Many of the top 16U & 18U teams in the country were in So Cal from July 23-30 at Big League Dreams in Chino Hills and Big League Dreams in Riverside for the Alliance Fastpitch Championship Series 3. Here are some of Thursday’s highlights:
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In 18U Super Regionals:
Fury Platinum X-Higdon picked up a 1-0 victory over Athletics Mercado-Smith, the two-time defending Triple Crown Colorado 4th of July 18U National Power Pool champion, in an 18U Super Regional final to advance to the Elite 8 of AFCS. Fury Platinum beat Athletics Mercado for the second time in as many days.
Kentucky-committed RHP Julie Kelley hit a solo shot to center field in the bottom of the 5th inning to give Fury Platinum X a 1-0 lead.
“The home run felt amazing and it fired me up to keep shutting them down in the circle!” Kelley said. “Beating Athletics Mercado twice is definitely a huge accomplishment for our team. They are very talented, but we showed up! Jazzy (Francik) pitched an awesome game yesterday and I came in today wanting to finish the job.”
Kelley started and pitched six-plus scoreless innings, allowing six hits and striking out three. Florida State-committed RHP Jazzy Francik pitched the 7th inning and recorded the save.
“We are only in the third year of what we call our Fury Platinum Exclusive Program,” Fury Platinum coach Jeremy Higdon said. “To break through to the final 8 in 18U against a team as incredible as Dave Mercado’s team is a dream come true. This group is continuing to set the standard for the future of our club. If you ask them, I promise they’ll say they’re not done, yet!!” …
2025 RHP Sophia Bordi pitched a solid 4 innings and BYU-committed 2024 LHP Jada Villegas closed out the game, Oklahoma-bound SS Gabby Garcia had a solo home run, 2025 OF Kai Minor had a couple of hits and three RBIs, Arizona-bound MIF/OF Regan Shockey and Central Florida-bound MIF Samantha Rey had multi-hit games and Bordi and Stanford-bound MIF/3B Jade Berry had two RBIs apiece as OC Batbusters-Stith beat Athletics Mercado-Cook, 8-0, in a Super Regional final.
“Today’s game was big for us!!” Bordi said. “Personally, I did a lot better hitting my spots and working around the zone to get batters to pop up the ball or just keep it on the ground. As a team, we played really good this game. There were a few big plays in the beginning that set the tone for the rest of the game! Moving forward, we have to keep the energy going and continue to play like the team we are!!” …
Arkansas-committed 2024 C/IF/SS Ella McDowell came through with a walk-off bomb to center field in the bottom of the 7th inning to give Impact Gold-Jackson a 4-3 victory over Firecrackers Brashear in a Super Regional final.
McDowell ended up going 3 for 3 and Arkansas-committed 2024 CF Ashtyn Reichardt, Eastern Kentucky-bound 2B Kennedy Drafton, Texas Tech-bound 3B Makenna Mitchell, Arkansas-committed 2024 RHP Cameryn Harrison and uncommitted 2024 1B Abby Ptak all had two hits apiece for Impact Gold.
“Today’s game was another hard one and our team really stayed as one,” McDowell said. “Although we faced some major adversity, our pitching and hitting kept us in the game. We were thankful to walk it off in the 7th inning with a first-pitch bomb. Moving forward, we have to continue to keep having fun and seizing every opportunity that comes our way.” …
Stanford-bound RHP/UT Alyssa Houston went 1 for 3 with two RBIs, Eastern Illinois-bound 2B Karson Davey drove in two runs and Kansas-bound 1B September Flanagan went 2 for 3 with two runs in Iowa Premier National-Dickel’s 7-4 win over Virginia Glory-Willemssen in a Super Regional final. …
Nebraska-bound 1B/P Emmerson Cope and 2025 LF Sidney Forrester drove in two runs apiece and South Alabama-bound 3B Olivia Branstetter went 2 for 3 with a run as Aces Fastpitch Club beat Tampa Mustangs-Rene, 6-2, in a Super Regional final. …
UC San Diego-bound C Brooklyn Lee hit a grand slam, UCLA-bound C/1B Addison Mettler went 3 for 4 with two homers, three runs and four RBIs, 2025 IF Amanda Urbina hit a three-run homer and CF Holly Medina went 3 for 4 with two runs as Firecrackers-Rico beat Texas Bombers Gold-Smith, 14-1, to advance to the Elite 8. …
Epic National-Smith beat Texas Glory, 7-6, to force an “if” game in a Super Regional final and Texas Glory advanced to the Elite 8 with a 13-5 win over Epic National-Smith. Georgia-committed 2024 SS Paislie Allen went 2 for 3 with three runs and three RBIs for Texas Glory in the deciding game. …
Ohio State-committed 2024 RHP Kassandra Gewecke pitched a two-hit shutout as Corona Angels-Tyson beat Oklahoma Athletics National-Madden, 1-0, in a Super Regional final. …
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In 16U Super Regionals:
2025 CF Lyndsey Hooker went 2 for 4 with a double, a run and two RBIs, Tarleton State-committed 2024 C/1B/3B Kendall Daniel went 1 for 2 with a homer and two RBIs, Houston-committed 2024 SS Madox Micthael went 2 for 4 with double and a run and uncommitted 2024 C Macie Jansky went 2 for 4 as Texas Glory-Naudin punched its ticket to the Elite 8 with a 7-5 victory over Oklahoma Athletics National 2025-Madden/Knight. …
2025 SS Harlie Chism hit a two-run homer in the 4th inning and 2026 C/1B Mia Clemmer had a three-run double off the wall in the 6th inning as Oklahoma Athletics National 2024-Madden/Clemmer defeated Indiana Magic Gold 24/25-Gerth. 9-4, in a Super Regional final. …
2026 LF Kiya James went 3 for 3 with two homers and three RBIs, 2025 C Gracie King went 1 for 3 with three RBIs and 2025 CF Paige Rummans went 1 for 3 with a run and two RBIs as Iowa Premier National-Dickel defeated Firecrackers Premier-RTY, 10-2, in a Super Regional final. …
2025 CF Kinley Keller went 3 for 3 with two runs and two RBIs and 2025 3B Meiko Dominguez went 2 for 3 with two RBIs as Texas Bombers Gold-Smith defeated Corona Angels-FTS, 10-2, in a Super Regional final. …
2026 OF/SS Adelynn Siegel went 2 for 3 with an RBI, 2025 IF Landri Pick went 3 for 3 with two runs and two RBIs, 2026 1B/P/OF Ella Kate Smith went 2 for 3 with a homer and two RBIs and 2025 P/IF/OF Lauryn Soeken pitched 5.0 scoreless innings with two strikeouts to lead Impact Gold-Jazz past Aces Fastpitch Club, 6-0, in a Super Regional final. …
2025 MIF/3B Kennady Lique had a two-run single, 2024 2B/OF Stevie Robinson had an RBI double and 2025 MIF.UT Taryn Ho had a two-run single as Firecrackers Brashear rallied for five runs in the bottom of the 5th inning and went on to beat Warrior Academy-Jimenez, 5-2, in a Super Regional final. …
Fury Platinum X-Hutchins came out of the loser’s bracket and beat Athletics Mercado-Hovermale, 3-1, and, 8-7, in a Super Regional final to reach the Elite 8.
2024 RHP Hannah Cole pitched in both games and got the complete game victories. 2024 1B Erin Shoemaker had a two-run homer, Western Kentucky-committed 2024 CF Kennedy Stinson had a three-run homer and Kentucky-committed 2024 SS/CF Anna Mauck had a grand slam to lead the offense. …
Top Gun National-Slezak came out of the loser’s bracket and beat Corona Angels-Slye, 4-3, to force an “if” game, but the Corona Angels won, 12-0, in the deciding game. …
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AFCS 3
AT BLD CHINO HILLS
(Wednesday, July 26, Results)
18U
TIER 1
SUPER REGIONAL #1
LOSER’S BRACKET
SECOND ROUND
- Athletics Mercado-Cook 7, Texas Threat Gold 1
WINNER’S BRACKET
THIRD ROUND
- OC Batbusters-Stith 8, Athletics Mercado-Cook 0
SUPER REGIONAL #2
LOSER’S BRACKET
SECOND ROUND
- Athletics Mercado-Smith 7, OC Batbusters-Lara 1
WINNER’S BRACKET
THIRD ROUND
- Fury Platinum X-Higdon 1, Athletics Mercado-Smith 0
SUPER REGIONAL #3
LOSER’S BRACKET
SECOND ROUND
- Firecrackers Brashear 5, Corona Angels-Howard 2
WINNER’S BRACKET
THIRD ROUND
- Impact Gold-Jackson 4, Firecrackers Brashear 3
SUPER REGIONAL #4
LOSER’S BRACKET
SECOND ROUND
- Virginia Glory-Willemssen 12, Warrior Academy-R. McDonald 6
WINNER’S BRACKET
THIRD ROUND
- Iowa Premier National-Dickel 7, Virginia Glory-Willemssen 4
SUPER REGIONAL #5
LOSER’S BRACKET
SECOND ROUND
- Oklahoma Athletics National-Madden 5, Impact Gold National-Rodriguez 0
WINNER’S BRACKET
THIRD ROUND
- Corona Angels-Tyson 1, Oklahoma Athletics National-Madden 0
SUPER REGIONAL #6
LOSER’S BRACKET
SECOND ROUND
- Epic National-Smith 9, Mojo-Lunsford 7
WINNER’S BRACKET
THIRD ROUND
- Epic National-Smith 7, Texas Glory 6
- Texas Glory 13, Epic National-Smith 5
SUPER REGIONAL #7
LOSER’S BRACKET
SECOND ROUND
- Tampa Mustangs-Rene 5, Batbusters Gomes 3
WINNER’S BRACKET
THIRD ROUND
- Aces Fastpitch Club 6, Tampa Mustangs-Rene 2
SUPER REGIONAL #8
LOSER’S BRACKET
SECOND ROUND
- Texas Bombers Gold-Smith 9, BSA-Bownet Sports Academy 2
WINNER’S BRACKET
THIRD ROUND
- Firecrackers-Rico 14, Texas Bombers Gold-Smith 1
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16U
SUPER REGIONAL #1
LOSER’S BRACKET
SECOND ROUND
- Indiana Magic Gold 24/25-Gerth 11, EC Bullets-Cornett 2
WINNER’S BRACKET
THIRD ROUND
- Oklahoma Athletics National 2024-Madden/Clemmer 9, Indiana Magic Gold 24/25-Gerth 4
SUPER REGIONAL #2
LOSER’S BRACKET
SECOND ROUND
- Oklahoma Athletics National 2025-Madden/Knight 4, Starz Gold-Bunn 0
WINNER’S BRACKET
THIRD ROUND
- Texas Glory-Naudin 7, Oklahoma Athletics National 2025-Madden/Knight 5
SUPER REGIONAL #3
LOSER’S BRACKET
SECOND ROUND
- Fury Platinum X-Hutchins 10, Louisiana Bombers Gold 07-Wilmore 1
WINNER’S BRACKET
THIRD ROUND
- Fury Platinum X-Hutchins 3, Athletics Mercado-Hovermale 1
- Fury Platinum X-Hutchins 8, Athletics Mercado-Hovermale 7
SUPER REGIONAL #4
LOSER’S BRACKET
SECOND ROUND
- Aces Fastpitch Club 6, Fury Platinum X-Helton 4
WINNER’S BRACKET
THIRD ROUND
- Impact Gold-Jazz 9, Aces Fastpitch Club 0
SUPER REGIONAL #5
LOSER’S BRACKET
SECOND ROUND
- Firecrackers Premier-RTY 8, Athletics Mercado-Greg 6
WINNER’S BRACKET
THIRD ROUND
- Iowa Premier National-Dickel 10, Firecrackers Premier-RTY 2
SUPER REGIONAL #6
LOSER’S BRACKET
SECOND ROUND
- Warrior Academy-Jimenez 9, Texas Glory 07-Naudin/South 1
WINNER’S BRACKET
THIRD ROUND
- Firecrackers Brashear 5, Warrior Academy-Jimenez 2
SUPER REGIONAL #7
LOSER’S BRACKET
SECOND ROUND
- Top Gun National-Slezak 2, Bombers Gold American 1
WINNER’S BRACKET
THIRD ROUND
- Top Gun National-Slezak 4, Corona Angels-Slye 3
- Corona Abgels-Slye 12, Top Gun National-Slezak 0
SUPER REGIONAL #8
LOSER’S BRACKET
SECOND ROUND
- Corona Angels-FTS 3, OC Batbusters-Stith/Sasaki 1
WINNER’S BRACKET
THIRD ROUND
- Texas Bombers Gold-Smith 10, Corona Angels-FTS 2
— Carlos Arias, Dugout Chatter (Follow Carlos on Twitter @Los_Stuff and Threads @los_stuff)
