PGF NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS, ALLIANCE FASTPITCH CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES – Area softball travel players put an end to their summer

By Loren Kopff • @LorenKopff on X

This past Monday, nearly 20 area travel softball players began their quest for either a Premier Girls Fastpitch National Championships or The Alliance Fastpitch Championship Series title. From that number, 14 were still alive as of Wednesday night with the finals slated for Friday and Saturday. Here’s an update from the first set of games.

All results and statistics are through this past Wednesday night. Pool play games in the PGF National Championships, which were held last Saturday, and this past Sunday had no bearing on where teams were placed in the double elimination bracket.

18-Under Premier Division

(Anaheim) BSC Bengals-Briggs

2-1 in pool play

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

After going two for four with a double, a run scored and a walk in the three pool play games, Kingery did not play in the first double elimination bracket game against the (Vacaville) Lady Magic-Walling. However, the BSC Bengals Briggs won 5-2 and faced the (Cookeville) TN Mojo Ramsey/Fisher this past Wednesday evening. In that game, Kingery, known for being a top notch high school catcher, was in the outfield where she went hitless in three at-bats in an 8-2 loss. The BSC Bengals-Briggs dropped to the losers bracket.

(Anaheim) BSC Bengals-Nichols

2-1 in pool play

Alianna Calderon (Cerritos High/Long Beach City College)

The second baseman was hitless in five pool play at-bats, then picked up her first hit and drove in a run during a 12-1 loss to the (Orland Park, IL) Sparks Premier this past Tuesday. Calderon and her team faced the (Friendswood, TX) Strykers Gold-Esparza this past Wednesday morning and squeaked out a 4-3 victory. Later this past Wednesday, the (Round Rock) Texas Blaze United-Robertson knocked out the BSC Bengals-Nichols 13-2 as Calderon went one for six in the past two games.

(Huntington Beach) Explosion Premier

0-3 in pool play

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

Huskey picked up her only hit in pool play action last Saturday morning against the (Wrentham, MA) RI Thunder National. The left fielder had one other at-bat in the second pool play game, then went hitless in a pinch-hitting role in the first playoff game against the (Detroit, MI) Firecrackers-Wallace, a 4-3 victory in eight innings this past Tuesday. This past Wednesday evening against the (Tualatin) OR NW Bullets-Campos, Huskey did not play in a 6-0 defeat as the Explosion Premier was sent to the losers bracket.

(Long Beach) USA Athletics Gold-Rogers

3-0 in pool play

Isabella Gonzalez (Gahr High)

The only action the Gahr star pitcher saw in the three pool play games came against the (Mission Viejo) California Cruisers-Sievers this past Sunday. Gonzalez, who will be a junior when school begins next month, pitched seven innings, and took a no-hitter into the bottom of the seventh inning before allowing a home run to future Boise State University athlete Kaitlyn Galasso in a 5-1 victory. Gonzalez struck out four and walked three. Gonzalez came back this past Tuesday and pitched the last six innings in a 3-2, nine-inning win over the (Elk Grove) LTG-Henderson/Cat. She allowed just two hits, struck out five and walked a pair of batters.

This past Wednesday, the team trailed the (Vista) Breakers Lab-Bobby 4-0 entering the bottom of the seventh, then 7-4 going to the bottom of the eighth before rallying for an 8-7 victory. Gonzalez would pitch the final eight outs, giving up three hits and two runs while walking two and striking out one. The win kept the team in the winners bracket.

18-Under Platinum Division

(Whitter) BSC Bengals-Gurule

3-0 in pool play

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

The BSC Bengals-Gurule allowed one run in three pool play games and Bettie Mae Acevedo was part of that. In the first two games last Saturday, both identical 6-0 wins, Acevedo combined to pitched nearly three innings, yielding one hit, walking four and striking out two. Offensively, she went one for four, scored three runs, reached twice on walks and drove in a run. Laroya had one hit in the pool play games, which was a solo home run against the TNT National-Goddard/George out of Pennsylvania.

This past Monday, the team fell to the (Bourbonnais) Illinois Stars Dirt Devil 4-3 before smashing the (Roseville) USA Premier National 16-4 this past Tuesday. Later that night, the team eased past the (Fountain Valley) Empire Premier 10-4 and eliminated the (Santa Clarita) I-5 Softball-Snyder/Mark 5-4 the next day, setting up another elimination game. Facing the (Pico Rivera) ZT Blaze-Del Campo, the BSC Bengals-Gurule were leading 6-5 at time of press.

In the first four playoff games, Acevedo, who also plays left field, had one hit in four at-bats and scored twice while pitching 12 innings in two games. allowing five hits, a pair of earned runs, striking out seven and walking four. Laroya went a combined four for 11, scored three times and had a double. Acevedo didn’t play against the ZT Blaze-Del Campo while Laroya drew a walk as a pinch hitter late in the contest.

(Mission Viejo) California Cruisers Gold

2-1 in pool play

Kayla Martin (Valley Christian High/Colgate University)

The California Cruisers did the one thing no travel team wants to do-go two and out in a double elimination playoff system. Martin, a left fielder, went a combined seven for 12 in the five games with four RBI, two runs and two doubles.

(Whittier) Firecrackers-Medina/Gomez

0-3 in pool play

Lea Hilbert (Gahr High)

After falling to the Las Vegas Blast 3-1 in the first playoff game this past Tuesday, the Firecrackers-Medina Gomez bounced back to win the first two games this past Wednesday. Hilbert, a pitcher and third baseman, has a pair of doubles and a run scored in the past three games while pitching one inning and yielding a combined six runs on three hits and walking four in the final two pool play games. However, the team was eliminated later in the night by the (Tempe) Arizona Storm-Westover 10-. Hilbert got two outs, gave up two hits, a run and struck out one. Offensively, she was hitless in one at-bat, walked once and scored a run.

(Downey) Nemesis Elite Gold

2-1 in pool play

Zoee Barrett (Valley Christian High/Clark Atlanta University)

Another two and out team was the Nemesis Elite Gold where Barrett, a right fielder, went two for five and drove in a run in both pool play games last Saturday, then went hitless in six at-bats in the two playoff games.

(Redondo Beach) USA Athletics-Phillips/Lehr

1-2 in pool play

Rachel Zhang (Valley Christian High)

After batting .500 in the pool play games, Zhang has gone four for 15 with six runs, two doubles and an RBI in four playoff wins. She has also pitched seven innings in three of the seven games thus far, allowing 10 hits, two earned runs with 10 strikeouts and three walks. The USA Athletics-Phillips/Lehr remains in the winners bracket.

(Garden Grove) West Coast Lady Dukes-Blanco

2-0-1 in pool play

Angelyna Conde (La Mirada High/Texas Tech University)

After going four for eight with three RBI and a double in pool play action, the former La Mirada third baseman heated up in bracket play, going eight for 17 with three runs, three RBI and a pair of doubles.as the team staved off elimination with a 3-1 win over the Team San Diego National-DeBus.

(Los Alamitos) Wildcats-Hunter

0-3 in pool play

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

After taking the first playoff game, the Wildcats-Hunter lost the next two contests, being outscored 12-2. Medina, a centerfielder, went a combined one for six in pool play action and scored a run. In the three playoff games, she was a combined one for nine, drew two walks and scored a run.

16-Under Premier Division

(Long Beach) USA Athletics-RML

2-1 in pool play

Choyce Chambers and Aubrielle Ramirez (Valley Christian High)

A 3-1 win over the (Dallas) Hotshots National-Naudin has kept the USA Athletics-RML in the winners bracket. Chambers, who plays in center, has gone six for 20 with five runs, five RBI, two doubles and two walks in all six games while Ramirez, a second baseman, has gone four for 13 with two RBI and two doubles in five games.

16-Under Platinum Division

(Westminster) USA Athletics-Mathis

2-1 in pool play

Zoe Corrales (Cerritos High)

The USA Athletics-Mathis remain in the losers bracket as Corrales, a third baseman and outfielder, has combined to go six of seven with seven runs and an RBI in six of the eight games the team has played.

The Alliance Fastpitch Softball Championship Series

18-Under Division

Corona Angels-Tyson

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

The Corona Angels-Tyson began the tournament in Indiana with a victory this past Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday before falling to the (Huntington Beach) Firecrackers-Rico/Brashear 1-0 in nine innings later in the day. Reyes-Cardenas, who had a stellar career in the circle for La Mirada, pitched two scoreless innings this past Wednesday against the (Sumner, TX) Impact Gold National, striking out a batter.

(Anaheim) OC Batbusters-Stith

Reese and Riley Hilliard (La Mirada High)

Statistics for the Hilliard sisters were unavailable, but their travel team has won the first four games in the 18-Under Tier 1 division Super Regionals.

16-Under Division

(Hacienda Heights) Firecrackers Select RTY

Alison Ortega (La Mirada High)

The star pitcher who will be a junior when school begins next month, pitched in both games this past Tuesday, a combined 11 innings where she allowed seven hits, two unearned runs, struck out six and walked one. One of those games was a seven inning, complete game against the (Oregon City, OR) NW Vandals-Woods. This past Tuesday against the (Laguna Hills) Firecrackers Select-Brashear, she tossed another complete game, scattering six hits while giving up an unearned run, striking out two and walking one in a 4-2 victory.

Ortega was once again back in the circle against the (Bowling Green, KY) Louisville Slugger-Huecker/Norwood where she pitched five innings, gave up six hits and five runs while striking out two and walking one in a 7-1 setback. Later in the day, she pitched nearly four innings, allowing a pair of hits while striking out six in a 5-4 loss to the (Lorena, TX) Buzz Gold.

PGF NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS, ALLIANCE FASTPITCH CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

Area softball travel players put an end to their summer

By Loren Kopff

@LorenKopff on X

This past Monday, nearly 20 area travel softball players began their quest for either a Premier Girls Fastpitch National Championships or The Alliance Fastpitch Championship Series title. From that number, 14 were still alive as of Wednesday night with the finals slated for Friday and Saturday. Here’s an update from the first set of games.

All results and statistics are through this past Wednesday night. Pool play games in the PGF National Championships, which were held last Saturday, and this past Sunday had no bearing on where teams were placed in the double elimination bracket.

18-Under Premier Division

(Anaheim) BSC Bengals-Briggs

2-1 in pool play

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

After going two for four with a double, a run scored and a walk in the three pool play games, Kingery did not play in the first double elimination bracket game against the (Vacaville) Lady Magic-Walling. However, the BSC Bengals Briggs won 5-2 and faced the (Cookeville) TN Mojo Ramsey/Fisher this past Wednesday evening. In that game, Kingery, known for being a top notch high school catcher, was in the outfield where she went hitless in three at-bats in an 8-2 loss. The BSC Bengals-Briggs dropped to the losers bracket.

(Anaheim) BSC Bengals-Nichols

2-1 in pool play

Alianna Calderon (Cerritos High/Long Beach City College)

The second baseman was hitless in five pool play at-bats, then picked up her first hit and drove in a run during a 12-1 loss to the (Orland Park, IL) Sparks Premier this past Tuesday. Calderon and her team faced the (Friendswood, TX) Strykers Gold-Esparza this past Wednesday morning and squeaked out a 4-3 victory. Later this past Wednesday, the (Round Rock) Texas Blaze United-Robertson knocked out the BSC Bengals-Nichols 13-2 as Calderon went one for six in the past two games.

(Huntington Beach) Explosion Premier

0-3 in pool play

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

Huskey picked up her only hit in pool play action last Saturday morning against the (Wrentham, MA) RI Thunder National. The left fielder had one other at-bat in the second pool play game, then went hitless in a pinch-hitting role in the first playoff game against the (Detroit, MI) Firecrackers-Wallace, a 4-3 victory in eight innings this past Tuesday. This past Wednesday evening against the (Tualatin) OR NW Bullets-Campos, Huskey did not play in a 6-0 defeat as the Explosion Premier was sent to the losers bracket.

(Long Beach) USA Athletics Gold-Rogers

3-0 in pool play

Isabella Gonzalez (Gahr High)

The only action the Gahr star pitcher saw in the three pool play games came against the (Mission Viejo) California Cruisers-Sievers this past Sunday. Gonzalez, who will be a junior when school begins next month, pitched seven innings, and took a no-hitter into the bottom of the seventh inning before allowing a home run to future Boise State University athlete Kaitlyn Galasso in a 5-1 victory. Gonzalez struck out four and walked three. Gonzalez came back this past Tuesday and pitched the last six innings in a 3-2, nine-inning win over the (Elk Grove) LTG-Henderson/Cat. She allowed just two hits, struck out five and walked a pair of batters.

This past Wednesday, the team trailed the (Vista) Breakers Lab-Bobby 4-0 entering the bottom of the seventh, then 7-4 going to the bottom of the eighth before rallying for an 8-7 victory. Gonzalez would pitch the final eight outs, giving up three hits and two runs while walking two and striking out one. The win kept the team in the winners bracket.

18-Under Platinum Division

(Whitter) BSC Bengals-Gurule

3-0 in pool play

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

The BSC Bengals-Gurule allowed one run in three pool play games and Bettie Mae Acevedo was part of that. In the first two games last Saturday, both identical 6-0 wins, Acevedo combined to pitched nearly three innings, yielding one hit, walking four and striking out two. Offensively, she went one for four, scored three runs, reached twice on walks and drove in a run. Laroya had one hit in the pool play games, which was a solo home run against the TNT National-Goddard/George out of Pennsylvania.

This past Monday, the team fell to the (Bourbonnais) Illinois Stars Dirt Devil 4-3 before smashing the (Roseville) USA Premier National 16-4 this past Tuesday. Later that night, the team eased past the (Fountain Valley) Empire Premier 10-4 and eliminated the (Santa Clarita) I-5 Softball-Snyder/Mark 5-4 the next day, setting up another elimination game. Facing the (Pico Rivera) ZT Blaze-Del Campo, the BSC Bengals-Gurule were leading 6-5 at time of press.

In the first four playoff games, Acevedo, who also plays left field, had one hit in four at-bats and scored twice while pitching 12 innings in two games. allowing five hits, a pair of earned runs, striking out seven and walking four. Laroya went a combined four for 11, scored three times and had a double. Acevedo didn’t play against the ZT Blaze-Del Campo while Laroya drew a walk as a pinch hitter late in the contest.

(Mission Viejo) California Cruisers Gold

2-1 in pool play

Kayla Martin (Valley Christian High/Colgate University)

The California Cruisers did the one thing no travel team wants to do-go two and out in a double elimination playoff system. Martin, a left fielder, went a combined seven for 12 in the five games with four RBI, two runs and two doubles.

(Whittier) Firecrackers-Medina/Gomez

0-3 in pool play

Lea Hilbert (Gahr High)

After falling to the Las Vegas Blast 3-1 in the first playoff game this past Tuesday, the Firecrackers-Medina Gomez bounced back to win the first two games this past Wednesday. Hilbert, a pitcher and third baseman, has a pair of doubles and a run scored in the past three games while pitching one inning and yielding a combined six runs on three hits and walking four in the final two pool play games. However, the team was eliminated later in the night by the (Tempe) Arizona Storm-Westover 10-. Hilbert got two outs, gave up two hits, a run and struck out one. Offensively, she was hitless in one at-bat, walked once and scored a run.

(Downey) Nemesis Elite Gold

2-1 in pool play

Zoee Barrett (Valley Christian High/Clark Atlanta University)

Another two and out team was the Nemesis Elite Gold where Barrett, a right fielder, went two for five and drove in a run in both pool play games last Saturday, then went hitless in six at-bats in the two playoff games.

(Redondo Beach) USA Athletics-Phillips/Lehr

1-2 in pool play

Rachel Zhang (Valley Christian High)

After batting .500 in the pool play games, Zhang has gone four for 15 with six runs, two doubles and an RBI in four playoff wins. She has also pitched seven innings in three of the seven games thus far, allowing 10 hits, two earned runs with 10 strikeouts and three walks. The USA Athletics-Phillips/Lehr remains in the winners bracket.

(Garden Grove) West Coast Lady Dukes-Blanco

2-0-1 in pool play

Angelyna Conde (La Mirada High/Texas Tech University)

After going four for eight with three RBI and a double in pool play action, the former La Mirada third baseman heated up in bracket play, going eight for 17 with three runs, three RBI and a pair of doubles.as the team staved off elimination with a 3-1 win over the Team San Diego National-DeBus.

(Los Alamitos) Wildcats-Hunter

0-3 in pool play

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

After taking the first playoff game, the Wildcats-Hunter lost the next two contests, being outscored 12-2. Medina, a centerfielder, went a combined one for six in pool play action and scored a run. In the three playoff games, she was a combined one for nine, drew two walks and scored a run.

16-Under Premier Division

(Long Beach) USA Athletics-RML

2-1 in pool play

Choyce Chambers and Aubrielle Ramirez (Valley Christian High)

A 3-1 win over the (Dallas) Hotshots National-Naudin has kept the USA Athletics-RML in the winners bracket. Chambers, who plays in center, has gone six for 20 with five runs, five RBI, two doubles and two walks in all six games while Ramirez, a second baseman, has gone four for 13 with two RBI and two doubles in five games.

16-Under Platinum Division

(Westminster) USA Athletics-Mathis

2-1 in pool play

Zoe Corrales (Cerritos High)

The USA Athletics-Mathis remain in the losers bracket as Corrales, a third baseman and outfielder, has combined to go six of seven with seven runs and an RBI in six of the eight games the team has played.

The Alliance Fastpitch Softball Championship Series

18-Under Division

Corona Angels-Tyson

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

The Corona Angels-Tyson began the tournament in Indiana with a victory this past Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday before falling to the (Huntington Beach) Firecrackers-Rico/Brashear 1-0 in nine innings later in the day. Reyes-Cardenas, who had a stellar career in the circle for La Mirada, pitched two scoreless innings this past Wednesday against the (Sumner, TX) Impact Gold National, striking out a batter.

(Anaheim) OC Batbusters-Stith

Reese and Riley Hilliard (La Mirada High)

Statistics for the Hilliard sisters were unavailable, but their travel team has won the first four games in the 18-Under Tier 1 division Super Regionals.

16-Under Division

(Hacienda Heights) Firecrackers Select RTY

Alison Ortega (La Mirada High)

The star pitcher who will be a junior when school begins next month, pitched in both games this past Tuesday, a combined 11 innings where she allowed seven hits, two unearned runs, struck out six and walked one. One of those games was a seven inning, complete game against the (Oregon City, OR) NW Vandals-Woods. This past Tuesday against the (Laguna Hills) Firecrackers Select-Brashear, she tossed another complete game, scattering six hits while giving up an unearned run, striking out two and walking one in a 4-2 victory.

Ortega was once again back in the circle against the (Bowling Green, KY) Louisville Slugger-Huecker/Norwood where she pitched five innings, gave up six hits and five runs while striking out two and walking one in a 7-1 setback. Later in the day, she pitched nearly four innings, allowing a pair of hits while striking out six in a 5-4 loss to the (Lorena, TX) Buzz Gold.