Many of the top 16U & 18U teams in the country were in Orange County, CA, from July 22-29 for the PGF Nationals. Here are some of Thursday’s highlights:
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In 18U fifth-round games:
Lady Dukes-Lamar/Burgess had all the momentum entering the PGF 18U Premier Nationals after winning the Triple Crown Nationals a couple of weeks ago in Georgia before running into Beverly Bandits Premier-Dorsey in the fifth round on Thursday night at Huntington Beach Sports Complex.
The sister duo of 2025 RHP Berkley Zache and Missouri-committed 2024 C Riley Zache have been the hot battery for the Bandits and they came through again. The younger Zache allowed seven hits, three runs and three hits while striking out eight to record a complete game win. The older Zache went 1 for 3 as part of the Bandits’ 10-hit attack.
“Berkley had ice in her veins and Riley, her sister, called a great game,” Bandits coach Rona Dorsey said. “The team’s energy and hitting were contagious.”
Pitt-bound IIF/OF Jordan George went 2 for 4 with a run, Ohio State-bound 1B/3B Hailey Lang went 1 for 2 with a run, Miami-bound CF/UT Hadley Parisien went 1 for 3 with a run and two RBIs and Louisville-committed 2024 2B/OF Taylor Monroe went 1 for 4 with a run and an RBI for the Bandits. …
Rock Gold-Manetta made some noise by winning a PGF 18U Platinum national title last summer, but they really announced themselves by taking down Georgia Bombers Gold-Lewis, 3-0, in the fifth round of the PGF 18U Premier Nationals.
Patrick Lewis took his Georgia Impact teams to PGF 18U Premier national championship in 2019 and 2018 before switching to the Bombers organization last summer. His teams have always done very well at the PGF Nationals.
“Always a big day when you can stay in the winner’s bracket of a tournament like this,” Rock Gold coach Johnny Manetta said. “It keeps the pitcher fresh and body from getting to banged up. Mentally, we’re tough having 10 graduated seniors. And this group is used to the big game after winning the platinum championship last year!”
2024 P/UT Sophia Kardatzke pitched a five-hit shutout with two strikeouts, Clemson-bound IF/P Julia Knowler went 2 for 3 with a homer and Samford-bound 1B/C Katie Campbell had a two-run single for Rock Gold-Manetta against Bombers-Lewis. …
Oklahoma-bound LHP Audrey Lowry tossed a four-hit shutout with five strikeouts in Tennessee Mojo-Danley/Fisher’s 4-0 win over Georgia Impact-Sampson/Gusaeff and Florida State-bound RHP/OF Ashtyn Danley went 2 for 3 with two runs and an RBI and she pitched two innings of relief for the save as the Mojo beat NW Vandals-Vasas/Scott, 5-4, in the winner’s bracket. …
South Carolina-bound RHP Sage Mardjetko gave up five hits, one run and struck out 10 to get the complete game win and Central Michigan-bound OF/1B Emma Lotus went 3 for 3 with a double, a run and an RBI as Beverly Bandits Premier-Conroy edged Breakers Labs-Carter, 2-1. …
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In 16U fifth-round games:
Virginia Unity-Johnson/Ross is one of the most loaded 16U teams in the country as they have already proven by winning the Triple Crown Colorado 4th of July 16U National Power Pool title and Triple Crown Nationals title so far this summer. But they are practically unstoppable when LSU-committed LHP Jayden Heavener is on.
And she was on in the fifth round against Tampa Mustangs-Seymour on Thursday evening at Fountain Valley Sports Park. Heavener threw a two-hitter with 18 strikeouts in eight innings to lead Unity past the Tampa Mustangs, 5-0.
“Seymour is always a tough game,” Heavener said. “It was a great win. I have so much faith in my team. I knew the bats would come through. These girls are so good under pressure. I just had to do my job for my team to be able to come back with the runs and continue to play my game.”
Unity got on the board in the top of the 8th inning after 2025 OF McCall Sims two-run double. 2025 C/IF Brinli Bain added an RBI single and Georgia-committed 2024 IF Esther White had a two-run single for Unity. Bain and 2025 IF Kaidance Till had two hits apiece to lead Unity’s nine-hit attack. …
2025 RHP Keira Crosby gave up 3 hits, two walks and struck out five in seven innings to record the complete game victory, Texas Tech-committed 2024 IF/OF Hailey Toney went 2 for 3, 2025 C Payton Miller went 2 for 3 and 2025 UT Cecilia Gonzales went 2 for 3 with a two-run home run in Texas Sudden Impact-Jones’ 2-1 win over I-5 Softball-Snyder/Fitz.
Sudden Impact-Jones is the defending 16U Longmont IDT champion.
“Going into PGF, we knew the level of talent from every team would be tough and test us,” Crosby said. “After today’s win, our team’s chemistry and fight is stronger than ever and we are excited to get going in the final 6 on Friday! Staying in the winner’s bracket has been huge for our team as we compete with the best.” …
Kansas-committed 2024 P/2B/UT Kaylee Washington allowed four hits, no walks, one run and struck out four to get the complete game win, Central Florida-committed 2024 3B/1B Kendall Yarnell homered and drove in two runs, Kansas-committed 2024 UT Bailey Amezcua homered and drove in two runs and Gabby Salazar had two hits as Select Fastpitch-Salazar/McCoy knocked off Arizona Storm National-Appel, 5-1. …
Sorcerer-Gann blanked Texas Blaze United-Robertson, 6-0, in the other winner’s bracket fifth-round game and faces Texas Sudden Impact-Jones on Friday at 8 a.m. …
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PGF NATIONALS
AT ORANGE COUNTY, CA
(Thursday, July 27, Results)
18U PREMIER
BRACKET A
WINNER’S BRACKET
FOURTH ROUND
- NW Vandals-Vasas/Scott 2, Wildcats-Weil 1
- Tennessee Mojo-Danley/Fisher 4, Georgia Impact-Sampson/Gusaeff 0
- Beverly Bandits Premier-Conroy 6, Hotshots National-Nelson 1
- Breakers Labs-Carter 6, Atlanta Vipers-Tamborra 5
FIFTH ROUND
- Tennessee Mojo-Danley/Fisher 5, NW Vandals-Vasas/Scott 3
- Beverly Bandits Premier-Conroy 2, Breakers Labs-Carter 1
LOSER’S BRACKET
FOURTH ROUND
- Athletics Jendro Premier 1, Lady Magic-Boykin 0
- Birmingham Thunderbolts Premier 6, Ohana Tigers-Quarles 1
- So Cal Athletics-Richardson 4, Breakers Labs-Bobby 1
- LLG DPS-Corn 6, Cal Cruisers-Sievers 5
FIFTH ROUND
- Wildcats-Weil 4, Athletics Jendro Premier 0
- Georgia Impact-Sampson/Gusaeff 3, Birmingham Thunderbolts Premier 0
- Hotshots National-Nelson 1, So Cal Athletics-Richardson 0
- LLG DPS-Corn 4, Atlanta Vipers-Tamborra 1
SIXTH ROUND
- Georgia Impact-Sampson/Gusaeff 10, Wildcats-Weil 1
- Hotshots National-Nelson 15, LLG DPS-Corn 5
BRACKET B
WINNER’S BRACKET
FOURTH ROUND
- Rock Gold-Manetta 7, Select Fastpitch-Jones 5
- Georgia Bombers Gold-Lewis 4, Washington Ladyhawks Gold-Miller 2
- Beverly Bandits Premier-Dorsey 2, Cal Nuggets-Woods 1
- Lady Dukes-Lamar/Burgess 7, Texas Sudden Impact-Leach 0
FIFTH ROUND
- Rock Gold-Manetta 3, Georgia Bombers Gold-Lewis 0
- Beverly Bandits Premier-Dorsey 6, Lady Dukes-Lamar/Burgess 3
LOSER’S BRACKET
THIRD ROUND
- Rock Gold-Garvey 5, Unity National-Betsa/Hebert 1
- Georgia Impact Premier-Caymol 8, So Cal Choppers-VC 0
- USA Athletics Gold 2, New Lenox Lightning Gold 1
- NW Bullets-Campos 4, Sorcerer-Ricks 3
- Strykers National-Esparza 2, Rhode Island Thunder Gold National-Lotti 1
- BSC Bengals-Briggs 4, AASA-Merrida 3
- LTG Lions-Henderson3, Top Gun National 1
- Arizona Storm National-Mathis 7, Hotshots National-Jones 0
FOURTH ROUND
- Georgia Impact Premier-Caymol 6, Rock Gold-Garvey 1
- USA Athletics Gold 4, NW Bullets-Campos 2
- BSC Bengals-Briggs 7, Strykers National-Esparza 1
- Arizona Storm National-Mathis 2, LTG Lions-Henderson 1
FIFTH ROUND
- Georgia Impact Premier-Caymol 3, Select Fastpitch-Jones 2
- USA Athletics Gold 8, Washington Ladyhawks Gold-Miller 1
- BSC Bengals-Briggs 6, Cal Nuggets-Woods 3
- Arizona Storm National-Mathis 6, Texas Sudden Impact-Leach 0
SIXTH ROUND
- Georgia Impact Premier-Caymol 8, USA Athletics Gold 4
- Arizona Storm National-Mathis 7, BSC Bengals-Briggs 0
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16U
BRACKET A
WINNER’S BRACKET
FIFTH ROUND
- Texas Sudden Impact-Jones 2, I-5 Softball-Snyder/Fitz 1
- Sorcerer-Gann 6, Texas Blaze United-Robertson 0
LOSER’S BRACKET
FIFTH ROUND
- LTG Lions-Henderson 8, Jersey Intensity Premier-BOD 5
- Birmingham Thunderbolts Premier 2024-Kaplan 3, Carolina SC Elite National-Fusetti 1
- Georgia Impact-Holcombe 8, Texas Riptide 0
- Wildcats-Holcomb/Knight/Kingery 3, Universal Fastpitch-Macias 2
SIXTH ROUND
- Birmingham Thunderbolts Premier 2024-Kaplan 7, LTG Lions-Henderson 0
- Wildcats-Holcomb/Knight/Kingery 3, Georgia Impact-Holcombe 0
SEVENTH ROUND
- Birmingham Thunderbolts Premier 2024-Kaplan 6, Texas Blaze United-Robertson 2
- Wildcats-Holcomb/Knight/Kingery 2, I-5 Softball-Snyder/Fitz 0
EIGHTH ROUND
- Birmingham Thunderbolts Premier 2024-Kaplan 4, Wildcats-Holcomb/Knight/Kingery 3
BRACKET B
WINNER’S BRACKET
FIFTH ROUND
- Virginia Unity-Johnson/Ross 5, Tampa Mustangs-Seymour 0
- Select Fastpitch-Salazar/McCoy 5, Arizona Storm National-Appel 1
LOSER’S BRACKET
FIFTH ROUND
- BSC Bengals-Briggs 4, Beverly Bandits Premier-Holloway 3
- LK Black Hawaii 8, Sox Fastpitch National 3
- Illinois Chill Gold 3, Beverly Bandits Premier-Moran 0
- Georgia Impact-Caymol 2, Birmingham Thunderbolts Premier 2025-Kemp 0
SIXTH ROUND
- BSC Bengals-Briggs 3, LK Black Hawaii 1
- Georgia Impact-Caymol 1, Illinois Chill Gold 0
SEVENTH ROUND
- BSC Bengals-Briggs 3, Arizona Storm National-Appel 2
- Georgia Impact-Caymol 7, Tampa Mustangs-Seymour 1
EIGHT ROUND
- BSC Bengals-Briggs 8, Georgia Impact-Caymol 2
— Carlos Arias, Dugout Chatter (Follow Carlos on Twitter @Los_Stuff and Threads @los_stuff)
