By Savvy Rafkin

LOVELAND, Colo. – With ten games down at the Colorado 4th of July 14u Sparkler Juniors tournament, the eleventh was the one the OC Hustlers 06 and Epic 2k7 Gaither were waiting for. 

The OC Hustlers didn’t have an easy start to the week in Colorado. While reaching the championship game in any tournament is quite the feat, the Hustlers accomplishment proved to be all the more impressive after going 1-3 in pool play. 

But pool play is only pool play, and six wins later, the team was sitting in the first base dugout, ready to go. Once the coin was tossed at Barnes Softball complex, records didn’t matter. It was the championship game, and it was time to play softball. 

A quick three out inning left Epic going into their first offensive appearance hopeful to jump on the Hustlers quickly. 

But with a scoreless first inning, both teams quickly realized it would be a battle to the end, just like the road to the championship game. 

The Hustlers took the tough competition as a challenge and scored one in the top of the 2nd inning with teamwork from Ashley Capelouto and Darian Rycroft to get the run across. One run quickly turned into two and the Hustlers found themselves at a 2-0 lead. 

And the lead would hold. In the third inning, the Hustlers stacked on another four runs to the score while Epic only added two.

Widening the margin once again, the Hustlers scored five more runs at the top of the fifth inning, pulling away from their opponent for good.

The Hustlers took home the Bronze bracket title after an 11-3 game. With nine hits and only three strikeouts, the lineup certainly saved their best performance for last.

“This group right here, they never quit,” Hustlers coach Rick Aldrich said. “It’s awesome. We came into bracket play 1-3, and it’s tough. It’s almost like they go ‘okay, now it’s time to play. That’s out of our way, now it’s time to play.’ They did everything they were supposed to do and it’s awesome. I’m very proud.” 

By Kyle Koso

COLORADO SPRINGS – After knocking on the door for five innings Saturday night, the 12u Beverly Bandits-Norwood team likely had bruised, blistered knuckles.

But those hands were raised in the air in celebration eventually, as the Bandits scored six runs in the final two frames to polish off the 12u championship game of the Triple Crown Sparkler Junior tournament, 6-1, over the Georgia Impact 08.

With weather delays and previous games running long at the Skyview Complex, patience might have been an issue for the Bandits, something made even more acute as they fell behind 1-0 immediately and simply couldn’t break through. Runners would get to third base, and hits would percolate through the lineup, but Impact starting pitcher Jordan Young mixed her fastball with a great changeup and kept the scoreboard clean.

Finally, in the top of the sixth, the Bandits solved the riddle. Emma Bruggenschmidt doubled in Molly Southall, and Reagan Kerns hit a two-bagger that brought in two runs as the squad took the lead. With pitcher Maggie Krause throwing strong, the Bandits had their recipe for a championship.

“It’s the never quit attitude that this team brings to every tournament, day in and day out. They are fighters,” said Bandits coach Scott Norwood. “I tell them before each at-bat, look for one pitch, and if it’s not there, don’t do it. It’s about your focus at the plate.”

Norwood used sacrifice bunts to advance runners early in the game; he chose not to with runners on first and second and no outs in the sixth. A fielder’s choice made it one out with runners still in place, and it looked like the inning might get away from them, but three extra-base hits were more than enough remedy.

“I get a little antsy at bat sometimes, but I tried to clear my head and not be as nervous and have confidence in myself while I’m up to bat,” said Kerns, who hit a screaming liner in the first inning that was caught for the final out, preventing the tying run from scoring. “Maggie gives it 110 percent all the time and is so reliable. If you get an opportunity, she holds on and does great.”

“My defense helped me a lot, and my teammates helped me stay calm,” said Krause, who allowed fours hits and one walk to go with eight strikeouts, including the final two batters. “I tried to take deep breaths. I knew my offense would come, because my teammates always come through for me.

“We feed off each other. When one person gets a hit, the others keep it going.”

Sadie Binkley’s double brought in the fourth run of the sixth inning; in the seventh, Southall hit a single to bring home Courtney Norwood, and Addie Norman scored the final run on a wild pitch. Southall had a big day from the leadoff spot with three hits, and Bruggenschmidt had two hits and a walk.

With a high national profile and the expectations that come with it, the Bandits were proud to take their place in a long line of tile winners at national-scale tournaments. Players hail from six different states and don’t get a lot of practice time together.

“I’ve got faith in them, and they have faith in each other. A great group of girls,” coach Norwood said. “Kids and parents, they know what we need to do to get them to the next level. And the work involved … they will have to travel, with long days and nights, sweat and tears.”

The Texas Bombers Rogers National team won the 12u Silver Bracket title on Saturday night as well.

By Courtney Oakes

AURORA -- Madison Conley has sent double-digit softballs over the fence this week at the Colorado 4th of July tournament, but it was the one that got away that turned out to be key for her Epic Premier Smith team in Saturday's 16U Supplemental Power Pool victory.

With her team in a tie ballgame with I-5 in the fifth inning at Kennedy Softball Complex, the 2023 slugger — who leads the 16U bracket at the tournament in home runs with 10 — launched a ball to deep to center field.

But this one wouldn't make it out, as I-5 outfielder Rayne Corona nabbed it as she fell over the breakaway fence in center field for an out. Because she landed out of the field of play, however, the Epic Premier runner on first base got to advance to second. Danni Sottile followed with a base hit to drive in the go-ahead run in what turned out to be a 7-4 victory.

"I was disappointed and not disappointed, because it was a good catch, but I know that it did go over," said Conley, who also had a run-scoring single in a three-run third-inning rally and also leads the 16U division in RBI with 23.

Corona's play was certainly the defensive highlight of the game and it preserved a 4-4 tie, but Epic Premier coach Tony Smith had to appeal to the umpires to make sure his baserunner advanced.

After a consultation on the rule, the umpires allowed Braedyn Sheofee — who was pinch running for 2024 catcher Beth Damon, who opened the inning with her third single of the game — to move up.

"The rule says that any time a catch takes you out of the playing surface, it's an automatic advancement," Smith said. "That was huge, because Danni came up and got a base hit right after that. The umpires had to check with the UFC, but the call went our way."

Indeed Sottile — who knocked in a pair of runs earlier in the game — came through with a grounder up the middle to put EPIC Premier in front.

"We needed a run to get on top, so I was trying to get it," said Sottile, a Northeastern State commitment. "Close games keep us motivated and keeps us pushing. When we get way up, we kindof fall back, but when it is a close game, we keep high energy."

EPIC Premier had seen a close game get away earlier in the week — a 15-14 loss to So Cal Athletics Marinakis in which both teams had double-digit innings on offense — but tacked on some key insurance runs against I-5.

Conley led off the seventh inning with a solo home run that landed so far beyond the fence that Corona could only turn and look.

It was the latest in a series of bombs off her bat in a memorable week.

"I'm really just staying back and looking for base hits," Conley said. "If it goes over, I guess it goes over."

The next batter, 2022 Kylie Kuykendall, followed suit with her fourth homer of the week for a three-run lead and reliever Addisyn Peterson made it stand up with a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh inning.

Valencia, California-based I-5 also showed a power stroke in taking an early lead, as first baseman Casey Edwards homered in the first inning to drive in herself and Savannah Gatewood and hit a solo shot in the third inning.

I-5 starting pitcher Savannah Arreguin also drove in a run on the first of her two hits.

Smith was pleased with the fight shown by his team in addition to the power surge that has produced 20 home runs thus far going into Championship Sunday, as well as a .453 team batting average that is fourth-best in the 16U group.

"We have 20 home runs so far in five games, which is keeping us in it," Smith said. "When you have that kind of hitting and score those kinds of runs, you get a little bit of pitching and defense and it'll keep you in a lot of games."

I-5 had to turn around and play the AZ Hotshots Day, while Epic Premier advanced to an 8 a.m. contest on Sunday at the Aurora Sports Park against a yet-to-be determined opponent.

WESTMINSTER -- ​Midway through California Cruisers’ 2021 Colorado 4th of July campaign, head coach Alan Caouette needed to make a change. Not in the lineup, in the coach's box.
 
“We needed a different energy,” explained Caouette. “Sending a different third base coach out allowed me to focus on calling pitches.”
 
Caouette’s gamble has more than paid off. Since the change, the Cruisers have rattled off five straight victories, including a 7-0 effort over GA Power – Tunon that vaulted California into Sunday’s 16u Power Pool Championship Bracket.
 
“The bats have really come alive,” said Caouette. “Earlier in the week, the bottom of our lineup was really producing. Recently, the top of the lineup has come alive and it's given us a much-needed spark.”
 
The top end of the California lineup went right to work in its crucial contest against the Power on Saturday afternoon at Christopher Fields in Westminster, Colorado. Though leadoff hitter Siena Stickney flew out to centerfield on the first pitch of the game, her hard-hit ball was a sign of things to come.
 
A walk from Leilani Gonzales setup up Chloe Lesko for the opportunity she’s been waiting for all week.
 
“I’ve been a big target for pitchers this week,” Lesko said. “I’ve been getting walked and hit numerous amount of times. I’ve been hit at lead five times.
 
“I just went up there with the idea that if this was my last at-bat, I didn’t want it to go down as another hit-by-pitch, walk or an out. I was really just hunting with a vicious swing at the plate.”
 
Whatever Lesko was hunting, she found it, killed it and will keep it on her mantle. A no-doubt, two-run blast gave the Cruisers a quick lead, 2-0.
 
While Lesko drew two more walks on the afternoon, California wasn’t quite done with the first inning yet.
 
Starting pitcher Avery Relph hadn’t even touched her glove yet before lacing a triple to right-center field. Later coming around to score via Kennedy Hobson’s inch-perfect suicide squeeze, Relph was part of a five-run inning that drained the life out of GA Power.
 
“We’re not going to hit home run after home run,” said Lesko. “We just went into this past few games thinking we need to jump on it early and not let the opposing pitcher throw her pitch. Instead, find ours.”
 
Lead in hand, the California faithful might’ve forgiven Relph if she was a bit blasé with a sizable lead. Not so. Relph, a heavy pitch-to-contact arm, was rock solid across all five innings of work.
 
“I predominantly throw my drop-curve all the time,” Relph said. “I like to throw it inside to try and jam the hitters to let my defense work. My defense does a great job behind me. They are always working back there in every single spot. They work so hard and I couldn’t do it without them.”
 
Relph did surrender more base hits (three) than strikeouts (one) but it was all part of a masterful game plan that saw the lefty pitch five shutout innings to keep the Power guess all afternoon long.
 
“My goal was to use some of our other great pitchers yesterday and this morning to have [Relph] ready to go for tonight,” said Caouette. “We knew her drop-curve was going to give these hitters some trouble. She really doesn’t give anyone a chance to get any power behind it. She was awesome.”
 
California would add runs in the third and fourth innings from a sacrifice fly from Kelly Fyhrie and another beautiful squeeze from Relph to help herself out. Though with the stellar defensive effort from Caouette’s squad, the Cruisers all but assured themselves a spot in Sunday’s Championship Bracket.
 
“I’m so proud of everyone,” said Relph. “I’m so proud that we could do this, that we could make it this far and who knows might happen tomorrow?”
 
Relph and company await its opponent for Sunday’s 8 a.m. matchup at Aurora Sports Park. With such an early start on the final day of an already grueling week, Caouette knows just what he’ll be looking for tomorrow morning.
 
“They’re picking each other up like a sisterhood,” Caouette said. “They hang out together all the time. If they show up tomorrow loose and having fun, I’ll know we’re going to be alright.”

By Alissa Noe

ERIE -- All it takes is one great play to alter the course of a great game. 

On Saturday at the Ballpark at Erie for the Sparkler Juniors 14U tournament, Addison Duke gave the San Diego Power Surge the boost it needed when she launched herself over the center field wall to rob the Ohio Lasers of a two-run home run in the bottom of the third. That crucial out prevented the Lasers from increasing their lead in a matchup that eventually ended 8-7 in favor of the Power Surge.

“She was the first person I went to when the game was over because it was an amazing catch,” head coach Scott Berndes said. “We would not have won without that catch. If that (ball) had gone over, I think we would have lost.”

The Power Surge’s early deluge of offense served them well in the first inning as the team secured four runs in three consecutive at-bats, including a two-run bomb from Susanna Pate. Her first homer of the tournament couldn't have come at a better time, because the Lasers' offense responded with precision in the bottom of the same frame to close the gap to 4-2. 

“I feel like it just brought our energy up and really got us into the game,” Pate said. “We felt it from there. We were like, ‘We can do this. We got this game. We want this game.’ Usually, we’re a pretty strong hitting team. We’ve got lots of power hitters and then we’ve got our slappers for speed. I love our hitting. It’s so fun.”

As the game progressed throughout the next few innings, the Power Surge and Lasers traded blows as neither team managed to gain a solid lead early.

Duke's third-inning leap of faith put an end to the Lasers' rally, as they had taken a 6-5 lead on a triple from Ava Chevalier followed by a Delana Landefeld double.

“I knew it was deep from the beginning,” Duke said. “So I said, ‘Just get to the fence and you’ll take it from there. If it’s over, just catch it because you have to do whatever you’ve got to do for your pitcher. She’s doing all she can for you, so do everything you can for your team.’ It was amazing because I knew I had it. I had it all the way.”

The Power Surge defense fended off the Lasers the next four innings until their offense found life again in the top of the sixth with the help of a Laser error.

With two down and a runner on, Itzel Soto stepped to the plate and hit the ball hard to the Lasers' shortstop. Soto was able to reach base safely due to a fumbled catch attempt at first base. Pate, on third, didn't waste the opportunity to give her team the 7-6 advantage by sprinting home to safely beat out the throw.

Kiki Sandoval brought Soto home in the very next at-bat with a double of her own. The Power Surge's 8-6 rush ended there, but their defense got the job done one more time in the bottom of the sixth. 

The Power Surge improved to 6-1 at the Colorado 4th of July tournament and will get a bye for the single elimination tournament on Sunday in the same location. Now, the Power Surge sit just two games away from the championship.

“Fingers crossed,” Berndes said. “These girls will get us there. The girls just love to play and the fact that they might not get to play another game, hell, that makes them mad.”