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 Saturday’s highlights:
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In 18U:
Rock Gold-Manetta, the defending PGF 18U Platinum national champion, was the beneficiary of an overturned play at the plate and clutch-hitting as it upset Beverly Bandits Premier-Conroy, 5-3, in the PGF 18U Premier national championship game on Saturday afternoon at Bill Barber Park in Irvine, CA.
“I’m so proud of my team,” Jacksonville-bound MIF Jasmine “Jazz” Jones said of Rock Gold. “We always talk about how we play for each other and that’s what keeps us in big tournaments like this and helps us win big tournaments like this. I love them.”
The Bandits had a 3-1 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth inning and South Carolina-bound RHP Sage Mardjetko, the Gatorade State Player of the Year in Illinois, in the circle. But that’s when Rock Gold stepped up.
2025 OF Kylie Shaw singled to lead off the top of the 6th inning. Jacksonville-bound 1B/P Kassidy Pontbriant got a one-out single to right field. Shaw scored on the play as Rock Gold cut the lead to 3-2. USC Upstate-committed 2024 P/UT Sophia Kardatzke singled to right field, but Central Michigan-bound RF Emma Lotus threw out 2024 3B/1B Lexie Fitzgerald at the plate. The initial call was challenged, reviewed and overruled. So Rock Gold tied it, 3-3.
“It was just a roller-coaster of emotions,” Rock Gold coach Johnny Manetta said. “That would be the longest review. The place was eerily quiet. Then they reversed the call and it just pumped the girls up.”
Jones delivered a two-out single up the middle to drive in two runs and give Rock Gold a 5-3 lead.
“It meant so much to me,” Jones said. “Being a part of this team and being able to be the reason why we won it once again and for the ending makes me really happy.”
Manetta has coached Jones since she was 11 years old and his team’s players are from Florida.
“You just gotta keep fighting,” Manetta said. “That’s absolutely what they did. It’s a team full of grinders.”
Clemson-bound IF/P Julia Knowler singled and stole second and Samford-bound 1B/3B/C Katie Campbell came through with a two-out single up the middle to drive in a run and give Rock Gold a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the 4th inning.
Dayton-bound 2B/OF Kirnan Bailey singled to lead off the top of the 6th inning. Virginia Tech-bound OF Lyla Blackwell followed with a single and stole second with heads-up base running. Bailey, who went 3 for 3, advanced to third on the play. Florida-bound MIF Gabi Comia drove in both runners with a single up the middle for a 2-1 Bandits’ advantage. Illinois-bound 1B/OF Eileen Donahue drove in Comia with a perfect squeeze to make it 3-1.
That looked like enough for Mardjetko and the Bandits, but it wasn’t. Jacksonville-bound LHP Skylar Waggoner started for Rock Gold and gave up four hits, three runs and one walk while striking out four. 2024 RHP Zoe Yzaguirre pitched 1.2 scoreless innings of relief to get the victory.
Bandits coach Bill Conroy lost in the PGF 16U Premier title game in 2022 and won titles in 2019, 2017 and 2016. The Bandits organization won titles in 2021, 2018, 2017 (twice), 2016 and 2013 and reached the finals in 2022 (four times), 2015 and 2014.
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In 16U:
Sorcerer-Gann completed an unlikely run at the PGF Nationals with a 5-3 triumph over Select Fastpitch-Salazar/McCoy in the 16U Premier national championship game on Saturday morning at Bill Barber Park in Irvine, CA.
Sorcerer’s organization hadn’t been to the PGF finals since reaching the 14U Premier final in 2018. Select Fastpitch’s organization was making its third appearance in the PGF Nationals finals, having been to the PGF national-title game in 2023, 2022 and 2019.
2025 3B/UT Rylee Banks doubled and eventually scored on a two-out error to give Sorcerer-Gann a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the 2nd inning.
2025 SS/RHP Audri Youngblood singled, took second on 2025 MIF Marin Heller’s sacrifice, took third on a wild pitch and scored on Kansas-committed 2024 C Bailey Amezcua’s sacrifice fly to left field to help Select Fastpitch tie it, 1-1, in the top of the 4th inning.
2026 MIF Maya Garcia’s RBI single gave Sorcerer-Gann a 2-1 lead over Select Fastpitch in the bottom of the 4th inning.
Omaha-committed 2024 OF Gabby Salazar’s RBI single for Select Fastpitch tied it, 2-2, in the top of the 5th inning.
Sorcerer-Gann had two on with no outs in the bottom of the 6th inning before 2025 P/1B Elissa Galli delivered a two-out RBI single for a 3-2 lead. 2025 C Alana Hernandez added a two-run single to build Sorcerer-Gann’s lead to 5-2.
Select Fastpitch loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the 7th inning, but was only able to get an RBI goundout by 2025 MIF Marin Heller to make it 5-3.
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PGF NATIONALS
AT ORANGE COUNTY, CA
(Saturday, July 29, Results)
18U PREMIER
- Rock Gold-Manetta 5, Beverly Bandits Premier-Conroy 3
16U PREMIER
- Sorcerer-Gann 5, Select Fastpitch-Salazar/McCoy 3
(Friday, July 28, Results)
18U PLATINUM
- Atlanta Vipers-Wiggins 6, Colorado Stars-Sakamoto 2
16U PLATINUM
- Fusion National-Unruh/Hunt 6, Lil Rebels-Gordie/TC 2
— Carlos Arias, Dugout Chatter (Follow Carlos on Twitter @Los_Stuff and Threads @los_stuff)
