When the dust settled Wednesday night after Day 2 of bracket play there were 16 undefeated teams left in the PGF 18U Premier Nationals.

It was a day of pitching domination and shocking results as two perennial powers went two and out with one losing in jaw-dropping fashion.

Also, we had a no-hitter and a strike-out perfect game! Read further to see what I mean by this.

So here we go…

 

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In the winner’s bracket, the quarterfinals will take place Thursday at 12:30 PST and there are some awesome matchups at the Huntington Beach Sports Complex in the 18U Premier division:

• Rhode Island Thunder vs. Birmingham Thunderbolts (Field 1)
• So Cal A’s vs. Firecrackers-Rico (Field 2)
• Bownet vs. Washington Ladyhawks (Field 3)
• Corona Angels vs. So Cal Choppers (Field 4)
• Nebraska Gold vs. NC Lady Lightning (Field 5)
• Wichita Mustangs vs. EC Bullets (Field 6)
• OC Batbusters vs. California Cruisers-Harman (Field 7)
• Explosion vs. KC Peppers (Field 8)

Four of my five original picks are still in play: OC Batbusters, Corona Angels, Firecrackers-Rico and EC Bullets.  Texas Glory fell today… more on that in a minute.  Dark horses: Explosion and Lady Lightning.  Can be dangerous: Nebraska Gold, Birmingham Bolts. The team loving playing the “underdog” role: So Cal A’s!

Anybody can win this if the team, especially the pitchers, get hot.  Take a team like Explosion: you have pitcher Brittany Finney (2015, Oklahoma), infielder Vanessa Shippey (2014, Oklahoma State) and catcher Paige Halstead (2015, UCLA)–three All-American players–playing well and infielder Angie Vasquez, who had a four RBI game in the latest win, getting hot… well, the Explosion can take it all too.

Wow, this is gonna be good…

 

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Let’s get to the surprises… OK, the shockers.

The Texas Glory were one of my picks to go deep into the tournament, but they lost their second game today and are done.

Coach Kevin Shelton, a very classy guy, said this afternoon, “We’re out so early we can’t even fly out this soon.”

It’s how they lost that leaves you speechless; they had a 9-2 lead over Georgia Impact-Paul in the bottom of the 7^th inning and lost 10-9.

Pitcher Mo Garcia (2014, North Texas) had a great summer, but after putting up 10 K’s she hit the wall and the Impact came storming back behind leadoff hitter and centerfielder Bryan Ciarra who went 4-for-4 with a home run and double and two RBI. Catcher Taylor Bradley (2014, Georgia State) also had a big day going 2-for-4 with three RBI.

Don’t feel too bad for the Glory, though: a lot of young talent in the 21 team program and they’ll be back.

 

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The other surprising two-and-out was that of the Gold Coast Hurricanes. It will be a long flight back for Marty Cooper’s team who fell behind 7-1 in the 4^th inning and made a strong comeback with six runs in the sixth but couldn’t close the gap and fell to New Lenox Lighting (who tried to give the game away almost, committing seven errors)

The Hurricanes only had three hits today and were shutout yesterday to the Cruisers-Harman team, 4-0, so the offense can be blamed but the pitching game up 11 runs in two games as well.

These are two good programs who have a lot of talent in the younger groups so they’ll be back, but just goes to show what can happen in a Nationals with this much talent. You blink and you’re gone…

 

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If you know your softball, you know that pitcher Kelly Barnhill (2015, Stanford or Florida) is one of the best pitchers in the country, but what she did today was just silly.

In the 6-0 six-inning win over Newtown Rock, Barnhill faced 15 batters… and struck all 15 out. That’s a strike-out perfect game!

And for good measure Paige Lowary (2014, Missouri) came in for the final inning and went one-two-three with two strikeouts as well.

Also, had a nice chat with Head Coach Greg Schnute and Assistant Coach Todd Walters who passed on some info about tryouts as the Bullets are looking for players across the country who might be interested in joining the team.

Look at the very end of this article for the details…

 

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Another tip of the hat goes to Alexis Reid (2015, Kansas) of the Birmingham Thunderbolts who pitched a no-hitter in a 2-0 win over a strong Firecrackers-AZ team.

Reid gave up only walk and the Bolts committed an error or she would have had a perfect game, but I think she’s happy with the results.  She also went 2-for-3 with a key RBI as she singled with the bases loaded to help her cause.

Alexis outdueled another outstanding hurler in Bre Macha (2014, Arizona State) who gave up only one earned run in the loss.

 

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While we’re on pitching standouts, my “Stepping It Up When Needed” award goes to Kourtney Shaw (2015, Cal) who had another strong outing today in the Firecrackers-Rico 8-1 win over the DeMarini Zephyrs, a good hitting team.

Shaw didn’t have the one-hitter she pitched yesterday, but she did scatter seven hits over six innings and walked only one batter while striking out eight.

She is the go-to pitcher now that Tera Blanco (2014, Michigan) is out… I had a chance to talk to Tera during her dad’s Firecracker-Blanco Gold game and she confirmed that she’s out with shoulder tendinitis for a while.

“I’ll be doing some stretching and other exercises and won’t need surgery,” she said. That sound you hear coming from the Midwest is the sigh of relief from the Wolverine coaching staff.

 

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Cool story out of the Jersey Intensity camp. Coach Kevin O’Donnell texted corner infielder MK Bonamy (2015, North Carolina) last night the following: “Greatness is achieved when we meet or exceed expectations.”

The Intensity were trailing 1-0 in the top of the 7^th and it didn’t look good… until Bonamy came up.

“The first pitch was a change-up and I knew the next pitch I was swinging.”

It was a high rise-ball and Bonamy pounced on it, driving it over the fence for a three-run homer.

Expectations met and surpassed…

 

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Another exciting finish came in the NC Lady Lightning vs. Angels-Howard came. It went to International Tie Breaker and C/3B Calyn Adams (2014, Mississippi State).

Don’t look now, but the Lady Lightning—which finished tied for 9^th last year at PGF Nationals—is playing some very good ball and with Regan Green pitching they can compete with almost anyone.

Coach John Corn is one of the most passionate, energetic coaches around and you can hear the excitement in how he recounted the key plays of the win:

“Emily Heimberger (2015, Mississippi State) put us on top in the bottom of the 3rd with a two-out double that scored two. Pitcher Regan Green (2015, Mississippi State) had 8 K’s but we had two-game saving plays: top of the 7th with two outs the Angels had based loaded. Stacy Fodrie made a diving catch in shallow right field for the third out.

Then in ITB Caroline Smith (2015, Campbell) connected with Heimberger on a 5-6 tag out at third base to keep them from scoring. After the Angels loaded the bases Calyn Adams came through with a clutch game-winning single up the middle.”

 

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We all have our movies that when it comes on, now matter if it’s in the first five minutes or the last 10, we stop and watch the rest. It’s like we can’t help it.

For me, it’s “Field of Dreams” and “Shawshank Redemption.”

I’m that way whenever I’m around an OC Batbusters game and Amanda Lorenz (2015, Florida)is coming up to the plate. I will stop what I’m doing or change where I may be headed to watch her at bat.

Today, in the Batbusters’ first inning she led off and took a high outside pitch and drove it to left for a single. I’m dating myself here, but you long-time baseball fans know what I’m talking about when you watched a sweet hitter like Tony Gwynn or Rod Carew or my hero (I’m an Ohio boy, understand)… Pete Rose.

Watching a hitter like them—and Amanda—is like watching a conductor lead an orchestra—they know what to do and where to go at any given time.

Today she had a typical game for her—2-for-3 with a run scored. She’s hitting .500 in two games.

And another shout-out to a Batbuster: infielder Alyssa Palomino (2015, Arizona) who hit a home run today and had three RBI.

So many weapons on this team and we haven’t even covered the pitching…

 

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Two team name changes of note:

— A person close to the Texas Firecrackers coached by Connie May says the team has already cut times with the Firecrackers and their shirts/jerseys simply say “TXFC.”

I was told this is the first tournament they’re not affiliated with the Firecrackers organization who still have a bazillion teams in Northern Calif., Southern Calif., Arizona and Texas with word on the street among the coaches that they are trying to expand in to Georgia.

— Look for the DeMarini Zephyrs to become the DeMarini Aces very soon, according to coach Ryan Taylor. Apparently too many Zephyrs popping and it’s causing confusion.

 

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• Here’s the info mentioned above regarding East Cobb Bullets tryouts:
• For registration Details and a tryout information packet CLICK HERE!
• 16U, 18U A and 18U Gold Tryouts are Sunday, August 10th at Kennesaw State University Softball Field, Kennesaw, Ga.
• 10U, 12U, 14U Tryouts are Sunday, August 17th at Kennesaw State University Softball Field, Kennesaw, Ga.
• “Playing the highest level of competition in the U.S. developing players to be the best competing with the best!”

East Cobb Bullets: 

• First in Georgia Fastpitch!
• Over 350 players recruited to play in College!
• Named Top 10 Fastpitch Softball Organization in the U.S. by Triple Crown Sports.
• First Georgia organization to win an ASA Gold National Championship.
• Highest finish among any Georgia team at 18U PGF (top 5).
• No. 1 in Player Development since 1997.
• Federally registered trademark and nationally recognized brand.
• Mission: To be winners on and off the field.
• No other area teams play the Calif. teams more often. To be the best, play the best!

 

EC BULLETS Teams Fall 2014 and Spring/Summer 2015 Seasons:

• 10U EC Bullets-Bell
• 10U EC Bullets-Lunsford
• 10U EC Bullets-Heggood
• 12U EC Bullets-Heath
• 12U EC Bullets-Byars
• 12U EC Bullets-Hecklinski
• 14U EC Bullets-Caldwell
• 14U EC Bullets-Biele
• 14U EC Bullets-Kittrell
• 16U EC Bullets-Smith
• 16U EC Bullets-Williams
• 16U EC Bullets-Hindman
• 16U EC Bullets-Legere
• 18U EC Bullets-Woody
• 18UA EC Bullets-Council
• 18UA EC Bullets-Fitchjerral
• 18U Gold EC Bullets-Bass
• 18UGold EC Bullets-Schnute

Video details on what you need to know about tryout registration. Go to ECBulletsTryouts.com