The last full day of games before the PGF Nationals took place today with 12 teams still in play at the beginning of the day, but a typically thrilling, white-knuckle day got us down to the pair of teams that will battle Saturday for the title.

Spoiler alert: the match-up Saturday at 3 pm PST in Irvine, Calif. features the two teams most thought would get there—the OC Batbusters and the Corona Angels.

Here’s the how the day went with the most recent info on top…

 

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18U PREMIER: Winner’s Bracket

The final games at the Huntington Beach Sports Complex saw the two undefeated teams in the winner’s bracket win their games against the teams from the loser’s brackets and both victors did it in the first game (no “if” game needed).

 

Friday – 2:45 pm games:

Corona Angels 3 (winner’s Bracket A), Beverly Bandits 0 (loser’s Bracket B)
The Angels won on great pitching again as Alexis Osorio (2014, Alabama) threw a one-hitter with no walks and struck out nine against the Bandits, a very good hitting team. Miranda Elish (2106, Oregon) pitched well for the Bandits as she allowed only two earned runs, but the Angels were able to put single runs on the board in the 1^st, 3^rd and 6^th innings, the later coming on a triple by Taylor White (2014, Ohio State). The interesting question for Saturday’s game is who will start in the circle for Corona: Osorio or Rachel Garcia (2015, UCLA), both of whom have been outstanding this summer.

OC Batbusters 5 (winner’s Bracket B), So Cal A’s 3 (loser’s Bracket A)
We’ll have a new champion at the PGF 18U Premier Nationals as the A’s, who had won the last four National Championships, will finish tied for 3^rd. Bruce Richardson’s team played great ball, going to the last our of the last inning but couldn’t overcome the Batbusters’ pitching which today included a strong performance by Mariah Lopez (2016, Oklahoma) who went the distance giving up three earned runs while striking out six. Coach Mike Stith said he’ll start Taylor McQuillin (2015, Arizona) on Saturday. On offense, Amanda Lorenz (2015, Florida) went 2-for-4 with an RBI in the leadoff spot and Alyssa Palomino (2015, Arizona) went 2-for-3 with two runs scored.

 

Friday – 10:15 am games:
When the day started there were four teams who hadn’t lost yet… here are the results from those games:

Corona Angels (Calif.) 4, Birmingham Thunderbolts (Ala.) 1
The Bolts jumped on the board first on a Reagan Dykes (2015, Alabama) singles in the 3rd but the Angels answered with a run in the top of the 4^th on a single by pitcher Rachel Garcia (2015, UCLA) and put the game out of reach with three in the top of the 7^th highlighted by a three-run home by Shay Knighten (2015, Oklahoma). Garcia pitched a complete game win with nine K’s and only one earned run.

OC Batbusters-Haning (Calif.) 3, EC Bullets (Ga.) 0
The battle of two of the top pitchers in the nation was won by Taylor McQuillin (2015, Arizona) who went six innings and struck out eight but gave up no runs in the Batbusters win. Kelly Barnhill (2015, Florida or Stanford) gave up two earned runs in the loss while striking out eight. Morganne Flores (2016, Washington) hit a home run and drove in two while Tannon Snow (2015, Washington) also homered in the win.

 

18U PREMIER: Loser’s Bracket

The following teams each had one loss to start the day and each loser saw its week come to an end:

 

Friday – 12:30 pm games:

So Cal A’s-Richardson 5, Birmingham Thunderbolts 3 (Bracket A)
The A’s put up five runs by the 3^rd inning and the Bolts, though outhitting the Athletics five to three, couldn’t make up the difference. Faith Canfield (2015, Michigan) led the offensive charge going 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI and Selina Ta’amilo (2014, UCLA) was strong in the circle going seven innings and giving up only two earned runs while striking out eight. The win means the A’s will finish no lower than tied for 3^rd while the Bolts will finish tied for 5^th.

Beverly Bandits 6, EC Bullets 0 (Bracket B)
The Bandits blew the game open with five in the 5^th including Jenna Lilley (2014, Oregon) getting her 13^th RBI of the tournament and Taran Alvelo (2015, Washington) going 2-for-3 including an RBI double in the 5^th. Miranda Elish (2016, Oregon) allowed only three hits over six innings with nine strikeouts. Kelly Barnhill (2015, Florida or Stanford) only pitched one inning as Paige Lowary (2014, Missouri) took the loss. The win means the Bandits will finish no lower than tied for 3^rd while the Bullets will finish tied for 5^th. This will the third year in a row for a Top 5 finish by Bill Conroy’s team.

 

Friday – 10:15 am games:

So Cal A’s-Richardson 8, Firecrackers-Rico 3(Bracket A)
The final score doesn’t represent how close this game was—in fact, except for an infield error in the top of the 7^th with two outs, the Firecrackers would have won this game! As it was, the four-time defending champions took advantage of the second chance to blow the game open with six runs in the fateful inning capped off by a three-run homer by Mackenzie Boesel (2016, South Carolina). Ali Wester (2015, Notre Dame) had a strong game for the Firecrackers going 3-for-4 with two RBI.

Beverly Bandits-Conroy 8, Explosion 6
Another one of the best games of the tournament (this level seems to bring out team’s bests!), this was a case of two great teams exchanging blows with the outcome being decided in extra innings. Explosion jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first in part to a Sara Ketelsleger home run. but the Bandits tied it up in the top of the 6^th and went ahead by two in the 7^th only to see Explosion come back and tie it up to send into ITB. There, in the top of the 8^th, third baseman Jenna Lilley (2014, Oregon) hit a two-run homer to right center that would prove to be the difference. In a losing effort, Carly Thomas (2014, Illinois) had a huge game, going 4-for-5 with two RBI.

Friday – 8:00 am games:

So Cal A’s-Richardson 8, Washington Ladyhawks 6 (9 innings)
The Athletics may not have the firepower they did in previous years when they won four straight PGF Premier National Championships, but Bruce Richardson’s team won’t go down easily. Neither did the Ladyhawks who scored three in the bottom of the 7^th to push it to ITB. They matched the A’s one run in the 8^th but a sac fly by Kennedy Clark (2015, South Carolina) scored Faith Canfield (2015, Michigan), who had stolen third base after staring on second and an RBI single by Montana Dixon (2016, Stanford)and a two-RBI double by Jenna Holcomb (2016, Tennessee) put the game out of reach.

Firecrackers-Rico 8, So Cal Choppers 7
The stunner of the day as the Choppers scored seven runs in the top of the 2nd and the game was over… except no one told the Firecrackers that. They scored five in the bottom half of the inning and took the lead with 3 more in the 3^rd and Mel Olmos pitched a masterpiece in relief, going six innings and allowing only two hits to shut down the powerful Chopper bats

Explosion 12, Team North Florida 5
Explosion jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the third, but Team North Florida battled back to tie it in the 4^th and even take a lead 5-4 in the 5^th before the Explosion offensive onslaught began. The So Cal team batted around thanks to seven singles, an error and a wild pitch to put up eight on the board. Carly Thomas (2014, Illinois) and Brittany Finney (2015, Oklahoma) both went 2-for-4 and Vanessa Shippy (2014, Oklahoma State) had three RBI.

Beverly Bandits-Conroy 4, NC Lady Lightning 0
Jenna Lilley (2014, Oregon)singled and scored in the first and would go 2-for-3 on the day with an RBI and two runs scored to pace the Bandits who put the game out of reach with three runs in the top of the sixth. Pitcher Taran Alvelo went the distance scattering six hits while striking out four in the shutout.