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PREMIER GIRLS FASTPITCH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – Trio of area softball players fall short of playing for a PGF title

July 26, 2025

By Loren Kopff • @LorenKopff on X

IRVINE-When the sun broke through the marine layer throughout Orange County last Thursday, there were 10 area travel softball players still in line for either a 16-Under or 18-Under title in the 15th annual Premier Girls Fastpitch National Championships. That number dwindled to three last Friday with a pair of Valley Christian High stars still playing for their (Long Beach) USA Athletics-RML 16-Under team and a Gahr High pitcher representing the (Long Beach) USA Athletics Gold-Rogers 18-Under squad.

Centerfielder Choyce Chambers and second baseman Aubrielle Ramirez, both of whom will be seniors next month at V.C. and their USA Athletics-RML squad were one of two teams still in the winners bracket last Friday morning. But the team dropped a 1-0 decision to the (Omaha) Nebraska Gold in the finals of the Premier Division A bracket, then was bounced out of the tournament following a 5-4 loss to the (Sacramento) Lady Magic-Munoz in the Premier Division bracket.

After losing its second pool play game on July 19, the USA Athletics-RML was riding a five-game winning streak entering last Thursday when it faced the (Phoenix) Arizona Storm-Captain. In a 5-0 win, Chambers went one for three, drove in a pair and scored once while Ramirez was hitless in one at-bat. Against the Nebraska Gold, the lone tally of the contest came in the top of the third inning. Again, Chambers went one for three while Ramirez had one at-bat.

The USA Athletics-RML trailed the Lady Magic-Munoz 2-1 before tying the game in the fifth, then took a 4-2 lead going to the bottom of the seventh. Chambers collected a hit in three at-bats, reached on a walk and scored once while Ramirez went hitless in three at-bats. Chambers and Ramirez were batting in the leadoff and ninth spots in the batting order, respectively.

In the 18-Under Premier Division A bracket, the (Long Beach) USA Athletics Gold-Rogers won a game each on July 22 and 23 before beginning last Thursday afternoon with a 5-1 win over the (Humble) Texas Riptide. Gahr pitcher Isabella Gonzalez did not play in that game but started against the Birmingham Thunderbolts in one of the bracket semifinals. Gonzalez worked the first two innings, allowing two hits and a run while walking three and striking out two in a 2-1 setback.

Last Friday, Gonzalez did not pitch as the USA Athletics Gold-Rogers was sent home by the (Marietta, GA) Athletics Gold-Tambora 3-2.

Also in the winners bracket entering last Thursday was V.C. pitcher Rachel Zhang and her (Redondo Beach) USA Athletics-Phillips/Lehr 18-Under team. After winning the first four games of the Platinum Division B bracket, the team fell to the (Lakeland, FL) Unity-Meadows-Johnson 2-1 with both runs coming in the bottom of the first inning. Zhang went two for four as the designated player. Later in the day, Zhang went hitless in three at-bats in a 4-0 loss to the (Corona) Athletics Mercado-Sabo.

Valley Christian High pitcher and outfielder Rachel Zhang, who was a designated player against the (Lakeland, FL) Unity-Meadows/Johnson, stands at third base in the top of the first inning last Thursday after reaching on an error and advancing on a sacrifice bunt and a groundout. She wound not score as her (Redondo Beach) USA Athletics-Phillips/Lehr team lost 2-1. PHOTO BY LOREN KOPFF.

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“I just think it’s amazing,” said Zhang of the run the team had been on. “We have nine seniors, and we just want for this to last as long as possible so we could play for them.”

This time last season, Zhang was playing for the (Rialto) Orange County Batbusters-Mora, which was playing in The Alliance Fastpitch Championship Series in Noblesville, Indiana. But the hour-plus travel to the practices was a bit too much for Zhang, who decided to join a new team. Plus, Zhang already had a few friends on the team, which made it easier to change organizations.

“I really like this team because a lot of these [players] are high in academics and that’s where I want to go,” said Zhang. “We honestly understand each other; we have a lot in common, and through that, we’ve built very string friendships.”

“She’s just got a really, really good personality; she seems to always be happy and positive,” said coach Michelle Lehr of her first impressions of Zhang. “She’s witty; you could tell she comes off as a very smart kid, but just fun and can kind of be down to earth.”

Since June 7, Zhang has started four of the nine games she has appeared in and won two of them. She pitched 21 innings, allowed 25 hits, seven earned runs, struck out 17 batters and walked a dozen. Offensively, she batted .380 with 30 hits, scored 22 runs, drew 10 walks, had three doubles and drove in a pair.

“I don’t mind [playing in the outfield] because I did pitch a lot in high school,” said Zhang. “It’s good to get a break. And, we have [three other] pitchers who are seniors. So, I don’t mind if they pitch. I like the outfield as well because it’s nice to make plays for my pitcher because I know how it is for them.”

“I think she has helped our team culture,” said Lehr. “She’s had really good energy and good vibes for the team and has been really important to us usually in the leadoff role. She’s kind of been our spark plug; she ignites getting our offense going, which is really good.

“She’s also helped us in the circle a lot,” she continued. “So she has given us both sides of the field. She contributes offensively, and also defensively when we need her. But most importantly, really, is just the culture she brings. She’s just genuinely a good kid.”

Recent La Mirada High graduate Angelyna Conde, who will begin her next softball chapter next month at Texas Tech University, has been one of the hottest hitters for the (Garden Grove) West Coast Lady Dukes-Blanco. After dropping to the losers bracket after one game, the team was also making a hot run through the bottom side of the 18-Under Platinum Division B bracket, having won four straight games entering last Thursday, then winning three more on that day before succumbing to the (Corona) Athletics Mercado-Sabo 5-2 last Thursday evening.

Recent La Mirada High Angelyna Conde, playing at third base with the (Garden Grove) West Coast Lady Dukes-Blanco in the first of four games last Thursday, had three hits, scored two runs, drove in a run and had a double against the (San Clemente) Watson Wolfpack Gold in an 8-6 win. The soon to be Texas Tech University standout batted .487 in 12 games in the Premier Girls Fastpitch National Championships with 19 hits,11 runs batted in, six doubles, five runs, three walks and struck out once in 39 at-bats. PHOTO BY LOREN KOPFF.

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This is Conde’s second season with the West Coast Lady Dukes-Blanco and has been nothing short of amazing. It was also an easy decision for head coach Jeff Blanco when he first saw her before she joined the team. Conde, affectionately known as Bam because when she was young, she didn’t know her own strength and would break softball equipment, was previously with the Athletics Mercado since she was in the 12-Under age group. But two years ago, Conde was attracted to Blanco’s team because of his daughter, Tara Blanco, who graduated from Marina High in 2014, then spent four successful seasons at the University of Michigan where she was a first baseman and a pitcher and was an All-American.

“She’s been my idol,” said Conde. “When I was 13, I got to decorate my room, and I did it all Michigan Wolverines. Obviously, it’s now “Wreck ‘Em Tech”, but Michigan was my dream school. I looked up to her greatly.

“Obviously, this has been nothing short of magical,” she later said of the past two seasons with the team. “Jeff is amazing; I think coming into this PGF [National Championships], we had 11 [players] and then we got some great additions to the team. We always find a way to make deep runs in good tournaments and wearing Dukes across my chest…some people might overlook it, and I like that part of it. I might be overlooked, and it just makes us work even harder and win.”

“She was mature beyond her years, first of all,” said Blanco. “She’s a very humble kid and had a really good work ethic. I got to see her a little bit in a clinic before she joined our team and was immediately drawn to just her approach, how she handles pressure and how she handles hitting.”

In the first game last Thursday against the (San Clemente) Watson Wolfpack Gold, Conde helped her team rally twice in the fist half of the game in an 8-6 victory. She went three for four, scored twice, drove in a run, had a double and drew a walk. In the top of the third inning, Conde singled to put runners at the corner and later, slid head first into home on a wild pitch to give her team a 2-1 lead. Then in the top of the fourth with two on and one out, the star third baseman doubled to center to plate Jessica Cherms, who is headed to the University of Montana, with the eventual game-winning run.

Immediately after the game, the West Coast Lady Dukes-Blanco posted another 8-6 victory, this one against the (Tempe) Arizona Storm-Westover as Conde’s lone hit was a bases-clearing double in the bottom of the sixth which tied the game at 6-6. The future Texas Tech University standout also drew a pair of walks.

After the game, Conde had another double for her only hit in four at-bats as her team edged the (San Diego) Breakers Lab 3-2. Again, the West Coast Lady Dukes-Blanco had to rally from an early deficit to win with two runs in the fourth inning and one more in the fifth.

But the team’s seven-game winning streak through the losers bracket came to an end with the 5-2 loss. Down 5-0 entering the top of the seventh, Conde, who went two for four with a run batted in, doubled on a 0-2 count with two outs and one on.

Conde entered the PGF National Championships with a .449 average and in the 12 games played, including the three pool play contests, Conde batted .487 with 19 hits, 11 RBI, six doubles, five runs, three walks and struck out once in 39 at-bats, For the summer, Conde finished the summer with 54 hits, 50 RBI, 37 runs, 17 doubles, 14 walks and eight home runs.

“It’s been nonstop,” said Conde of the summer. “Like I said earlier, we were rolling with 11 until this tournament. Only nine could play [on the field] and I was part of those nine consistently. It’s been a lot…but wearing Dukes across my chest makes you want it a little bit more.”

“Definitely, she has great power, but also just her approach to hitting,” said Blanco of Conde’s numbers. “She gets a good pitch to hit, she doesn’t chase many bad pitches, and she has just a great knack for squaring the ball on the barrel. She makes good contact, but it’s usually hard contact.”

Speaking about her defense, Blanco said Conde isn’t your prototypical third baseman because of her height. But she ‘locks it down’ and doesn’t allow teams to bunt and has good range on balls that are slow rollers hit in the 5-6 hole.

There’s also somewhat of a connection between Blanco and Conde’s future college coach, Gerry Glasco, who capped off an amazing 54-14 record in his first season at Texas Tech which included advancing to the NCAA Woman’s College World Series where the Red Raiders fell to the University of Texas in the best of three championship series in early June.

Conde chose Texas Tech University because of the academics, where she will study engineering, and Glasco, adding that she’s ‘super excited’ to play for him.

“I would say about a year and a half ago, nobody knew where Texas Tech was or what it was,” said Conde. “Being part of that, I feel like it’s the right time, and it’s exciting.”

“I’ve known their head coach there for a long time and before all the success Texas Tech has had recently, I went to [Glasco] and said, ‘I have a real special player’,” said Blanco. “I know that he loves kids who can hit the ball well and I told him flat out ‘this is your type of kid right here’. I think she’s going into a great situation with a great coach, great team coming off a great run in the [WCWS]. I’m really excited for her and the opportunities that she’s going to have.”

V.C. catcher Peyton Kingery and her (Anaheim) BSC Bengals-Briggs 18-Under team, in Premier Division B bracket, went two for three, drove in a run and scored once in a 6-0 win over the (Glendale, AZ) Rogue FC-Kaye last Thursday morning before being eliminated in the next game by the (Belmont) Cal Nuggets-Woods 4-3. In that contest, Kingery, who was playing in left field, singled in the bottom of the fifth inning and scored on a three-run home run from her future University of North Texas teammate Sienna Mayer.

Four other area players were eliminated in their first game last Thursday. Malaia Huskey (Gahr/California State University, San Marcos) did not play as her (Huntington Beach) Explosion Premier team fell to the (French Camp, CA) Sorcerer-Gann 5-3.

La Mirada pitcher Bettie Mae Acevedo threw 10 pitches and walked two batters and former Gahr outfielder Mya Laroya, who is on her way to St. John’s University, did not have an at bat as the (Whittier) BSC Bengals-Gurule lost to the (Pennsville, NJ) Stars National-Coleman 10-1.

Cerritos High’s Zoe Corrales, who plays for the (Westminster) USA Athletics-Mathis went hitless in a pinch hitting role as her team lost to the (Charleston, SC) Rogue FC-Voak/Malgradi 1-0.


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