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 Wednesday’s highlights:
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In 18U Super Regionals:
Florida State-committed 2024 RHP Jazzy Francik tossed a two-hitter with six strikeouts in 7.0 innings and Kentucky-bound 1B/OF Peyton Plotts drove in 2024 MIF/OF Addi Yates with an RBI single as Fury Platinum X-Higdon pulled off a 1-0 upset over Athletics Mercado-Smith, the two-time defending Triple Crown Colorado 4th of July 18U National Power Pool champion.
“As a team, we went into today with a mindset of competing,” Francik said. “Personally, I was 100 percent focused and determined to give my all. It took the whole team for us to pull out the win. For our team, that win gets us one step closer to making the final 8 at AFCS and that’s been one of our goals all year.” …
OC Batbusters-Stith came from behind to beat Athletics Mercado-Cook, 7-3. Florida-committed 2024 CF Taylor Shumaker’s bases-loaded double gave the Batbusters, the defending 18U Alliance national champion, a 3-2 lead, 2025 OF Kai Minor had a single and hit a three-run home run in the 5th inning and Oklahoma-bound LHP/OF Ella Parker added a solo shot in the 6th inning.
“It was a great team win,” Minor said. “We are just looking to be solid (in) all phases of the game (pitching, hitting and defense). We are just focused on the next game as we still have a lot of games left to reach our goal of making it to the championship.” …
Arkansas-committed 2024 C/IF/SS Ella McDowell went 4 for 4 with a run and an RBI, Arkansas-committed 2024 OF Ashtyn Reichardt went 3 for 4 with a run and Texas Tech-bound 3B/SS/UT Makenna Mitchell had a three-run triple to help Impact Gold-Jackson take down Firecrackers Brashear, 5-2.
“We played against two good teams today and they were both great games,” McDowell said. “Our final game was against Firecrackers Brashear and we were fortunate enough to pull out a win after being down most of the game. They are a solid team and the win gave us confidence that we can stay in any game. Moving forward, we hope to continue to play as a team and, hopefully, make it to the Elite 8!” …
Stanford-bound RHP/UT Alyssa Houston, a two-time Gatorade State Player of the Year in Arkansas, went 2 for 3 with a homer, two runs and two RBIs to lead Iowa Premier National-Dickel past Warrior Academy-R. McDonald, 8-0. …
Louisiana Tech-bound RHP Mattison Buster and Grand Canyon-bound RHP Landrie Harris combined on a shutout, LSU-bound 1B/3B/OF Tori Edwards had a three-run bomb and a double, Georgia-committed 2024 OF/MIF Paislie Allen had an RBI double and Missouri-committed 2024 1B/3B Saniya Hill and Lamar-committed 2024 RHP/1B/3B Cala Wilson had sac flies in Texas Glory’s 9-0 win over Epic National-Smith. …
2025 OF/1B Sidney Forrester hit a two-run hmer, UMKC-bound OF Leah Muller and 2025 MIF Lexi McDaniel homered and Nebraska-bound 1B/P Emmerson Cope had a double and two RBIs as Aces Fastpitch Club beat Tampa Mustangs-Rene, 6-2. …
Stanford-bound LHP Zoe Prystajko threw a no-hitter in Firecrackers-Rico’s 8-0 win over BSA-Bownet Sports Academy. …
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In 16U Super Regionals:
2025 C/IF Addyson Sheppard went 2 for 3 with an RBI, 2025 C/1B Kaiya Fabela went 1 for 2 with an RBI and 2025 RHP Rylie Holder allowed 1 earned run and struck out six in 5.0 innings to lead Impact Gold-Jazz to a 2-1 victory over Aces Fastpitch Club. …
2026 MIF/OF Ki’ele Ho-Ching (5 for 5, 2 HRs, 2 runs, 7 RBIs) and 2026 RHP Mia Valbuena (9 IP, 2 runs, 10 hits, 9 Ks) led Athletics Mercado-Hovermale to wins over Texas Bombers Gold-Peters, 6-2, and Fury Platinum X-Hutchins, 9-0.
“Going into Alliance, my team and I came in knowing we had to show up and play how we’ve been taught,” Ho-Ching said. “We’ve worked extremely hard all year for this tournament and to come out and ball is what we have been waiting to do. After Colorado, we had a bitter taste in our mouths and now that we’re getting another opportunity to ball out together and win, we are taking advantage of it.
“This team has too many talented players to just lose. Granted, we have games where we are like ‘Woah! What happened?” But that’s rare and that’s what I think is so special about this team. We are always gonna put up a fight no matter what and proud is an understatement.” …
2025 CF Libby Jaques homered, 2024 LF Taylor Platt went 3 for 3, 2025 SS Harlie Chism went 2 for 4 and 2025 2B Hannah Wells went 1 for 2 with a double and two RBIs as Oklahoma Athletics National 2024-Madden/Clemmer used an 11-hit attack to beat EC Bullets-Cornett, 4-2.
“This is such an amazing feeling,” Jaques said. “We’ve been really close the past (two tournaments) to winning it all and that is our goal this year is winning it all as a team!” …
2024 RHP/1B Alyson Edwards went 1 for 2 with a run and an RBI as Iowa Premier National-Dickel pulled out a 5-3 win over Firecrackers Premier-RTY. …
2025 3B/UT Drea Wilson hit a three-run bomb in Texas Glory-Naudin’s 12-3 win over Starz Gold-Bunn. …
*****
AFCS 3
AT BLD CHINO HILLS
(Wednesday, July 26, Results)
18U
TIER 1
SUPER REGIONAL #1
WINNER’S BRACKET
FIRST ROUND
- OC Batbusters-Stith 8, Indiana Magic Gold-Green 0
- Athletics Mercado-Cook 2, Texas Threat Gold 0
SECOND ROUND
- OC Batbusters-Stith 7, Athletics Mercado-Cook 3
LOSER’S BRACKET
FIRST ROUND
- Texas Threat Gold 6, Indiana Magic Gold-Green 3
SUPER REGIONAL #2
WINNER’S BRACKET
FIRST ROUND
- Athletics Mercado-Smith 14, OC Batbusters-Lara 2
- Fury Platinum X-Higdon 10, Turnin2 National-Maloney 0
SECOND ROUND
- Fury Platinum X-Higdon 1, Athletics Mercado-Smith 0
LOSER’S BRACKET
FIRST ROUND
- OC Batbusters-Lara 7, Turnin2 National-Maloney 1
SUPER REGIONAL #3
WINNER’S BRACKET
FIRST ROUND
- Impact Gold-Jackson 9, PA Strikers National-Lichtner 1
- Firecrackers Brashear 1, Corona Angels-Howard 0
SECOND ROUND
- Impact Gold-Jackson 5, Firecrackers Brashear 2
LOSER’S BRACKET
FIRST ROUND
- Corona Angels-Howard 4, PA Strikers National-Lichtner 1
SUPER REGIONAL #4
WINNER’S BRACKET
FIRST ROUND
- Iowa Premier National-Dickel 7, Colorado Batbusters Gold-Smith 0
- Warrior Academy-R. McDonald 4, Virginia Glory-Willemssen 1
SECOND ROUND
- Iowa Premier National-Dickel 8, Warrior Academy-R. McDonald 0
LOSER’S BRACKET
FIRST ROUND
- Virginia Glory-Willemssen 6, Colorado Batbuters Gold-Smith 3
SUPER REGIONAL #5
WINNER’S BRACKET
FIRST ROUND
- Corona Angels-Tyson 10, Impact Gold National-Rodriguez 0
- Oklahoma Athletics National-Madden 11, OC Batbusters-Stith/Maroon 3
SECOND ROUND
- Corona Angels-Tyson 12, Oklahoma Athletics National-Madden 6
LOSER’S BRACKET
FIRST ROUND
- Impact Gold National-Rodriguez 7, OC Batbusters-Stith/Maroon 3
SUPER REGIONAL #6
WINNER’S BRACKET
FIRST ROUND
- Texas Glory 4, Extreme Elite National 2
- Epic National-Smith 8, Mojo-Lunsford 5
SECOND ROUND
- Texas Glory 9, Epic National-Smith 0
LOSER’S BRACKET
FIRST ROUND
- Mojo-Lunsford 8, Extreme Elite National 2
SUPER REGIONAL #7
WINNER’S BRACKET
FIRST ROUND
- Aces Fastpitch Club 5, Hotshots National-Anderson 1
- Tampa Mustangs-Rene 8, Batbusters Gomes 5
SECOND ROUND
- Aces Fastpitch Club 6, Tampa Mustangs-Renes 2
LOSER’S BRACKET
FIRST ROUND
- Batbusters Gomes 6, Hotshots National-Anderson 5
SUPER REGIONAL #8
WINNER’S BRACKET
FIRST ROUND
- BSA-Bownet Sports Academy 7, Texas Bombers Gold-Smith 4
- Firecrackers-Rico 3, Louisville Lady Sluggers-Huecker 1
SECOND ROUND
- Firecrackers-Rico 8, BSA-Bownet Sports Academy 0
LOSER’S BRACKET
FIRST ROUND
- Texas Bombers Gold-Smith 7, Louisville Lady Sluggers-Huecker 0
*****
16U
TIER 1
SUPER REGIONAL #1
WINNER’S BRACKET
FIRST ROUND
- Oklahoma Athletics National 2024-Madden/Clemmer 9, Turnin2-Robeson/Long 0
- EC Bullets-Cornett 2, Indiana Magic Gold 24/25-Gerth 1
SECOND ROUND
- Oklahoma Athletics National 2024-Madden/Clemmer 4, EC Bullets-Cornett 2
LOSER’S BRACKET
FIRST ROUND
- Indiana Mafic Gold 24/25-Gerth 12, Turnin2-Robeson/Long 2
SUPER REGIONAL #2
WINNER’S BRACKET
FIRST ROUND
- Texas Glory-Naudin 3, Oklahoma Athletics National 2025-Madden/Knight 1
- Starz Gold-Bunn 13, Tampa Mustangs-Viruet 1
SECOND ROUND
- Texas Glory-Naudin 12, Starz Gold-Bunn 3
LOSER’S BRACKET
FIRST ROUND
- Oklahoma Athletics National 2025-Madden/Knight 5, Tampa Mustangs-Viruet 2
SUPER REGIONAL #3
WINNER’S BRACKET
FIRST ROUND
- Athletics Mercado-Hovermale 6, Texas Bombers Gold-Peters 2
- Fury Platinum X-Hutchins 10, Louisiana Bombers Gold 07-Wilmore 2
SECOND ROUND
- Athletics Mercado-Hovermale 9, Fury Platinum X-Hutchins 0
LOSER’S BRACKET
FIRST ROUND
- Louisiana Bombers Gold 07-Wilmore 9, Texas Bombers Gold-Peters 7
SUPER REGIONAL #4
WINNER’S BRACKET
FIRST ROUND
- Impact Gold-Jazz 3, Texas Glory 2025-Naudin 1
- Aces Fastpitch Club 4, Fury Platinum X-Helton 2
SECOND ROUND
- Impact Gold-Jazz 2, Aces Fastpitch Club 1
LOSER’S BRACKET
FIRST ROUND
- Fury Platinum X-Helton 3, Texas Glory 2025-Naudin 2
SUPER REGIONAL #5
WINNER’S BRACKET
FIRST ROUND
- Iowa Premier National-Dickel 9, Athletics Mercado-Greg 4
- Firecrackers Premier-RTY 2, Corona Angels-Howard 1
SECOND ROUND
- Iowa Premier National-Dickel 5, Firecrackers Premier-RTY 3
LOSER’S BRACKET
FIRST ROUND
- Athletic Mercado-Greg 3, Corona Angels-Howard 2
SUPER REGIONAL #6
WINNER’S BRACKET
FIRST ROUND
- Firecrackers Brashear 3, Texas Glory 07-Naudin/South 0
- Warrior Academy-Jimenez 10, Louisville Lady Sluggers-VanBoxmeer 2
SECOND ROUND
- Firecrackers Brashear 11, Warrior Academy-Jimenez 4
LOSER’S BRACKET
FIRST ROUND
- Texas Glory 07-Naudin/South 8, Louisville Lady Sluggers-VanBoxmeer 1
SUPER REGIONAL #7
WINNER’S BRACKET
FIRST ROUND
- Bombers Gold American 3, Stars National-Coleman 0
- Corona Angels-Slye 7, Top Gun National-Slezak 1
SECOND ROUND
- Corona Angels-Slye 4, Bombers Gold American 2
LOSER’S BRACKET
FIRST ROUND
- Top Gun National-Slezak 3, Stars National-Coleman 2
SUPER REGIONAL #8
WINNER’S BRACKET
FIRST ROUND
- OC Batbusters-Stith/Sasaki 12, Corona Angels-FTS 9
- Texas Bombers Gold-Smith3, Louisville Lady Sluggers-Wathen 0
SECOND ROUND
Texas Bombers Gold-Smith 14, OC Batbusters-Stith/Sasaki 4
LOSER’S BRACKET
FIRST ROUND
- Corona Angels-FTS 6, Louisville Lady Sluggers-Wathen 2
— Carlos Arias, Dugout Chatter (Follow Carlos on Twitter @Los_Stuff and Threads @los_stuff)
