures. Bures, the fifth-ranked prep shortstop in the country, according to Anch, finished the tournament batting .421 and led the team in hits with 16. Dani Woods and Steph Van Brakle were the team's heavy hitters, as each connected for three home runs while Van Brakle led the team with 10 RBIs.

Van Brakle, a player at the University of Alabama, didn't contribute solely from the batter's box. She also pitched 56.1 innings, struck out 73 and finished 7-1.

"Steph was new to us this year," Anch said. "She has already pitched in the college World Series, so she is used to that level of competition."

After the tournament, Bures and Van Brakle were invited to try out for the U.S. Junior National team, a feeder to the Olympic team, according to Anch. Only 17 girls were selected out of 55, and Bures and Van Brakle didn't make the cut. Ten of the 17 girls are from California.

By placing in the top four, the Shamrocks have earned an automatic berth and second seed in next year's tournament. According to Anch, the team will probably return about five or six of this year's squad.

"[The coaches] are very proud of them," Anch said. "I know Tommy [Ornsdorff, the team's manager] has never been prouder of a group. We met our goal [of at least a top 10 finish] and said, 'Why not win another?'"