I’m did a live blog from Day 2 of the Champions Cup on Thursday, July 16, at Harvard Park and Bill Barber Park in Irvine, Calif. All 18U scores are at the bottom of he blog. Here’s how it went down:

CORONA ANGELS SALVAGE TIE

The whole point of the Champions Cup for the Corona Angels (Calif.) is to get some games and get some experience for some of their lower level players, so they are ready for the PGF 18U Premier Nationals, which are only two weeks away.

But Marty Tyson’s Corona Angels organization is highly respected on the club circuit and other teams are always gunning for them even in a pool play setting.

Team California (Calif.) took its shot at the Corona Angels when Jaydee Boursaw staked them to a 3-0 lead after a bases-loaded double in the bottom of the first.

Nebraska-commit Tristen Edwards, who hit a grand slam in the Angels’ 10-1 win over San Diego Legacy (Calif.) earlier in the evening, got the Angels back in the game with a two-run, pinch-hit single in the top of the fifth to cut it to 3-2.

Iowa State-commit Sami Williams and Cal State Fullerton-commit Zoe Richard had back-to-back doubles in the top of the sixth to give the Angels a 3-3 tie and that’s how the score ended up after seven completed innings.

“We just come out and try to play hard,” Edwards said. “We’re playing teams and just working hard, trying to get our team ready for PGF. We’re just trying to come out here, work hard and win some games.”

Edwards believes the Angels are rounding into shape at the right time.

“I feel good about or team,” Edwards said. “I feel we have some reall good team chemistry. Our players are starting to come together. I feel like we’re really starting to come together.”

HAWAIIANS MAKE STRONG SHOWING

It’s hard to find a team at the Champions Cup that’s having more fun than Ekahi Softball from Hawaii.

“It’s a really small island and we’re all so friendly,” Ekahi first baseman/outfielder Kealaula Gier said. “We love everybody.”

Even the umpires?

“We’re basically friends with the umpires too,” said Gier, whose team beat the Nor Cal Diehards (Calif.), 11-2, and the Mize Fast Pitch Diamonds, 12-0.

Just because Ekahi, which translates to “One” in English, is friendly doesn’t mean that it and the other five Hawaiian teams in the Champion Cup don’t have a serious compeitive streak. Ekahi (3-1), Mililani Prep (3-0-1), Guava Jam (4-0), RR Gold-Hawaii (3-1), Kaikamachine Girls (2-2) and Na Wahine (1-1-2) have gone a combined 14-5-3 through their first four pool games. Mililani Prep took third place at the Champions Cup last year, so these Hawaiian girls mean business on the diamond.

“It’s a good way to see more teams and more pitching,” Gier said of coming to Southern California for the Champions Cup. “I believe that when we’re back in Hawaii we always play the same teams over and over again. We see the same faces, the same pitching. It’s such a small island, but when we come to the tournament, it helps to broaden our viewpoints on hitting and pitching.

“I think it’s so exciting because we are so far from home and it’s a thrill for me because it’s my last year traveling for softball, so I like it when we travel and see new teams and new faces. It’s kind of nice when teams are like, ‘Oh, you’re from Hawaii,’ and you feel all famous and everything. It’s fun.”

There have been over 150 college coaches at the Champions Cup, so players from teams like Ekahi, which usually doesn’t get a lot of exposure from college coaches, are getting some looks. Gier made a skills video of herself and sent it to some colleges, but being at the Champions Cup has really made a difference.

“It’s here, so they don’t have to fly to see us,” Gier said. “It helps.”

The pool play games continue on Friday, July 17, then single-elimination bracket play begins on Saturday with the championship game on Sunday at 5:30 p.m. at Deanna Manning Stadium at Bill Barber Park in Irvine, Calif.

LORRIE IVIE PAYS IT FORWARD

If Lorrie Ivie isn’t the most famous person at the Champions Cup, she’s certainly the most well-liked by the players, college coaches and travel ball coaches.

She knows nearly every college coach by name and greets them with a hug when they check in at the ASA Players Association tent at Harvard Park

“The ASA Players Association has developed a networking program designed to bring talented, motivated student athletes to the attention of colleges across the entire country,” said Ivie, who has worked with ASA Softball for about 30 years.

Ivie, the director of the ASA Players Association, has helped put together a massive mailing and email network for softball players and college coaches to mke connections.

“If a college is looking for a certain type of player, they can email me,” Ivie said. “If they are still looking for a 2015 (player), I’ll blast it out to everyone on the network. I’ll tell them, ‘If you’re a 2015, colleges are still looking.’ We’re kind of helping each other bring more information to the student athlete.”

Ivie has four daughters and two of them played softball and ended up playing in college. One of her daughters, Tamara Ivie, ended up playing professional softball and professional baseball and she coached softball at New Mexico State and Arizona State. Lorrie’s been involved with with the ASA Players Association “for a long time. I know most of the college coaches.”

“I was never a coach, just a mom with two kids being recruited and I found out that a lot of moms didn’t know what to do,” Ivie said. “A lot of travel ball coaches or coaches would zero in on certain kids and the others would be forgotten and didn’t know where to turn. So I thought it would be a good way to pay it forward, so that’s what I’m doing to help these kids.”

American Pastime Gold (Calif.) manager Larry Farnworth raves about the work Ivie and the ASA Players Association does for players.

“What they do at the Players Association is beyond belief,” Farnworth said. “Every team in ASA and even beyond ASA (is on the network). Every team and every athlete should be involved. It’s to benefit them.”

Ivie said the program was originally just supposed to be for Southern California players, but Ivie admits, “I can’t say no.”

“If somebody comes up to me,” she said, “I’ll put them in.”

Contact Lorrie at asalorrie@aol.com for more information about the ASA Players Association network.

BREANA BURKE GOES XTREME

Breana Burke, a 2016 uncommitted pitcher/outfielder, has been a girl on an extreme mission for the North Idaho Xtreme.

The Xtreme found themselves in a deep hole after losing in the first round of the ASA Idaho state championships last weekend. After a rain delay pushed the remaining games to Sunday, the Xtreme had to win six consecutive games to claim their fifth ASA 18 Gold state title in six years. Burke pitched every single game on Sunday as the Xtreme outscored their opponents 76-14.

“I mean, it’s all because of how well my teammates played,” Burke said. “You just have to do whatever it takes.”

Burke has continued her stellar play this week at the Champions Cup where the Xtreme are 3-0-1 in pool play. Burke, who bats lead off for the Xtreme, went 5 for 6 with four runs and three RBI in the Xtreme’s 4-0 win over Firecrackers-Snyder (Calif.) and a 14-3 win over San Jose Sting Gold (Calif.) on Thursday at Harvard Park. She also pitched a one-hit shutout to beat Firecrackers-Snyder.

Xtreme coach Travis Smith said Burke has been receiving interest from a number of colleges, including College of Idaho, and he expects her to land an offer after her strong summer showing. The Xtreme have also qualified for the PGF 18U Platinum Division in a couple of weeks.

Burke was born in Simi Valley, Calif., before moving to Idaho when she was 10 years old. Does she have fond memories of those times now that she is back in So Cal.

“I can hardly remember that,” Burke said. “These are my girls now.”

MILILANI PREP’S MAINLAND INVASION

Oahu-based Mililani Prep, which has been around for 35 years, features some of the top prospects in Hawaii. Mililani Prep has been coming to the Champions Cup the past eight years and last year they finished in third place after losing to Marty Tyson’s Corona Angels (Calif.). Champions Cup is Mililani Prep’s only trip to the main land this summer. So far in pool play this year, Mililani Prep tied the Corona Angels, 1-1, and beat Bears Gold (Calif.), 6-1, and So Cal A’s-Marinakis (Calif.), 11-0.

“Our main focus is to try and get every girl a college scholarship,” co-head coach Jake Jicha said.

Sammie Ofoia, a 2018 third baseman, pitcher/second baseman Fahren Glackin, who plays at UNLV and was second in the MountainWest Conference Freshman of the Year voting, Southern Illinois-committed third baseman Kalei Kaneshiro are some of Mililani Prep’s top prospects.

Ofoia might be one of the top prospects out on The Island. She went 2 for 3 with a grand slam and five RBI in Mililani Prep’s 11-0 win over So Cal A’s-Marinakis. She is being recruited by New Mexico State, Tennessee, Hawaii and UNLV. Mililani Prep co-head coach Chad Jicha, who has been with Mililani Prep since its inception, said Ofoia is one of the top prospects in Hawaii “if she listens.”

“She’s a good ball player,” Chad Jicha said, “but right now she is green. She’ll get better as we go.”

CHAMPIONS CUP

AT HARVARD PARK/BILL BARBER PARK, IRVINE, CALIF.

THURSDAY, JULY 16, RESULTS

18U JO SHOWCASE

POOL A

• CA San Diego Elite ’97 5, CA So Cal Rebels 3
• CA San Diego Elite ’97 2, AZ Thundercats 1
• AZ Thundercats 9, CA So Cal Rebels 2
• CA Comets-Ceo 3, CA Lady Wolfpack-Barron 1
• Firecrackers-Manzo 12, CA Comets-Ceo 0
• CA American Pastime Gold 10, CA Lady Wolfpack-Barron 0
• CA American Pastime Gold 3, CA Firecrackers-Manzo 0

POOL B

• CA American Pastime-Garcia 8, AZ Cats Gold 1
• WA Northwest Lady Sharks Gold 5, AZ Cats Gold 1
• WA Northwest Lady Sharks 1, CA American Pastme-Garcia 0
• CA Riptide Gold 5, HI Na Wahine 4
• CA Waves 6, HI Na Wahine 6
• CA Breeze 7, CA Cal Riptide 1
• CA Breeze 5, CA Waves 1

POOL C

• NY Long Island Bandits Gold 2, CA Fury-Goodacre 2
• NY Long Island Bandits Gold 12, CA IE Dynasty 2
• CA Fury-Goodacre 1, CA IE Dynasty 0
• HI Ekahi Softball 11, CA Nor Cal Diehards 2
• HI Ekahi Softball 12, CA Mize Fast Pitch Diamond 0
• WA Acers-Anderton 9, CA Nor Cal Diehards 4
• WA Acers-Anderton 6, CA Mize Fast Pitch Diamond 0

POOL D

• OR Panthers Gold 2, CA South Bay Diamond Girls 0
• OR Panthers Gold 4, WA Illusion-Harris 1
• CA South Bay Diamond Girls 4, WA Illusion-Harris 0
• CO Stars Gold 12, OR Racers Fastpitch 0
• NV Las Vegas Blast 6, CO Stars Gold 2
• CA Case Batbusters 7, OR Racers Fast Pitch 5
• CA Case Batbusters 8, NV Las Vegas Blast 0

POOL E

• CA Cal Thunder 2, CA Valley Stompers-JC 0
• CA Valley Stompers-JC 2, CA Quakes Gold 1
• CA Cal Thunder 4, CA Quakes Gold 3
• CA Runnin Rebels Gold 4, MA Polar Crush Gold 0
• CA Cal A’s-Paula 6, MA Polar Crush Gold 1
• CA Dirt Dogs-Mizuno/Harger 2, CA Runnin Rebels Gold 2
• CA Cal A’s-Paula 5, CA Dirt Dogs-Mizuno/Harger 0

POOL F

• CA San Jose Sting Gold 1, CA Firecrackers-Snyder 1
• ID North Idaho Xtreme 4, CA Firecrackers-Snyder 0
• ID North Idaho Xtreme 14, CA San Jose Sting Gold 3
• CA OC Batbusters-Valdivia 8, CA Destroyers 0
• CA San Diego Power Surge-Berndes 9, CA OC Batbusters-Valdivia 2
• CA Sorcerer-Williams 15, CA Destroyers 0
• CA Sorcerer-Williams 11, CA San Diego Power Surge-Berndes 3

POOL G

• CA San Diego Rebels-Hill 0, AZ Lil Saints Gold 0
• AZ Lil Saints Gold 7, CA Team Easton-NP 0
• CA San Diego Rebels-Hill 8, CA Team Easton-NP 3
• CA Firecrackers-Young 9, CA Cen Cal Krush 4
• MA Central Mass Rapids Gold 10, CA Cen Cal Krush 2
• CA OC Batbusters-Lara 6, CA Firecrackers-Young 3
• CA OC Batbusters-Lara 7, MA Central Mass Rapids Gold 1

POOL H

• CA So Cal A’s-Marinakis 4, AZ Desert Thunder-Noland 3
• HI Mililani Prep 11, CASo Cal A’s-Marinakis 0
• HI Mililani Prep 17, AZ Desert Thunder-Noland 0
• CA Bears Gold 10, CA San Diego Legacy 8
• CA Team California 3, CA Bears Gold 3
• CA Corona Angels-Tyson 10, CA San Diego Legacy 1
• CA Corona Angels-Tyson 3, CA Team California 3

POOL I

• CA So Cal Breakers-Labs 6, CA Nemesis Elite-TH 4
• NV Las Vegas Rage Gold-Mizuno 7, CA So Cal Breakers-Labs 4
• NV Las Vegas Rage Gold-Mizuno 8, CA Nemesis Elite-TH 0
• CA Lady Wolfpack-Akire 3, CA Pastime-SGV 2
• CA Lady Wolfpack-Akire 4, CA easton Elite-Ludlow 2
• CA American Pastime-SGV 2, CA Lakewood Firecrackers-BP 1
• CA Easton Elite-Ludlow 4, CA Lakewood Firecrackers-BP 3

POOL J

• CA Cal A’s-Blue 2, CA SOC Storm 0
• CA Cal A’s-Blue 6, CA The Next Level 2
• CA The Next Level 11, CA SOC Storm 2
• HI Kaikamachine Girls 7, CA So Cal Dynasty-Lilly 4
• CA Courage 6, HI Kaikamachine Girls 1
• CA Pacific Coast Predators 13, CA So Cal Dynasty-Lilly 0
• CA Courage 5, CA Pacific Coast Predators 0

POOL K

• CA Teamsmith-Silva-Hotetz 4, CA Stealth Fast Pitch-Adams 3
• AZ Hotshots-Purdy 4, CA Stealth Fast Pitch-Adams 1
• CA Teamsmith-Silva-Hotetz 12, AZ Hotshots-Purdy 0
• HI Guava Jam 6, CA Cal A’s-White 0
• Hi Guava Jam 18, WA Illusion-Gray 0
• CA Cal A’s-White 7, CA So Cal Filly’s 0
• CA So Cal Filly’s 9, WA Illusion-Gray 0

POOL L

• CA Firecrackers-Kevin 18G 9, CA San Diego Rowdies Gold 0
• WA Illusion-Mendez 12, CA San Diego Rowdies Gold 5
• CA Firecrackers-Kevin 18G 7, WA Illusion-Mendez 2
• CA Grapette-C 8, CA Foothill Gold-S/N 3
• CA Grapette 10, CA FP 18G 8
• CA KG Hitters-Kiko 2, CA Foothill Gold-S/N 0
• CA KG Hitters-Kiko 15, CA FP 18G 0

POOL M

• CA So Cal Pumas 2, CA OC Batbusters-Alvarez 2
• CA OC Batbusters-Alvarez 15, CA San Diego Rowdies-Alan 0
• CA So Cal Pumas 6, CA San Diego Rowdies-Alan 1
• CA So Cal Strikkers 7, CA Hype Fast Pitch 0
• CA Firecrackers-Lucero 5, CA Hype Fast Pitch 1
• UT Salt Lake Pegasus 11, CA So Cal Strikkers 0
• UT Salt Lake Pegasus 4, CA Firecrackers-Lucero 1

POOL N

• CA Cal Badgers 2, CA Rage Gold 0
• CA Teamsmith-KC 10, CA Rage Gold 0
• CA Teamsmith-KC 15, CA Cal Badgers 0
• HI RR Gold 7, CA Nor Cal Impact 0
• HI RR Gold 7, CA Batbusters-Jackson 2
• CA Lady Hustle-Marshall 5, CA Nor Cal Impact 0
• CA Lady Hustle-Marshall 2, CA Batbusters-Jackson 2

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