Sunday’s lineup of games to determine the 18u Power Pool champion features a deeply skilled set of teams, well-known programs who are no strangers to the winner’s circle.

Athletics Mercado-Smith and Texas Bombers Gold earned first-round byes Saturday in the bracket; waiting for them at 10 a.m. Sunday at Aurora Sports Park are Arizona Storm-Mathis and Warrior Academy-McDonald, respectively. The other matchups in the final eight are Firecrackers-Rico and Lady Magic-Munoz, along with Lady Dukes Lamar and Bombers Gold National.

The six teams that needed wins late Saturday to advance all hit double figures in runs scored. Warrior Academy-McDonald plated 16 runs, and Bombers Gold National scored 15 runs.

Top bracket seeds in the 18u Supplemental are MN Magic National and GA Power Gold-Tunon.

​By Courtney Oakes

Aurora, Colo. - The Lady Magic Munoz 18U team doesn’t take losing kindly and just may not do it again.
So far in a nearly week-long run of play in Colorado, the Elk Grove, California-based squad has only tasted defeat one time, but its no doubt been a spark.

Coach Ernie Munoz’s team has scored 16 runs or more in three of the four games since that loss, including a 17-2 shortened victory over Warrior Academy Saturday at Aurora Sports Park in which it pounded out 13 hits and batted around twice in just three at-bats. Center fielder Dakota Kennedy had a grand slam and seven RBI on the day as the Magic continued an offensive onslaught in the 18U Power Pool of the Colorado 4th of July tournament that brought it to the cusp of qualifying for the final day.

“I think that loss definitely kickstarted something for us for sure,” Munoz said of the defeat to the Lady Dukes out of North Carolina on Wednesday in a television game. “We’ve been on fire since yesterday,” he added. “I can’t say what our best hitting display is, but we tend to come to Colorado and have fun with the long ball here.”

The Magic — which had put up 16 runs against Firecrackers Breasher, 18 against EPIC National Smith and 11 against Utah FC Korth since their loss — had fun with the long ball during a third inning that saw 14 hitters come to the plate and every single player in the lineup score a run.

Oregon State signee Shaylen McDowell opened the inning with a solo home run and Kennedy followed walks to Grace Matej (Utah State) and Tayler Biehl (Arizona) and a single by Mickey Winchell (Notre Dame) with a bomb over the fence in center field. The University of Arizona signee — one of three straight left-handed hitters at the top of the Lady Magic order — jumped on the next pitch after she took a close one with two strikes that was called a ball.

“That’s only the second grand slam I’ve ever hit,” Kennedy said. “I’ve been trying to think about making the most of the pitches I have and I did on that one.” 

Kennedy — who said the loss “woke us up a bit” — also knocked in a pair of runs during a six-run first inning that put the Lady Magic out in front from the get-go.

Biehl and Winchell both reached and stole bases and Kennedy promptly doubled them both in for a 2-0 lead less than 10 pitches into the game and prompted a pitching change by Warrior Academy.

Tiana Bell (California) hit a solo home run and Matej had a bases-loaded base hit that brought in three runs as highlights of the opening inning.

Winchell finished the day 3-for-3 and drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, while Kennedy, Reina Zermeno (San Jose State) and Lauren Asia (San Diego) had two hits apiece and McDowell had a pair of RBI as the Lady Magic offense hit on all cylinders.

“It’s just a great offensive team overall,” Munoz said. “It’s definitely one of the more well-rounded teams we’ve had over the years. They are disciplined at the plate and we are doing it at different levels. We have the slappers with the speed, we have kids that come through in good situations and then the big boppers that come up and do what they do.”

Elaborated Kennedy: “I think that’s one of the things that separates us. We have power, but we also have some slappers and we can get bunts down, so I really think that is what makes us a threat to other teams. There’s also really good energy in the dugout. The last few tournaments we were working on our mechanics and this tournament, everyone has put it together.”

Staked with a big lead right away, starting pitcher Raimy Gambsy (Rutgers) pitched two innings and Malaya Johnson (Santa Barbara) closed it out with one.

Warrior Academy came into the game with some momentum after a slow start, as it posted a pair of victories Friday after it lost its first four contests.

Both of its runs came in the second inning when Ella Murchison (Stanford), Lauryn Horita (Tufts) and Adyson Kim (Univ. of Redlands) had consecutive hits to open the inning, with Kim’s driving in a run. Horita later came home after Kim broke for second base and was tagged out in a rundown. Hailey Weddington (San Francisco State) and Peyton Schemmer (Syracuse) had base hits as well for Warrior Academy.

The Lady Magic hope to keep their hot streak going in the single-elimination portion of the tournament and take it to Sunday afternoon’s championship.
​
“We’re ready to go,” Kennedy said. “I hope we face them (the Lady Dukes) again, I think it will be a lot better of a game. …We’re trying to outdo what we did last year here. We got fifth, so we’re trying to get higher.”

by Kyle Koso

NORTHGLENN, Colo. — Nickname nominations for Makayla Mendoza are now closed, with “Cemetery” and “Six Feet Under” leading the balloting.

Because when you hit the ball to Mendoza, that’s where at-bats go to die.

The shortstop for the Firecrackers CTX-DeMascio 16u team dominated defensively on Saturday in the 16u Sparkler Mount Elbert division, reeling in nine putouts as the Firecrackers (Georgetown, TX) got past the Lady Kingers, 7-1, at Rotary Park to advance into Sunday’s championship bracket. They’ll start up at noon Sunday at the Carroll Butts field complex in the hunt for the title.

Mendoza also reached base twice on the steamy afternoon, scoring a run in the five-run fifth inning where the Firecrackers took full command. Her work with the glove included stabbing a hard grounder in the top of the fifth, nabbing a line drive in the sixth and ending that frame on another grounder and yet another accurate throw to first base.

Hard-throwing starter Dorothy Ziebell took advantage of her defense’s skill set by allowing just four hits, striking out four and walking one.

“It’s definitely a good feeling, when your team needs you and you can provide all the skills your team needs,” said Mendoza, who was even a bit agitated at a bad-hop single over her head in the fifth that no one could have solved. “Get the outs when you can, get out of the inning and go back to score some runs. When the other team had the bases loaded (in the sixth), there was a lot of pressure, and you just want to get the last out, get out of the inning.”

The Lady Kingers (Oregon City, OR) took a 1-0 lead with a solo home run from Karah Miller in the second inning, but the Firecrackers countered in the third as Bella Loredo Awmiller laid down an instructional-video-perfect bunt to bring in Abby DeMascio. In the fourth, Ziebell worked her way through a long at-bat to punch a fly ball into left, and on the sacrifice fly the lead run by Kamryn Kothmann came home.

Ziebell added an RBI in the fifth and said she was very glad to provide those offensive moments since her defense had been playing with such quality. DeMascio made an amazing diving catch in right field as well in the sixth.

In the circle, Ziebell pitched with a purpose and didn’t mess around much out of the strike zone.

“I try to never fear the batter. If they can hit it, great, but I try to put it in there. They may miss, and they don’t always hit it hard,” she said. “I try to attack, with a mindset that I’m better, I have the spin and the speed, and I’m going to do great.

“That was a stressful at-bat (on the sac fly), I fouled a lot of pitches off. I thought I could see it pretty well, and I was pumped up to hit it and get the run to score. It was so exciting to see the defense make those amazing plays; I was so happy for them and it really gets my heart racing.”

Olivia Villanueva had two RBI for the Firecrackers.

“We talk about mindset with the team, making sure that they pick the pitch they want to attack and they make good decisions at the plate,” said Firecrackers coach Chad DeMascio. “We have drills that work on that, and we do it at game speed so they are cool, calm and collected and can execute. It’s not about any one individual, but it is about what we do in practice.

“We reinforce the foundation, the basics of softball. The first hour of practice is nothing but basics, every practice. Sometimes it gets little boring for them, but it comes out when it’s time.”

by Kyle Koso

AURORA, Colo. — With 12 years already invested in the sport of softball, Sophia Taliaferro has evolved into a genuine weapon on her roster, willing and more than able to perform at the plate or take on the defensive tasks at catcher, shortstop or the outfield.

A two-time all-state honoree from Vienna, VA., Taliaferro is in good standing with her teammates and coaches. But standing still is not an option for dedicated athletes chasing their ceiling, which meant Taliaferro eagerly signed up for three pre-tournament offerings at the Triple Crown 2022 Colorado 4th of July event — College Camp Sunday, and then back-to-back sessions at Elite College Camp Monday and the organizational workout of her club program, the Fury Platinum.

All this took place before her Fury Platinum National-Chiles 16u team even started action in the tournament. It’s safe to say Taliaferro is tapping all her energies in Colorado, figuring the best way to secure a future in the sport is to fully engage in the present.

Triple Crown’s college camps fit right into that plan.

“First and foremost, I want to meet the college coaches who will be there … it’s important to be able to meet who you might play for in person,” said Taliaferro, 16, a junior-to-be at Bishop O'Connell High School in Arlington, VA under coach Suzy Willemssen. That team is a two-time defending state champion group, and Willemssen was just awarded the inaugural TCS Joan Joyce Award on Monday.   

“There are different personalities, different ways to teach the game, and it’s important to find someone you connect with. It’s good practice to put yourself in those situations. You’re under pressure to perform, and going into that will make you better for sure. And you never know what you’ll learn. There are new drills and new perspectives I’ve seen by going to camps like this.”

Taliaferro started playing at age 4, getting an itch for the diamond sports from watching an older brother play baseball. Around age 10, a club coach took time to highlight how Taliaferro’s skills and mindset could really lead to something special, and her affection for the game took off from there.

The left-hand hitter will know more about the shape of her recruiting journey in September when her graduating class can be contacted by Division-I programs. The academic and athletic reputation of Notre Dame appealed to her for the Elite Camp on Monday, and she enjoyed her time with the Fighting Irish staff at Aurora Sports Park. 

“I would say culture is a big factor; I want to go somewhere I know the coaches care about how I’m playing, but they care about me as a person as well,” Taliaferro said. “Notre Dame talked about their culture, how their relationships with players look, the mental aspect of the game. You have to prioritize your mindset before you can get to how you play — it all feeds off each other.”

The environment of each school is a worthy topic to consider. Athletes know the college road ahead will include a tempo-heavy mix of classwork, early-morning weight room chores, film study, practices, road trips … it’s critical to find the right landing spot when much is being asked of you.

“The benefit of going to individual camps, you can get a feel for their philosophy, what they expect from their players and their staff. You hear what they say and watch what they do,” said Taliaferro’s father, Aaron. “The drills they run will tell you a lot about what they are looking for. You need to understand, is it a developmental culture, a transactional culture … it’s not right or wrong, but players and parents should know what you’re getting into. The camps help you toward understanding that.”

If growing skills and showing tenacity is part of what makes earning a college scholarship possible, it’s nice if the game remains something fun and fortifying to the spirit. Taliaferro said she’s immersed herself in softball, giving herself to it because of what it gives back.

“The game makes me feel special,” she added. “Not everyone can say they get to go out and do these cool things, travel and be with a team all the time, meet great people. It’s cool how much the game has brought me … it’s built me as a person. It’s something I can tap into; whenever I don’t like what else is going on, there’s always softball.”

COLLEGE CAMP CREDITS — There were 1,502 players attending the 19 camps that were run on Sunday, and Monday there were 517 players in Elite Camps. There were about 250 college coaches directing the camps.

“The Colorado 4th of July camps, both multi-school and elite camps, have brought so many talented and knowledgeable coaches to one location,” said Triple Crown camp director Alyson Carter. “Our Elite College Camps continue to house the top programs in the country including four schools that were in the Women’s College World Series (Texas, Oklahoma State, Florida and Northwestern) and all but one making it to NCAA Regionals this postseason.”

​AURORA, Colo. – Ada Little put forth a star performance in the circle as Tennessee Mojo 2025 Gregory knocked off the Birmingham Thunderbolts Premier 2025 Kemp, 7-2, in the 14u Power Pool Championship, capping off a perfect 6-0 start to the Colorado Fourth of July event for Mojo.
 
Little pitched all seven innings with only two blemishes, a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth inning with the team already up 6-0, and then one run in the bottom of the seventh inning with the game in hand. Little was near perfect in the first four innings, giving the offense enough time to find its rhythm.
 
After being shut out in the first two innings, Tennessee Mojo finally got on the board courtesy of Lilly Livingston, who launched a three-run homerun to give the team a 3-0 lead. In the top of the fourth inning, Mojo once again added three runs, this time utilizing some impressive small-ball play. Mojo increased its lead to 4-0 when Jade Carnahan scored from third on a double-steal attempt. Two more runs scored on a deep fly ball from Avery Adcock to give Mojo a commanding 6-0 lead through four innings.
 
Tennessee Mojo added one more in the top of the sixth inning on a solo home run from Karley Moreland.

by Kyle Koso

AURORA, Colo. — Even a partial comeback can prove a team has backbone.

Thursday evening’s 16u Power Pool TV game for the Colorado 4th of July event saw the Lady Knights Black (Hawaii) jump on top of Virginia Unity with a four-run burst in the fourth inning. With only one hit to that point, the Unity might have wondered about their ability to respond in front of the big crowd at the Aurora Sports Park.

But right away, they answered with three runs, leaving work to do but with a sense that the roster had the pieces to do some damage. With two runs in the fifth, one the sixth and a door-slamming effort from reliever Addi Linton, the Unity capped their rally and posted a 6-4 victory.

The first four batters for the Unity in the fourth reached base; Destiny Harris got the scoring started with an RBI single, Jayden Heavener plated one with a single and Esther White drove one in with a sacrifice fly. Linton, who ended the Knights’ push in the fourth with a strikeout, returned to the circle and scattered three hits and a walk the rest of the way, adding three strikeouts.

“Our coaches told us all the pitchers needed to be ready; when my name was called, I had to go in and do my job,” Linton said. “It’s the best feeling to be out there, having your teammates behind you. We talked in the dugout about needing to keep the ball on the ground (when hitting) because of the wind, and we worked hard on that.”

“That kid is a great competitor, and she wants the ball in big situations,” said Unity co-coach Josh Johnson. “What a huge win for her.”

And actually, Linton did just fine at bat getting a ball up in the air — in the fifth, her sky-high fly ball twisted the Knights fielders before it landed, and the spin took it clear to the fence by the third-base dugout for a double. Brinli Bain drove her in with a sacrifice fly to tie it, 4-all.

The next batter, McCall Sims, followed with arguably the clutch hit of the day, a two-out single that brought in Frankie Vrazel to give the Unity the lead.

“The wind was in our favor; I was just telling myself, hit a ground ball up the middle,” Sims said. “I wasn’t that nervous; I felt confident. We all trust Addi, and she’s fun to make plays behind. If we play how we know how to play, we can win any game. We had that confidence.”

“We got punched in the face and had to get back at it,” Johnson added. “It was a little worrisome, but once you get that first run, it feels different and changes the mindset in the dugout. McCall has been there with big hits all year, and there’s a reason she’s hitting third in our lineup. She’s a great basketball player, but really good at softball, too.”

The final run for the Unity came in the sixth, when White reached on an error and was doubled in by Rylie Johnson.

For the Knights, Taryn Ho hit a two-run home run in the fourth.

WESTMINSTER, Colo. – Looking down the lineup of the 18u Lady Dukes Lamar roster, and the college commitments jump off the page at you. Arkansas. Florida. Duke. Ole Miss. Michigan. Texas. The list goes on and on. That talent was on full display on Wednesday night as the Lady Dukes knocked off the Lady Magic, 14-5, in the 18u Power Pool Championship game.
 
“The talent on this team is ridiculous,” Head Coach James Lamar said. “Like anything in life though, there are a lot of talented people in life. But the difference that sets apart the talent from the production is the work ethic and the commitment to excellence. It’s truly amazing to watch them get better and better every tournament. They are playing up to their potential and exceeding expectations.”
 
The Lady Dukes fell behind 2-0 in the top of the first inning but answered immediately back in the bottom of the inning with a pair of two-run homeruns from Aminah Vega and Julia Lassiter. Altogether, the Lady Dukes had six home runs in the game, a byproduct of the extra work that the team put in earlier in the week.
 
“We spent so much time prepping for this, we got into town on Saturday,” Lamar said. “We spent two days working at the fields and we paid some coaches to come in and work with us on Sunday. We had Steve Singleton from Texas come in and do a hitting clinic and Olivia Watkins from Boston College to work with our small ball and slapping. As you can see, it paid dividends. Our mental approach is just a lot better.”
 
After a pair of one-two-three innings in the second inning from both the Lady Magic and the Lady Dukes, the Lady Magic made it a one-run game in the top of the third inning with a solo homerun to make it 4-3, but once again, the Lady Dukes answered quickly. In the bottom of the third inning, Kiki Estrada got things started with a solo homerun, her first of two in the game, to make it 5-3. Nadia Barbary followed that up with a solo homerun of her own to make it 6-3, and then Atalyia Rijo got in on the action with a two-run homerun to right-center field to make it 8-3 and gain control of the game.
 
The Lady Dukes added three runs in the bottom of the 4th inning, with most of the damage coming from Jolyna Lamar, a 2025 commit, who laced a two-RBI double to make it 11-3. With their backs up against the wall, the Lady Magic scored on a pair of RBI singles to cut the deficit to 11-5, but Estrada ended the game in the bottom of the fifth inning with a three-run homerun.
 
“This win is great and all that, but it’s over now,” Lamar said. “The thing we need to focus on is we start back up on Friday. We need to get reset and refocused because we can’t be satisfied with the appetizer. This is the appetizer, and now we are ready to get that full course meal starting on Friday.”
 
The Lady Dukes return to action on Friday and will be looking to back up their dominant performance in the Power Pool bracket. One thing is for certain though, the team isn’t taking any of its time together for granted with this being the last summer that the team is together before all the players head off to their various colleges.
 
“It’s like watching your baby take their first step, that’s what it feels like to me as a coach,” Lamar said. “I want to send them off the right way. I look forward to seeing them play this time next year playing in the regionals and super regionals and college world series. For me this is a special moment. I can’t even quantify what it means to me to watch them go on to the next level.”

by Kyle Koso

AURORA, Colo. — One tip regarding the Arizona Storm-Captain 16u squad — keep an eye on the top of the batting order.

The first three batters in the lineup for the Storm for Tuesday’s 16u Power Pool game at Aurora Sports Park dominated early, going 7-for-7 and scoring six runs to build a lead against the Alabama Thunderbolts-Sherman. Those runs held up after a Bolts rally, with the Storm heading to the hotel with a 7-5 victory.

Storm starting pitcher Kaitlyn Tso threw three innings and then came back in the sixth for the final two outs after the Bolts had scored three runs in the frame.

That bit of drama may have been rooted in the Storm’s hope to get some the reserves into the action, but either way, the roster will always have a fighting chance with Faith Kroening (triple, three runs), Raegan Holtorf (three hits, two runs, two RBI) and Makenzi Padilla (three hits, a home run, four RBI) setting the table.

“We came into this game really prepared for the competition we were going to face. We were able to get going and score some runs,” Padilla said. “I think we are ready for this.”

“I know they can hit, and when they do their job I do mine in the circle. I just stayed calm (in the sixth inning); whenever the coach needs me I’ll go backing and do my thing,” Tso said. “We have players who can hit, a good pitching staff, great catchers, and the defense is amazing, too.”

Padilla hit a three-run homer to dead centerfield in the first inning; Bolts pitcher Ryley Harrison seemed determined to right the ship, striking out three in a row to end the frame and then homering herself in the bottom of the first to make it 3-2.

In the second, Holtorf fought through a long at-bat that easily hit double figures in pitches to nail a run-scoring single, and Padilla drove her home with a single as well, making it 5-2.

“Having Faith hit above me kind of helps, she’s an awesome leadoff, and we like to jump on certain pitches early in the cont,” Holtorf said. “That helps us a lot; we see each other’s at-bats and can work off each other. It got little shaky at the end, but Kaitlyn can go in there and just punch pitches right in the zone. We were able to get out of it.”

Two more runs for the Storm made it 7-2 after four; the Bolts made it interesting by taking advantage of a walk, passed ball wild pitch and an error — a double from Emily Chandler made it 7-5. Tso closed the door with an infield grounder and a foul-out near third base.

“I think you’re always hoping your team will get better and better, and I would hate to put any limits on them or begin to imagine they’ve maxed out,” said coach Steve Captain. “We’ll continue to push them; be better every game and take no one for granted, because every team here is solid.”

by Kyle Koso

AURORA, Colo. — For softball players hoping to set sail and land with a top college program someday, there’s logic in anchoring their skills to prepare for the trek.

Broadly speaking, that’s what drives two wildly popular offerings from Triple Crown Fastpitch ahead of game play at the Colorado 4th of July event. College Camp Sunday and Elite College Camp Monday in 2022 saw droves of athletes putting in their time in sessions lasting four hours or more at Aurora Sports Park, with college programs and their coaching staffs running the drills and sharing the thoughts designed to make players more prepared for a post-high school future in the sport.

On Monday, Notre Dame ran its camp, piloted by head coach Deanna Gumpf and her assistants. From high-tempo workouts to conversations about reaching and thriving in the college game, Gumpf’s group dug into the task of providing a valuable experience.

“We want them to have the opportunity to show us what they have; if there are fundamentals we feel we can help with, we absolutely say something. We also want to be encouraging,” said Gumpf, who has run the softball show in South Bend for 21 seasons. “The more they love the game, the better they play. When we set up this camp, it was all about seeing them in as many game situations, with some pressure, as possible. Lots of reps — these are kids who want to be recruited by us, so we want them to have the opportunity for us to see them in action. We got them as busy as possible, kept them working, and added a bit of pressure.”

Sharing space with an elite academic and athletic outfit like Notre Dame was a highlight moments for players such as Matea Muraoka and Sophia Peterson.

“What bright me out here today, Notre Dame is a high academic school and they had a phenomenal season this year — that caught my attention and is something I’d love to be a part of in the future,” said Muraoka, 15, who plays for the Batbusters 18 Gold and hails from Stockton, Calif. “So I came out hoping to get a little bit better than when I started. Today exceeded my expectations; it was run very professionally, quick pace, just how I like it.

“I just got moved up to the 18’s, so I’m trying to find consistency with my hitting, figure out the adjustments I need to make coming from a younger team. I use the girls as motivation; I don’t think I compare myself, but I want to make sure I have an edge playing along some the best girls in the country, and that will push me to work harder when I’m home, being the scenes, when no one else is there.”

Both Muraoka and Peterson hit long home runs during drills at the Notre Dame camp, and both were determined to leave the camp with no regrets.

“I want to play D-I; I want to be one of the best. I work very hard and want to show that,” said Peterson, 15, who plays for the Lady Hornets and lives in Ashland, VA. “I loved the camp — I thought it was well run, and I loved that you could showcase your defensive and offensive side, and pitching, which is my focus. It’s something I would do again.

“I want to play the best competition I can. You know, you come to these camps and you see girls that definitely have an edge athletically, so you want to showcase yourself and show you can compete.” 

THE CASE FOR CAMPS — Gumpf stayed and talked with every player who lingered after the Notre Dame camp, posing for pictures and fulfilling the mission of connecting with those who’d taken the time and expense to jump into the mix.

“That’s why I love these camps in Colorado, and we were talking about this with the NFCA (National Fastpitch Coaches Association), that this is a wonderful opportunity to continue growing the sport. The amount of people who are out here and want to get better, who want the opportunity, what Triple Crown has done here is amazing. We are huge fans. We’ve not only seen great talent, but we get to new out here and show what Notre Dame is all about. It’s a win-win. I’m so happy with how it’s gone, and it makes us want to come out here early. Good talent, you get to know the girls a little bit — you guys do it right.

“After COVID, there was a lot of frustration because people felt like their opportunities to get recruiting had tightened up a little, but I feel we are coming back around again. We’re on track, and we want to dig into these next (graduation) classes — hey, there are opportunities galore right now, so let’s go take them. The players (who got an extra year) just have one more, so let’s go.”

By Courtney Oakes
​
Lily Holtje had big power goals for herself in the power department as her Florida Impact U18 team began play in the Colorado 4th of July tournament.

The hard-swinging Florida Impact catcher hoped to hit two balls over the wall for coach Pat Affrunti’s team for the week, but she can revise her hopes in light of the opening day Tuesday.

Holtje homered twice during a 15-2 victory over the St. Louis Chaos Mazzola at Highline Park to cap a day in which she and teammate Briana Neal had three round-trippers each and the team had a total of eight during a 2-0 start to 18U Supplemental play. 

“I already passed my goal of two home runs in one day,” said a smiling Holtje, who was 3-for-3 in the final game. “I just want to keep hitting them, working with everybody and having fun.”

Affrunti’s team had all sorts of fun at the plate against the Chaos (1-1), especially during a top of the seventh inning that saw the Impact pound out 11 hits and score 10 runs to break open a three-run game.

First came the execution, as Jesiana Mora singled to open the inning and Brianna Lyall and Hannah Harper followed with well-placed bunts that vexed the St. Louis defense.

Then came the power, as Neal hammered a ball over the fence in straightaway center for a grand slam, which was followed by a second solo shot for Holtje. Six more hits followed as Harper and Lily Bridges each knocked in two runs with base hits as the inning ended with 14 hitters coming to the plate and 10 crossing it.

“That was execution,” Affrunti said. “When we called the bunt, they got it down and created havoc. When they were told to swing, they looked for balls down and launched them. They aren’t used to the Colorado air. We hit eight home runs today, which is a lot for them.”

One player that did not hit a home run — but would have liked to — was Mora, who fell only a longball away from hitting for the cycle. The shortstop and leadoff hitter doubled to open the game, singled in the third inning and tripled to open the fifth inning, which gave her two at-bats to swing for the fences.

Mora took a couple of big swings, but dropped in singles in her first two at-bats on a five-hit day in which the Florida Atlantic University recruit scored four runs and made some outstanding plays in the field as well.

“I think I tried (to swing for a home run) twice, but I didn’t want to embarrass myself,” Mora said with a laugh. “After a couple of at-bats, they tried to pitch me in different places, so I was adjusting to that. …As a leadoff hitter, it’s always going through my head to just get on base.”

Mora did her job as she made it to at least third base in all five of her times on base and scored four times in addition to stealing a base and driving in a run. Neal, Ainsley Perdicanis and Maisi Sigler had two hits apiece.

Four Impact pitchers — starter Gwendolen McGinnis, Harper, Chloe Rayner and Charley Butler — limited a St. Louis team that scored 10 runs in its opening win over So Cal Choppers Ashley to six hits and single runs in the third and sixth innings.

Leadoff hitters went a combined 8-for-8 in the game, as the Chaos’ Abby Ulsas went 3-for-3 and scored a run in the third inning on a hit by Skylinn Pogue, while a solo home run by Abby Harvell in the sixth inning represented the other run.

The path to victory followed exactly the blueprint Affrunti sets out for his team before every game.

“It’s real simple, we play the game the right way and that will usually take care of itself,” he said. “We don’t come in looking for a W, we look to have quality at-bats, make defensive plays and have pitchers hit their spots. If those three things happen, we’ll be OK.”

The Impact have back-to-back games with the Arizona Hotshots Gold-Davis and So Cal Choppers Ashley teams at noon and 2 p.m., respectively, on Wednesday, while the Chaos play the Hotshots Gold at 2 p.m.

ERIE, Colo. – The 14u Power Pool games got underway in Erie on Tuesday, with one game pitting the Atlanta Vipers against the BSC Bengals out of Long Beach, Calif., giving both teams the rare opportunity to take on quality competition from the other side of the country. The Vipers edged out the Bengals, 4-3, to advance to the first-place game of the Box D Bracket for the 14u Power Pool teams.
 
Both teams struggled to get anything going offensively in the first two innings, with both pitchers looking comfortable and working out of any traffic on the basepaths with relative ease. In the third inning, though, the BSC Bengals got on the board when Renay Chavez drove in a run on a groundball single. Chavez, the leadoff hitter for the Bengals, was productive all day in the leadoff spot, going 3-for-3 from the plate and drove in two runs.
 
In the bottom of the inning, however, the Vipers would answer. And then some. After a pair of singles and walk loaded the bases, catcher Avary Stockwell stepped up to the plate with one out and looking to seize the momentum back. Stockwell found the pitch she was looking for and laced a hard line drive double into right-center field, scoring all three runs. Following Stockwell, Cecelia Springfield kept the momentum going with an RBI double herself, giving the Vipers a 4-1 lead.
 
The Vipers displayed patience at the plate and speed on the basepaths and once again loaded the bases, prompting a pitching change from the Bengals. As Bella Settembro entered the game to pitch for the Bengals, the team faced a 4-1 deficit with the bases loaded and still only one out. Settembro stepped up to the challenge and induced a weak ground ball to the third baseman, who got the force out at home, before striking out the next hitter looking and getting out of the inning with just a 4-1 deficit.
 
The Bengals added two more runs in the top of the fifth inning, one from an RBI single from Chavez, and the other from a passed ball, but couldn’t close the gap.
 
With the win, the Vipers will take on the Batbusters Spingola Berger, while the Bengals will take on Finesse 14u – Langlois.

FORT COLLINS, Colo. - ​There is nothing bigger in the youth softball calendar than the Colorado 4th of July (Sparkler/Fireworks) event. This year once again proves that as Triple Crown Sports will welcome over 1,100 teams to Colorado’s Front Range for the event, slated for June 24-July 3, 2022.
​
Stretching from the northern communities of Fort Collins and Greeley all the way down the I-25 corridor through Denver to Colorado Springs, the 4th of July tournament has rebounded fiercely from the pandemic-related disruptions of 2020 to once again welcome age groups 12u through 18u. The nation’s most competitive and high-achieving club programs will arrive in droves as the TCS fastpitch division puts over 40 complexes and 150 fields in motion.

The event has long been a prized destination for college coaches and programs as they look for talent to fortify their rosters. Showcase games as well as tournament play will put athletes in front of more than 500 coaches; added value comes through a series of camps and clinics directed by the coaching staffs from national D-I powerhouses through NAIA and JUCO programs.

Returning for a second-consecutive year to the 4th of July menu is the TC International Challenge, which kicks off the excitement from June 24-26 at the Christopher Fields complex in Westminster. These 28 teams were built on rosters that give players a unique opportunity to represent their nationalities and will be another recruiting highlight on the schedule.

Tournament officials are gearing up for two powerful convergence moments during the event, on the evenings of June 29 at Christopher Fields and June 30 at Aurora Sports Park. Both nights will feature all-star and power pool games to be broadcast by ESPN 3 and AthletesGoLive, along with multiple vendors, food and merchandise options – thousands of people are expected to attend each location.
 
College Sports Evaluation will be running a series of camps throughout the Colorado 4th of July event as well as their must-qualify events, which will have top-performing athletes showcasing their skills using sensor data technology while college coaches watch live.

Other key numbers revolving around the Colorado 4th of July event include:

• 150+ hotel properties
• 50,000+ hotel room nights
• Five umpire assignors
• Over 500 umpires
• Over 4,000 games scheduled
• Nearly 15,000 athletes
• 47 states represented 
• 1,400 players in college camps
• 2,000 players in all-star games

The 12u and 14u Sparkler Juniors brackets will play out in Colorado Springs and north of Denver, respectively. Championship day for 12u is Saturday, July 2, and for all other age divisions is Sunday, July 3.
​
“We are once again so excited to put on the Colorado 4th of July event,” said TCS fastpitch event director Stephanie Klaviter. “This has become the marquee event on the softball calendar, and we couldn’t be more excited for the turnout this year. We will put all our effort into making this tournament as memorable an experience as it can be for players, parents and coaches.”

“We are pleased to welcome Triple Crown Sports back to our community. There is no question about the significant economic effect that tourism brings, and tournaments such as the Colorado 4th of July add a large boost to our city,” said Juliet Abdel, President and CEO of the Westminster Chamber of Commerce. “Attendees spend dollars in gas, food, lodging and retail. This is pivotal to key areas of job creation, revenue for the betterment of our community’s infrastructure needs and our economy, which will ensure business doors stay open and families are taken care of.”
 
“Loveland is thrilled to welcome back the Colorado 4th of July tournament for 2022,” said Cindy Mackin Director of Visit Loveland. “We look forward to hosting this event every year in Loveland as thousands of tournament players, their families, coaches and spectators explore the beauty of Northern Colorado and get to experience everything you LOVE about Loveland. The economic impact from an event of this magnitude for a smaller city like Loveland is huge — this is especially true for our hotels, restaurants, shops and local attractions.”

With two days down and three quality wins under its belt, the Puerto Rico U16 team has everything it wanted in front of it.

Coach Willie Viruet’s group followed up a 2-0 opening day at the Triple Crown International Challenge with a hard-fought 5-2 victory over Greece Saturday at Christopher Fields to complete a perfect run through pool play and set itself up for a run at gold Sunday.

Like all teams in the tournament, Puerto Rico came in with hardly any practice time and chemistry mostly formed over Zoom meetings, but has consistently bonded during its winning start and played an outstanding game that was boosted by the music played by its fans for all five innings.

“We gelled pretty quickly, but its a lot easier now,” said pitcher Yessenia Lopez, who pitched the final two innings of the victory. “We’ve had lunches and breakfasts together and we’re constantly together now, so that helps a lot, too. Today it was very smooth and very easy. There’s no nerves, we’re good now. It’s just going out and playing.”

With a lot of the chemistry things worked out in victories over Canada (3-0), Israel (5-4) and now Greece, Puerto Rico has put itself in a position to better the bronze medal it won last year in the first year of the tournament. It is scheduled for a 10 a.m. Saturday game with Italy.

“This group is special,” Viruet said. “We were successful last year winning the bronze medal, but we have different goals. Putting ourselves in the gold medal bracket is really, really important, not only to use, but to our parents and those that are following us on the island. It’s a really, really big deal.”

Much like the Puerto Rico team that is playing well in the U18 bracket, the U16 team has abundant speed and is taking to the coaching staff’s aggressive philosophy.

Leadoff hitter Jasmine Green — who reached base and scored in all three of her plate appearances — and Natalie Brignoni drew back-to-back walks and later executed a double steal with Green scoring as Brignoni stole second.

Maya Soto then drove in Brignoni with a single and went all the way to third base on the throw home, coming in on Kiana Cruz-Flores’ single.

Just like that, it was 3-0 and Puerto Rico had set a tone.

“We’re trying to take chances and force the issue; that’s my style anyway,” Viruet said. “I think it’s important to do in international play. Sometimes they have to make the play. If they make the play, you tip your hat and move on. But I do want to steal bases, bunt and put the defense in stressful situations.”

Puerto Rico’s aggressiveness was costly at times as it had a runner picked off, had another caught stealing and another thrown out at third base trying to stretch a double into a triple. But for the most part, it paid off.

In the end, the first inning rally proved to be enough to hold off a Greece team that came in off pool play wins over Israel (6-2) and Canada (11-3).

It looked like Greece would hang offensively as Leah Jannakos cranked a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning to immediately cut into the deficit, but that would be all it would muster against the duo of starter Sydney Shaffer and Lopez.

Lopez came on after the first hitter of the fourth inning reached against Shaffer and immediately induced a groundball to shortstop Rio Mendez, who started a 6-4-3 double play, which Lopez followed with a strikeout to end the inning.

“It’s a big lift, especially being able to let my defense do it and know you don’t have to strike out three to get out of the inning,” Lopez said. “The double play was really big and a momentum-grabber. It was awesome.”

Lopez — who said she benefited from her older sister calling the pitches, as she does with Lopez’s Florida Gold team that is set to play in the upcoming Sparkler Tournament — struck out three hitters in a row in the bottom of fifth inning as the game came to an end after it reached its time limit.

Puerto Rico added single runs in the second and fourth innings, which were both scored by Green and both in opportunistic situations.

A throwing error with two outs in the second allowed Green to score and she came home one pitch later on a single by Brignoni, who was thrown out trying to take second. In the fourth, Green reached on a fielders choice when Puerto Rico’s lead runner collided with Greece’s shortstop and she came home on Brignoni’s double.

Viruet is looking forward to seeing what is possible on the final day.
​
“We’ve put ourselves in a good situation, we just have to take advantage of it,” he said.
Added Lopez: “It doesn’t feel real that we could potentially win a gold medal. It’s insane to even think about, but we’ll see. We just have to go out there and play.”

​WESTMINSTER, Colo. – Oftentimes, it can take a team a while to get acclimated and for everyone to learn about each other’s’ tendencies. That doesn’t seem to impact 16u Team Polynesia, which had barely spent any time together before coming together for the 2022 International Challenge.
 
Team Polynesia went 2-0 in pool play on Friday, scoring 27 runs, including an impressive 12-8 victory over Team Italy on Friday afternoon at Christopher Fields.
 
“I think it is an amazing opportunity and we are just super blessed to be here,” Team Polynesia Head Coach Glenelle Nitta said. “To have everyone from different schools and different states to come together and represent one country, it’s really fun and special.”
 
Team Polynesia raced ahead with a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning before Team Italy even knew what was happening. Mariah Atnoque got things started for the Polynesian team, lacing a leadoff double off the outfield wall. Jerrell Mailo scored her immediately on a hard-hit ground ball to give them a 1-0 lead.
 
Team Polynesia batted around the batting order in the top of the 1st inning, with Day-Lee Williams and Kaimi Tulua also recording RBI singles. In the bottom half of the inning, Mina Tala looked dominant on the mound, producing a quick and efficient one-two-three inning with three pop outs that never left the infield.
 
Team Italy settled down in the second inning though and began clawing back, eventually forcing a 4-3 game going into the fifth inning. With the time limit dwindling down, and Team Italy seizing all the momentum, Team Polynesia knew it needed to come up with a big inning. And it did.
 
Charlee-Rose Stevens got things started for Team Polynesia with an RBI single to give the team a little breathing room at 5-3. Polynesia loaded the bases as second baseman Taryn Ho, from LK Black Hawaii, stepped up to the plate with one out in the inning. Facing two strikes, Ho battled the Italy pitcher and broke the game wide open with a double down left-center to score two runs.
 
“I wasn’t in the game from the start, so I just wanted to make the most of my at bat,” Ho said.
 
Polynesia grabbed the momentum, and after a pair of back-to-back homeruns from Milan Ah Yat and Williams, had a 12-3 lead heading into the bottom half of the last inning.
 
“Our main objective is just to score one or two runs every inning,” Nitta said. “We are just trying to help our defense and help our pitcher as best as we can. Hitting is very contagious. Once one person gets a hit and gets on, the next person does, and so on, so forth. It’s paid off.”
 
Italy gave a valiant effort in the bottom of the fifth inning, scoring two on a double to right-center field and then bringing in three runs on a 3-run homerun, but the 9-run deficit was too much to overcome, allowing Polynesia to move to 2-0 in the tournament.
 
“The competition here is a lot more competitive than Hawaii, so it’s been great,” Ho said of the international Challenge. “A lot of the girls on my team, I didn’t know. So, I just love making new friends while playing the game I love.”
 
Pool play wraps up on Saturday, with bracket play and the championship slated for Sunday. With 27 runs in two games and a sense of familiarity amongst the team, Team Polynesia looks like a contender at the 16u level.

By Kyle Koso

WESTMINSTER, Colo. – Looking out from Field 4 at the Christopher Field Complex, you can get a great look at the Rocky Mountains, and California native Alyssa Villarde probably hopes to check them out someday.
 
A couple of her hits from Friday probably beat her to it.
 
Playing for Japan in the second annual International Challenge, Villarde hit two long, strong home runs to dead centerfield in the team’s 18u contest against South Korea, driving in five runs and priming Japan to claim a 9-4 victory to move to 2-0 on the day. Emma Murchison added a three-run blast in the fifth inning, a frame where Japan broke the game open with seven runs.
 
Villarde’s first home run came in the first inning and put Japan up 2-0; her fifth-inning shot pushed the team ahead 5-2 and gave the roster that welcomed bit of breathing room in a high-emotion contest, with Japan looking to get past last year’s 18u runner-up.
 
“I wouldn’t say I have a favorite with the home runs; the second one did help my team come back. They’ve been working so hard yesterday and today, and to help them out means a lot to me and makes me happy,” said Villarde, who also homered in Japan’s event opening 5-4 win over Italy earlier Friday. “The Italy game, it made us want to work harder, and it gave us some good motivation.
 
“This has been a great experience. Being able to meet other people from around the country has been awesome, and everybody’s been so nice, like family.”
 
After Japan jumped ahead, South Korea worked it back to 2-2 thanks to the bat of Jessica Phelps, who hit a long homer to left in the second inning and doubled in Giselle Lai in the fourth. Japan had a couple threats go by the boards, one on an inning-ending double play.
 
But that all changed in the fifth. Villarde hit her shot, and Murchison hit hers on the first pitch she saw after subbing into the batting order.
 
Japan got a nice boost from leadoff hitter Bella Foran (from the Birmingham Thunderbolts), who had two hits and a walk and scored twice.
 
“It’s definitely different going from travel ball to here and meeting new people; there’s a good bit of pressure in the leadoff spot, but I remind myself to stay calm and relaxed and do what I do,” Foran said. “Get on for my team, anyhow, just help the team.
 
“Being from Alabama, I don’t know a lot of these girls, but I know some of my teammates were saying we really need to win, and there was a good bit at stake. There were some good rivalries in (action).”
 
A cluster of hits, walks and errors allowed South Korea to plate two runs in the fifth, but reliever Jayden Nishi was solid in the sixth to secure the win.
 
“Alyssa is hot – she showed up in the moment and we talked about it, that she is such a smart batter,” said Japan head coach Shannon Mortimer. “She looks for her pitch and is comfortable not swinging the bat until she has to. It was nice to come back and get the win against them. What a great start – got the win against Italy, and in this game we got to play everyone on the roster who is healthy. It was truly a team win.”
 
Addison Pressley had three hits for Japan as well.

More than 1000 teams are bracketed and ready for action at the 2022 Colorado 4th of July event, set for June 27 - July 3. Find the schedule for your team here.

Don’t forget to download the tournament app today! It’s your easy-to-use road map to tackle all the happenings at Colorado 4th of July! All tournament updates will be sent out through push notifications through our app!

Merchandise: Take a look at the merchandise that will be offered at the Colorado 4th of July. Let everyone know that you were at this marquee event!
 
2022 Merchandise Locations
 
Full assortment of Items: Barnes Complex (Loveland), Colorado Springs, Christopher Complex (Westminster), Aurora Sports Park
Event Tee Only: Lutz & Olympic
Event Tee & 2-3 Items: Erie

​ A brand-new event is coming to the softball scene this summer, as Triple Crown Sports, College Sports Evaluation and Extra Inning Softball are partnering for a first-of-its-kind Transfer Portal Showcase.
 
The Transfer Portal Showcase event will be held in Westminster, Colorado at the Christopher Field complex on June 28th, 2022, during Triple Crown’s much-heralded 1,000-team Colorado 4th of July softball tournament that takes place in and around metropolitan Denver.
 
Since the dawn of the NCAA’s transfer portal, there has been no one-stop-shop event that provides transferring college players an opportunity to showcase their skills specifically for the edification of potential new coaches, as well as providing those coaches with measurable data on a comparison scale.
 
The College Transfer Portal Showcase will be engineered in multiple parts, including a full measurable combine in the afternoon followed by evening games. 
 
College Sports Evaluation will conduct sensor measurement on all athletes: Rapsodo for pitchers, Zybek for Speed, TAP Test for Mental Competency, Blast for Hitting, Radar for arm speed and exit velo, and numerous skill and athleticism measures. A full-game format will be held for the players immediately following with live measurables.
 
The 4th of July tournament in Colorado is heavily attended by college coaches; more than 800 have committed to attend in 2022. The Transfer Portal Showcase Event also gives coaches an opportunity to run the full gamut of recruiting, gathering information on players in the transfer portal as well as those moving through the recruiting-age ranks.
 
Players interested in participating in the Transfer Portal Showcase should contact College Sports Evaluation by registering at www.cseval.com or by contacting Mjames@cseval.com or dking@cseval.com. Special lodging has been blocked for the players for June 27-28.

Be sure to download the FREE Colorado 4th of July event app!   This all-in-one App gives you access to schedules, scores, news, special events, college coaches attending, exclusive offers with our partners and much more!​

By Kyle Koso
 
AURORA – Closure didn’t come in its normal fashion to the 18u Power Pool bracket at the Colorado 4th of July event, as one team needed to close the doors on their cars and get moving home.
 
Travel constraints for the Lady Dukes Lamar compelled the team to opt out of the title game Sunday at the Aurora Sports Park, which left them and the Texas Bombers as co-champions of the tournament. With the Bombers having beaten the Lady Dukes on Wednesday in the 18 TV Power Pool game, they got to take home the first-place plaque.
 
The Dukes had about an hour left of wiggle room, and no one wanted the pitchers to get all warmed up just to have it end without a real result.
 
“We’d love to play them again; that’s a good team, and I imagine we will battle them again someday,” said Bomber coach Scott Smith.
 
For the Bombers, the day still included some valuable lessons, as they fell behind 7-0 to the Lady Magic-Munoz in the quarterfinals before finding a way to post an 11-10 victory.
 
“We got lazy in that one game, and that maybe taught us a lesson about how to come out and play,” said Maci Bergeron, who is headed to play collegiately at LSU and hit a grand slam as part of the comeback against the Lady Magic. “Being down like that, we showed we have some fight in us.”

“We had a plan, and like every plan, once you get punched in the mouth like we did, the plan goes out the window,” Smith said. “We had to use all four pitchers in that game; we burned up a lot, but I challenged them and we found a way to take the lead. We went up actually, they tied it back up, and we found a way to win.”
 
The Athletics Jendro Premier claimed the 18u Supplemental Power Pool title with a 7-3 victory over the Lady Hustle Gold-Marshall.

By Kyle Koso
 
WESTMINSTER – Don’t be surprised if random objects start shifting in the direction of Lyndsey Llantero.
 
The just-graduated senior from Pacific Grove High School in Monterey, CA., was the center of gravity for the 18u Salinas Storm-Troy squad on Sunday, going 4-for-4 in the championship game against Tennessee Mojo Sewell and driving in six runs as the Storm rumbled to a 12-7 victory at Tepper Field. That earned them the Mount Elbert bracket title in the 18 Sparkler Open division, a deserving reward on a day that required four games and no shortage of endurance.
 
Llantero began with a two-run double in the first. In the sixth, she singled and scored on a heads-up base running play when a throw went to second base, and she capped the day with a triple-power insurance policy, a three-run homer as the Storm built a substantial lead.
 
“The pitches were easy for me to see, easy to make contact with, and I was just happy with the progress I made this week,” Llantero said. “The important thing is to focus on the game and not really the score. You have to lift each other up, because it’s not about who is doing good and who is doing bad. I’ve never been to one of these tournaments before, but I was excited with the results … you couldn’t have expected anything better.”
 
To Mojo’s credit, they held the lead for much of the contest and scored twice in the bottom of the seventh – all this with just nine players in uniform and a couple clearly hobbling through aches and pains that are part of a full week at the Colorado 4th of July tournament.
 
Keeping that brave effort from knocking the Storm from their own goals was the relief pitching performance of Savannah Bravo, who came in for the Storm in the fourth inning and held tough, even after Mojo’s Caroline Hemphill homered to push her team ahead, 5-4. Bravo then pitched two scoreless innings as the Storm took the lead, and in the seventh, she closed by spearing a line drive to the circle that led to a game-ending double play.
 
“To me it was like every other situation in those tough games; I just had to push harder for my teammates and do the work,” Bravo said. “It felt amazing. I love pitching, it’s my passion, and this was fun. As a team, we work so well together, and we can do anything. We all pushed through for each other.”
 
Mia Lemmon drove in two runs with a double in the seventh for the Storm; Sophia Verdegal hit a solo home run in the fourth, and Marley Panziera added two hits, two runs and an RBI. Storm head coach Troy Seva’aetasi smiled as his group celebrated Sunday’s accomplishments, which included two one-run victories earlier in bracket play.
 
“We had a very effective rotation. The plan was to rotate our pitchers and catchers as much as possible; my best pitcher is also very good at shortstop, but she sacrificed that position for the team,” Seva’aetasi said. “Staying fresh was the key; 12 games is no joke in this tournament. Savannah is our horse; she came in as a No. 2 or No. 3 and built her way to a consistent pitcher. She had a lot of innings; we all got Wednesday off and she pitched in a showcase. They tend to throw her a lot in those, and that’s because she throws strikes, gets groundballs and popups.
 
“Lyndsey, we’ve been waiting for that. She can hit 12 or 15 out in practice; for us, if she’s not hitting it out of the park, we think she’s slumping. But that 4-for-4 was a really good day.”
 
For Mojo, Brooklyn Stewart had a home run and three RBI; Delany Buchanon had two hits and walk while gutting out a lower leg injury, and Lisa Heller had three hits.
 
In the Pike’s Peak bracket of the 18 Sparkler Open final, the Arizona Storm Westover took the title with a 15-2 victory over Firecrackers AZ.

By Alissa Noe

ERIE -- Alabama owns Colorado’s Fourth of July Sparkler Juniors softball tournament.

Through a large field of teams from every corner of the country, just two made it to the 14U championship game on Sunday afternoon at the Ballpark at Erie. Both came from the Birmingham Thunderbolts Premier organization. Each squad traveled a distance of over 1,300 miles to face friends, but the Kaplan Bolts got the better of the Burns Bolts in the end with a 7-6 final. 

“This organization is about development, so the players that we have in the 14U age group, we believe, are some of the best in the country,” Burns Bolts head coach Quan Green said. “It’s a testament to our coaching staff, parents and players believing in what we preach.”

From start to finish, either of the two Bolts teams could have walked away victorious. The Burns Bolts got on the board first, then the Kaplan Bolts took a 5-1 lead by the end of the second inning. The Burns Bolts closed that gap completely in the top of the third frame, tying things up at five all. 

The Kaplan Bolts earned a 6-5 advantage in the bottom of the same inning off of a wild pitch, and their defense held firm until the top of the sixth, at which point the hour and 45 minute time limit had already passed. 

“It was awesome. We really had a blast.” Kaplan Bolts coach Justin Kaplan said. “This group, they’ve gotten punched and every time they get punched, they seem to punch back. It’s been truly awesome to watch. It’s a group of kids that just absolutely loves playing softball together and it shows every time they come out on the field.”

The Kaplan Bolts needed just three outs in the top of the sixth inning to put their friends away, but the Burns Bolts weren’t ready to go home just yet. Following two walks and aggressive base running, the Burns Bolts managed to tie the game back up at 6-6. They scored the crucial run after the Kaplan Bolts’ first baseman dropped the ball to allow the runner to take her base. 

That mishap allowed Gaby Mizelle to cross home plate safely, but the Kaplan Bolts ended the frame just seconds later when they got the runner out at third.

“We were able to put it away because we knew that our offense had us,” Kaplan’s pitcher Lillie McWhorter said. “We faced it like this during the first game and we just knew that if we had faith in each other and that we made contact with the ball, it was going to go (our way). We just had to put runners in scoring position and that’s what we did.”

All the Kaplan Bolts needed was one run to walk away with the championship banner. That’s exactly what happened.

Ellie Partrick began the bottom of the sixth with a smooth base hit. Edith Kaplan followed up with a sacrifice bunt to advance her teammate to second base. Abi Bunt—who led with three RBIs—shot the ball into the center field gap to bring Partrick home and to end the game without going into extras.

Now, both Bolts will get to travel 1,300 miles back home with some serious hardware to boast about.

“Just seeing it go through and knowing that Ellie’s going around, it was just one of those feelings that hits hard in your heart. With the dugout staying hyped and giving you that hype to just do whatever you need to do is big,” Bunt said. “We’re going to remember this for the rest of our lives. We see them at practice in two days.”