Saturday saw the conclusion of one of the top club tournaments of the year, the Team NJ Summer Classic, which took place in Edison, N.J. and featured top teams from 19 different states.

One, however, proved to be the best and if you’ve been following elite club ball this year, you’ll know the team that looks to be the odds-on favorite to win the PGF Nationals in about a month: the OC Batbusters-Haning team

The Batbusters ran through the Team NJ Summer Classic this week outscoring their opponents 65-3 heading into the finals with victories against some of the top teams in the country: their journey to the finals today included showcase wins over Georgia Impact Gold (score of 13-0), Florida’s Wagner’s Gold (5-0), Birmingham Thunderbolts out of Alabama (4-1), New Jersey Intensity (1-0) and the NC Lady Lightning (4-0).

In elimination bracket play the Southern California-based squad knocked off the Severna Park Hornets (12-0), Beverly Bandits (10-0), NJ Inferno (11-0), Corona Angels Tyson (11-2) and PA Rock (6-0).

Certainly the pitching was dominant all week, led by Kaylee Carlson (2014, North Carolina signee), Taylor McQuillin (2015, Arizona commit) and Mariah Lopez (2016, Oklahoma). Eight of the 10 games to get to the finals were shutouts.

But the Carolina Elite proved to be a formidable offensive threat because for one major reason—the long ball.

Heading into the finals, the Elite had slugged 35 home runs and would add three more in the championship game… the question was, would that be enough?

The championship game went back and forth with the Batbusters taking a 3-0 lead in the first inning, but that was erased in the bottom of the third with a three-run home run off McQuillin.

The California team got those runs back in the top of the fourth, going up 6-3 but the Elite would put another run on the board when a deep fly to left was tipped off the glove and went up and over the fence for a home run off Carlson.

Carlson, however, would hold the Carolina program scoreless in the fifth then Lopez came in to close it out in the sixth.

After back-to-back strikeouts, the Batbusters’ 6-4 lead was cut to a single run thanks to another Elite homer.

The Batbusters, though, would answer back with a run in the top of the seventh and Lopez retired the last three batters with a ground out, strikeout and pop-up leaving the tying runs stranded on base to provide the final score of 7-5.

Stars for the week for the champions included outfielder Amanda Lorenz (2015, Florida) who hit three home runs while first baseman Alyssa Palomino (2015, Arizona), catcher Maddy Jelenicki (2014, UCLA), catcher Morganne Flores (2015, Washington) and third baseman Tannon Snow (2015, Washington) hit two home runs a piece.

The Batbusters totaled 72 runs for the week while allowing only eight. They had more home runs for the week (11) than runs allowed by their opponents.

Interestingly, many of the players on the champs won the Team NJ Summer Classic last year when they were part of Team Mizuno-Stith, which merged after the club season ended with the OC Batbusters. Both Gary Haning and Mike Stith are coaching the team.

The two last teams standing may also meet up again in either the Boulder Tournament next week and/or the PGF Nationals in Huntington Beach in about a month for a re-match.

One parent for the Batbusters was overheard saying, “The Carolina Elite is the best hitting team our girls have faced all year. Their first three batters are beasts!”