Many of the top 16U & 18U teams in the country were in So Cal from July 23-30 for Alliance Fastpitch Championship Series 3. Here are some of Sunday’s highlights:
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In 18U:
OC Batbusters was already known as one of the top softball organizations in the nation heading into AFCS 3, but they might be on the verge or are in the middle of a dynasty after beating Aces Fastpitch Club, 1-0, and 9-0, in the AFCS championship series on Sunday at Cal State Fullerton.
It was the second consecutive 18U Alliance national championship for OC Batbusters-Stith.
“We have experience, we played in big games, they love being together, they were pretty determined on getting this done,” Batbusters coach Mike Stith said. “Dynasties are a tough things in our world. You’re dealing with things, the word dynasty is a tough thing. When we took over the thing from Gary (Hanning), a dynasty is created from a commuity … a lot of hard work is paying off, but I’m always thinking foward. It has been beyond belief the families and players that we’ve had. It was just an incredible group. The tradition and group was built by (players in the past).”
2025 RHP Sophia Bordi needed just 80 pitches to throw a no-hitter with eight strikeouts as OC Batbusters-Stith beat Aces Fastpitch Club, 1-0, in Game 1 of the best-of-3 championship series.
The Batbusters had runners on first and third with no outs in the top of the 3rd inning, but 2025 RHP Allyssa Parker was able to get out of the jam.
Parker got Bordi to hit into a double play to end the top of the 4th inning. It was the second time Parker induced Bordi to hit into a double play.
2025 OF Kai Minor and Central Florida-committed 2024 3B Izzy Mertes singled to lead off the top of the 5th inning. Parker struck out Florida-committed 2024 OF Taylor Shumaker with two outs, but a wild pitch allowed the Batbusters to load the bases. Parker struck out Arizona-bound MIF/OF Regan Shockey to end the inning.
Oklahoma-bound LHP/OF Ella Parker led off the top of the 6th inning with a walk and moved to second on Stanford-bound MIF/3B Jade Berry’s sacrifice, but Allyssa Parker worked out of the jam again.
With runners on first and third in the top of the 7th inning, the Batbusters finally broke through. Central Florida-bound MIF Samantha Rey scored on Shockey’s infield single to give the Batbusters a 1-0 lead.
That was all Bordi needed.
“I’m really happy with my performance,” Bordi said. “Today, I was working around the zone with my pitches the entire game and it worked well. It wouldn’t have been possible without the defense behind me. They were definitely a huge part of this win with huge plays that without them could have changed the game. Also, my (2025) catcher, Brooke (Pinowar), was amazing, keeping her energy command behind the plate the whole game. That helped me out as well.”
In the second game, Mertes hit a grand slam during a six-run rally by the Batbusters in the bottom of the 1st inning and went on to a 9-0 victory in five innings via the mercy rule to capture the national title.
The Aces left the bases loaded in the top of the 2nd and 3rd innings, but could not execute.
Minor delivered a three-run homer to the opposite field to give the Batbusters 9-0 advantage.
“I was just focused on hitting the ball hard to provide run support for our pitchers,” Minor said. “To win back-to-back championships is a huge accomplishment and was a result (of) all of the hard work, attention to (detail) and focus that this team and coaches have had all year.”
Mertes went 3 for 3 and Minor went 1 for 3 with two runs and three RBIs.
BYU-committed 2024 LHP Jada Villegas started for the Batbusters and pitched 2,0 scoreless innings, allowing five hits and striking out one. She was relieved by Arizona-bound LHP Ryan Maddox, the Gatorade State Player of the Year in California, who pitched 3.0 scoreless innings, allowing two hits, no walks and striking out three.
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In 16U:
Texas Glory-Naudin won two of three games against Impact Gold-Jazz, 0-1, 2-0, and, 4-1, on Sunday in the 16U AFCS championship series to win the 16U Alliance national championship on Sunday at Cal State Fullerton.
2025 C/IF Addyson Sheppard hit a solo blast to left in the top of the 2nd inning to stake Impact Gold to a 1-0 lead and Pennsylvania-committed 2024 RHP/1B Ainsley Pepmberton threw a five-hit shutout with three strikeouts as Impact Gold-Jazz defeated, Texas Glory-Naudin, 1-0, in Game 1 of the best-of-3 16U championship series.
Houston-committed 2024 MIF/OF Madox Mitchael came through with a two-run double in the top of the 1st inning to give Texas Glory-Naudin a 2-0 lead in Game 2.
That was all Central Arkansas-committed 2024 RHP Lucy Crowder needed. She pitched a six-hitter with no walks and two strikeouts in 7.0 innings to record the shutout and force a Game 3 in the AFCS championship series.
“Game 2 showed just how much heart we have!” Mitchael said. “We play for each other and never give up, so I knew when I had two runners on base I had to score them in. I play for my team! In Game 3, we just have to come out with the same mentality and the same energy.”
2026 OF Reagan Rohrlich doubled to lead off the top of the 1st, 2026 OF/SS Adelynn Siegel single and 2026 1B/P/OF Ella Kate “EK” Smith drove in Rohrlich with a sacrifice fly to left field to give Impact Gold a 1-0 lead in the third game.
Texas Glory-Naudin came alive in the bottom of the 5th inning. Mitchael had an RBI single, Glory got another run on a bases-loaded HBP, then Houston-committed 2024 RHP Brooke Wells had a two-run single to give Glory a 4-1 lead. Glory added another run on a passed ball to make it 5-1.
“Well, with the help of a few other teammates we managed to get the energy up in the dugout, which led to the five runs scored,” Mitchael said. “It took every person in the dugout, every base runner, every infielder and every outfielder to win that game! I’m extremely proud of us and I expected nothing less!”
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AFCS CHAMPION CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
AT CAL STATE FULLERTON/BLD CHINO HILLS
(Sunday, July 30, Results)
18U
TIER 1
- OC Batbusters-Stith 1, Aces Fastpitch Club 0
- OC Batbusters-Stith 9, Aces Fastpitch Club 0
TIER 2
- Midwest Speed-Knoltes 5, EC Bullets Gold-Schnute 0
- EC Bullets Gold-Schnute 8, Midwest Speed-Knoltes 2
- Midwest Speed-Knoltes 10, EC Bullets Gold-Schnute 1
TIER 3
- Bombers Gold National 10, OC Batbusters 2024-Aldrich 6
- Bombers Gold National 10, OC Batbusters 2024-Aldrich 0
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16U
TIER 1
- Impact Gold-Jazz 1, Texas Glory-Naudin 0
- Texas Glory-Naudin, 2, Impact Gold-Jazz 0
- Texas Glory-Naudin 5, Impact Gold-Jazz 1
TIER 2
- Glory Adkins Gold 6, Bombers Gold National 1
- Bombers Gold American 7, Glory Adkins Gold 0
- Bombers Gold American 8, Glory Adkins Gold 1
TIER 3
- NM Suncats Gold-Gandert/Jaramillo 12, Impact Gold National-Rodriguez 0
- Impact Gold National-Rodriguez 2, NM Suncats Gold 1
- NM Suncats Gold-Gandert/Jaramillo 7, Impact Gold National-Rodriguez 4
*****
AT LA PUENTE SPORTS COMPLEX
10U WEST
(Thursday, July 27, Results)
- Corona Angels-Griffin 4, Athletics Mercado-Griffin 3
- Athletics Mercado-Martinez 4, Corona Angels-Griffin 3
- Athletics Mercado-Martinez 3, Corona Angels-Griffin 0
— Carlos Arias, Dugout Chatter (Follow Carlos on Twitter @Los_Stuff and Threads @los_stuff)
