Jersey Intensity (N.J.) began its West Coast invasion with two come-from-behind wins over Firecrackers-Rico (Calif.), 4-3, and Explosion (Calif.), 3-1, in pool play games at the So Cal A’s Invitational on Friday, June 19, at Hillview School.

The So Cal A’s Invitational features the top eight finishers from last year’s PGF 18U Nationals. These weren’t some cupcakes Jersey Intensity knocked off. The Firecrackers and Explosion are two of the top programs in the nation.

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“The reason we come out here, you know, all these girls are committed, but it’s about the competition and teaching them how to win a game instead of showcasing them,” Jersey Intensity coach Kevin O’Donnell said. “We don’t get competition like this back East, so we embrace challenge, and embrace competition and that’s why we come out here. We work every day thinking like that. That’s what we do well.”

Jersey Intensity trailed the Firecrackers, 3-0, heading into the bottom of the fifth as the 90-minute time limit was close to expiring when Amanda Ayala delivered a two-run single, Alexa Binks drove in the game-tying run with an infield single and Ally Moore provided the game-winner with a sacrifice fly to left field.

The Jersey girls were down 1-0 against the Explosion, heading into the bottom of the fourth when Devin Kennedy sparked a three-run rally with a two-run double and the Jersey Intensity went on to a 3-1 triumph.

“It’s funny because that’s what we’ve been preaching all year with this club … the comeback kids is what we’ve been calling them,” O’Donnell said. “We have a thing: It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. They believe in themselves, they’re working the counts, they’re putting the ball in play and good things happen.

Jersey Intensity didn’t even have its full arsenal for the West Coast trip. UCLA-committed pitcher/outfielder Julie Rodriguez, Boston College-bound pitcher Kendra Friedt, Maine-bound third baseman Meghan Royle and Marshall-bound pitcher/infielder Cheyenne Meyer are all back home dealing with graduation.

“One of the big things is we’re still in school back at home and most of our team is taking their final exams,” O’Donnell said. “We’re a little short, but the girls that can play. We’ve been working hard in practice and after school. The hardest thing is to get them geared up for type of travel ball coming off high school ball. Everyone is stepping up.”

The good news for the Jersey Intensity is they will be back to full strength next week for the Team NJ Summer Classic from June 24-27 in Edison, N.J., but that could be more bad news for the rest of the competition.

In other So Cal A’s Invitational pool play games:

Firecrackers-Rico (Calif.) 4, Beverly Bandits (Ill.) 1: Utah-bound Alyssa Barrera led off the game with a solo blast and Cal-bound Kourtney Shaw tossed a complete game as the Firecrackers bounced back from the loss to Jersey Intensity by beating the Beverly Bandits, who are considered a top contender at the PGF Nationals.

Corona Angels (Calif.) 9, So Cal Choppers (Calif.) 4: Oklahoma-bound Shay Knighten went 3 for 3 with two RBI, Tennessee-bound Abby Lockman hit a solo bomb and Anna Vines had two hits to lift the Corona Angels.

Corona Angels (Calif.) 3, Gold Coast Hurricanes (Fla.) 1: Lockman, UCLA-commit Aaliyah Jordan and Nebraska-commit Tristen Edwards had back-to-back-to-back RBI doubles in the bottom of the first and that proved to be the difference for the Corona Angels.

OC Batbusters (Calif.) 5, Texas Glory (Tex.) 2: Tannon Snow and Morganne Flores, who will be future teammates at Washington, got things started for the Batbusters as Snow drove in a run with a double and Flores added a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first. Snow’s little sister, Taylon Snow, also a future Huskie, added a two-out bases-loaded triple in the fourth to seal the deal for the Batbusters, the defending PGF 18U national champions.

So Cal A’s (Calif.) 9, Explosion (Calif.) 0: Michigan-bound Faith Canfield had a two-run double in the top of the third and and RBI single in the fourth to help the So Cal A’s romp past the Explosion.

So Cal A’s (Calif.) 4, East Cobb Bullets (Ga.) 1: Mackenzie Boesel and Kennedy Clark, a pair of future South Carolina teammates, did the offensive damage for the So Cal A’s. Boesel had an RBI single and Clark added a two-run double during a three-run rally in the bottom of the third and Ohio State-bound Katya Duvall limited the East Cobb Bullets to four hits and struck out eight in five innings to secure the win for the host So Cal A’s.

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SO CAL A’S INVITATIONAL (AT HILLVIEW SCHOOL, SANTA ANA, CALIF.)

FRIDAY, JUNE 19, RESULTS

POOL A

• Jersey Intensity (NJ) 4, Firecrackers-Rico (Calif.) 3
• Beverly Bandits (Ill.) 1, East Cobb Bullets-Schnute (Ga.) 1
• So Cal A’s (Calf.) 9, Explosion (Calif.) 0
• Firerackers-Rico (Calif.) 4, Beverly Bandits (Ill.) 1
• Jersey Intensity (NJ) 3, Explosion (Calif.) 1
• Explosion (Calif.) 8, Beverly Bandits (Ill.) 6
• So Cal A’s (Calif.) 4, East Cobb Bullets-Schnute (Ga.) 1

POOL B

• Gold Coast Hurricanes (Fla.) 4, Wichita Mustangs (Kan.) 2
• So Cal Choppers (Calif.) 3, Birmingham Thunderbolts (Ala.) 2
• Corona Angels (Calif.) 9, So Cal Choppers (Calif.) 4
• OC Batbusters-Haning/Stith (Calif.) 6, Birmingham Thunderbolts (Ala.) 2
• Corona Angels (Calif.) 3, Gold Coast Hurricanes (Fla.) 1
• OC Batbusters-Haning/Stith (Calif.) 5, Texas Glory (Tex.) 2

EXHIBITION

• Wichita Mustangs (Kan.) 4, So Cal A’s (Calif.) 1

— Carlos Arias for FloSoftball.com