PGF NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS, THE ALLIANCE FASTPITCH FINALS PREVIEW – Stars will be shining as nation’s top travel softball champions are to be crowned

July 16, 2025

By Loren Kopff • @LorenKopff on X

It’s time again for a number of area softball players to display their talents one last time before heading off to college next month, or to give potential future college coaches another look at what they can give their team upon graduation in 2026 or 2027. It’s time for the Premier Girls Fastpitch National Championships, now in its 15^th season, and The Alliance Fastpitch Championship Series, which is five years old. Pool play games for the PGF will take place on Saturday and Sunday at the following locations: Fountain Valley Sports Park, Great Park of Irvine, Harvard Park, Huntington Beach Sports Complex and Peralta Park.

Double elimination bracket play begins on Monday and runs all week leading up to the 16-Under Platinum championship game on Friday, followed by the 18-Under Platinum championship game. The championship game for the 16-Under and 18-Under Premier Divisions will take place on July 26. All championship games will be held at Deanna Manning Stadium at Bill Barber Park and will be streamed live on ESPN+ except for the 18-Under Premier finals, which will be televised live on ESPNU.

The Alliance Fastpitch Championship Series will hold their games at Grand Park in Westfield, Indiana and at Championship Park in Kokomo, Indiana. The tournament runs from July 20-27.

Listed below is a brief synopsis of the area players and their respective travel teams based off information obtained over the past several months, and their pool play or bracket schedules for the opening games.

18-Under Premier Division (18 pools, 72 teams)

(Anaheim) BSC Bengals-Briggs

15-8-1 since June 7

Peyton Kingery (Valley Christian High/University of North Texas commit)

Pool A games @ Huntington Beach Sports Complex, Field 1

Saturday @ 9:45 a.m. vs. (Phoenix) Arizona Storm National-Mathis

Saturday @ 1:15 p.m. vs. (Kansas City) Select 18’s-Jones

Sunday @ 10:00 a.m. vs. (Santa Clarita) So Cal Choppers-Fausett

Kingery has had a solid summer and in 19 games from June 7-July 6, is batting .350 with 14 runs, 11 runs batted in, five doubles, three home runs and one triple.

(Anaheim) BSC Bengals-Nichols

17-6-2 since May 31

Alianna Calderon (Cerritos High/Long Beach City College)

Pool M games @ Huntington Beach Sports Complex, Field 5

Saturday @ 3:00 p.m. vs. (Layton) Utah Avalanche-Sky

Saturday @ 4:45 p.m. vs. San Jose Sting Gold

Sunday @ 12:00 p.m. vs. (French Camp, CA) Sorcerer-Gann

Calderon has played in every game this summer and is second on the team in batting with a .438 average and doubles (six). She leads the team with 28 hits, 21 RBI and four home runs while scoring 15 runs (third most).

(Huntington Beach) Explosion Premier

7-12 since June 7

Malaia Huskey (Gahr High/California State University, San Marcos)

Pool G games @ Huntington Beach Sports Complex, Field 7

Saturday @ 8:00 a.m. vs. (Wrentham, MA) Rhode Island Thunder National-Lotti

Saturday @ 9:45 a.m. vs. (Cookeville) Tennessee Mojo-Ramsey/Fisher

Sunday @ 8:00 vs. (Spotsylvania, VA) Unity-Johnson

Husley has played in a dozen games this summer, collecting one hit in nine at-bats while scoring four runs.

(Long Beach) USA Athletics Gold-Rogers

23-6-1 since June 7

Isabella Gonzalez (Gahr High)

Pool E games @ Huntington Beach Sports Complex, Field 5

Saturday @ 11:30 a.m. vs. (Belmont, CA) Cal Nuggets-Woods

Saturday @ 1:15 p.m. vs. (Durham, NC) Lady Dukes-Lamar

Sunday @ 8:00 a.m. vs. (Mission Viejo) California Cruisers-Sievers

Gonzalez has appeared in half the games, pitching nearly 46 innings while sporting a 9-1 record with a save. She has allowed 43 hits, 23 earned runs struck out 39 batters and walked 32. Her earned run average is 3.53.

18-Under Platinum Division (20 pools, 80 teams)

(Whittier) BSC Bengals-Gurule

16-9-2 since May 31

Bettie Mae Acevedo (La Mirada High), Mya Laroya (Gahr High/St. John’s

University)

Pool D games @ Great Park, Field 3

Saturday @ 8:00 a.m. vs. (Clovis, CA) Top Dog Gold-Nomura/Santana

Saturday @ 11:35 a.m. vs. (Pennsylvania) TNT Gold-Godard

Sunday @ 10:00 a.m. vs. (Tracy, CA) AASA-Perez

Coming off the USA Softball Champions Cup, Acevedo has collected eight hits in 33 at-bats since May 31, scored four runs, driven in three runs and has a pair of doubles. In the circle, Acevedo has pitched just over 19 innings, given up 21 hits, 12 runs while striking out 20 and walking 19.

Laroya has played in all but two games since May 31 and is 15 for 43 with 11 RBI, seven runs, five doubles and one triple while reaching base another four times by way of a walk.

(Mission Viejo) California Cruisers Gold

5-15-1 since June 7

Kayla Martin (Valley Christian High/Colgate University)

Pool P games @ Great Park, Field 7

Saturday @ 3:30 p.m. vs. (Corona) Athletics Mercado-Sabo

Saturday @ 7:05 p.m. vs. (Stockton) Mojo-Espinoza

Sunday @ 2:00 p.m. vs. (Romeoville, IL) GenuWin Reign-KW

In 19 games, Martin is nine for 39 with seven RBI, six runs, three walks with a triple.

(Whittier) Firecrackers-Medina/Gomez

9-10-1 since May 25

Lea Hilbert (Gahr High)

Pool R games @ Harvard Park, Field 2

Saturday @ 8:00 a.m. vs. (Pinole, CA) Universal Bay Area Gold-Tatro

Saturday @ 9:40 a.m. vs. (Louisville, KY) Fusion National-Unruh/Greenwood

Sunday @ 8:00 vs. (Newcastle, WA) Ladyhawks Seeley/Haney

Hilbert had a pair of hits and was walked three times within the first 11 games of the summer but as a pitcher, she has worked five innings in seven games, allowing 10 hits and 14 earned runs while walking nine and striking out five.

(Downey) Nemesis Elite Gold

14-13 since May 31

Zoee Barrett (Valley Christian High/Clark Atlanta University)

Pool T games @ Harvard Park, Field 2

Saturday @ 3:15 p.m. vs. (Beaverton, OR) WA Ladyhawks-Gonzalez

Saturday @ 4:55 p.m. vs. (Tracy, CA) Mojo-Pikas

Sunday @ 12:00 p.m. vs. (Whittier) USA Athletics-Garcia

In 21 games this summer, Barrett is batting .308 with 21 RBI, 16 hits, 11 runs, has drawn five walks while smacking four home runs and three doubles.

(Redondo Beach) USA Athletics-Phillips/Lehr

16-6-2 since June 7

Rachel Zhang (Valley Christian High)

Pool G games @ Great Park, Field 6

Saturday @ 11:50 a.m. vs (Sacramento, CA) Firecrackers-Leles/Veasey

Saturday @ 1:30 p.m. vs. New Lennox (IL) Lightning-MD

Sunday @ 8:00 a.m. vs. (Corona) Athletics Mercado-Cook

Zhang has been pulling double duty this summer as an outfielder and a pitcher. In 21 games, she is batting .408 with 20 hits, 16 runs scored and 10 RBI while in five games in the circle, the V.C. star has pitched 14 innings, giving up 15 hits, five earned runs while walking nine and striking out seven.

(Garden Grove) West Coast Lady Dukes-Blanco

23-9-2 since June 1

Angelyna Conde (La Mirada High /Texas Tech University)

Pool M games @ Great Park, Field 4

Saturday @ 7:05 p.m. vs. (San Mateo, CA) Eagles Fastpitch

Saturday @ 8:45 p.m. vs. (Idaho Falls, ID) USA Explosion Premier-Butler/Bybee

Sunday @ 12:00 p.m. vs. (Chandler) Arizona Storm-Sheehan

As hot as Conde has been this summer, so has her travel team. Conde is batting .449 with 35 hits, 39 RBI, 32 runs, 11 doubles, has been walked 11 times and has smacked eight home runs in all but two games. She has been held hitless in eight games. The West Coast Lady Dukes-Blanco enter the PGF National Championships on a 14-3-1 streak and recently lost in the semifinals of the USA Softball Champions Cup.

(Los Alamitos) Wildcats-Hunter

9-9-2 since May 25

Alea Medina (Artesia High/California State University, Dominguez Hills)

Pool O games @ Great Park, Field 6

Saturday @ 7:05 p.m. vs. (Tempe) Arizona Storm-Westover

Saturday @ 8:45 p.m. vs. (Waxhaw, NC) Team NC-Baylog/Tracy

Sunday @ 12:00 p.m. vs. (Castaic, CA) Team I-5 Softball-Snyder/Mack

Medina is second on the team with a .452 average, 19 hits, 17 RBI and leads the team with 23 runs and seven walks.

16-Under Premier Division (20 pools, 80 teams)

(Long Beach) USA Athletics-RML

24-8-1 since June 7

Choyce Chambers and Aubrielle Ramirez (Valley Christian High)

Pool D games @ Fountain Valley Sports Park, Field 5

Saturday @ 8:00 a.m. vs. (Sacramento) Firecrackers-Leles

Saturday @ 9:45 a.m. vs. (Orland Park, IL) Sparks Premier-JP

Sunday @ 8:00 a.m. vs. (San Diego) Power Surge-Berndes/Mujica

Chambers is on fire as one of seven players who is batting at least .400. She has an impressive .447 average with 34 hits, 35 runs, 18 RBI, five doubles, three home runs and one triple. Ramirez is right at .400 with 22 hits, 12 runs, eight RBI and three doubles.

16-Under Platinum Division (23 pools, 92 teams)

(Westminster) USA Athletics-Mathis

6-9-1 since June 7

Zoe Corrales (Cerritos High)

Pool W games @ Peralta Park, Field 2

Saturday @ 6:30 p.m. vs. Spokane Expos

Saturday @ 8:15 p.m. vs. (Ontario) Team Hustle So Cal

Sunday @ 12:00 p.m. vs. (Laguna Niguel) Cruisers Fastpitch VC

Corrales has a pair of hits in 11 at-bats over 10 games and has scored twice.

The Alliance Fastpitch Softball Championship Series; first bracket games on July 21

18-Under Division (94 teams)

Corona Angels-Tyson

25-11-2 since May 31

Montserrat Reyes-Cardenas (La Mirada High/San Diego State University)

The Angels will play either the (Meridian, ID) USA Explosion Premier-Kloczko or the (San Diego) Athletics Mercado-Carden/Hull game. Reyes-Cardenas has pitched in 19 games, working just over 42 innings. She has given up 41 hits and 15 earned runs while striking out 43 and walking 16.

(Laguna Hills) Firecrackers-Brashear

Angelina Ratzlaff (La Mirada High)

The Firecrackers-Brashear will play either the (Des Moines) Iowa Premier-Anthony/Yegge or the (San Antonio, TX) Corona Angels-Coleman. In 26 games played, Ratzlaff is batting .231 with 11 runs, nine hits, three RBI and two doubles.

(Anaheim) OC Batbusters-Stith

30-5 since June 1

Reese and Riley Hilliard (La Mirada High)

The OC Batbusters-Stith, the nation’s top-ranked team, will play either the (Kenosha) Wisconsin Lightning-Boydston or the (Easley) SC Elite National-Genovese for their first game. The statistics for the sisters go back to last September, but in 70 games played, Riley Hilliard is batting .444 with 76 hits, 78 RBI, 41 runs, 12 doubles and 21 home runs while in 65 games plays, Reese Hilliard is batting .368 with 56 hits, 48 RBI, 30 runs, 12 doubles and seven home runs.

16-Under Division (105 teams)

(Hacienda Heights) Firecrackers Select RTY

22-14-1 since June 1

Alison Ortega (La Mirada High)

The Firecrackers Select RTY will play the (Oregon City, OR) NW Vandals-Woods. Ortega is showing no signs of slowing down as she enters The Alliance Fastpitch Championship Series. After not appearing in the first three games of the summer, Ortega did not allow a run in her first four games of action. In 19 games covering 63 innings, Ortega has given up 61 hits, 19 earned runs, struck out 70 and walked 10. She has also pitched four complete games, not yielding an earned run in any of them.