Power Springs -- The Atlanta Legacy Showcase came to a close on Sunday as the Ohio Lasers Green 01 routed the Texas Sudden Impact, 7-1, to win the 14U Girls bracket.

The Showcase’s host Atlanta Vipers Jiles squared off against the Tampa Mustangs in a quarterfinal matchup that was unable to be settled on the diamond. Following a 2-2 draw, officials were forced to use a series of tiebreakers in order to determine which team would advance to the semifinals. Tampa’s run differential through the three previous rounds of the tournament was plus-13, while Atlanta’s was plus-6 – resulting in the Mustangs advancing to the next round.

Tampa struck first as Avery Goelz of Sarasota Christian School notched a two out, two-RBI single back up the middle to give the Mustangs a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning. The Vipers answered with a two-out rally of their own in the bottom of the frame. Following a single and a drawn walk, Cherokee High School’s Gracie Mixson singled to right field to clear the bases and tie the game at 2-2 after three innings of play.

After getting two quick outs to start the top of the fourth inning, Atlanta’s right-hander Melanie Bennett from Allatoona High School gave up a single and walked a pair of batters to load the bases. Bennett’s defense helped her escape the jam, however, as she forced a groundball back up the middle and a force play at second base ended the top half of the inning.

Tampa Mustangs Meet Texas Sudden Impact

Tampa met with the Texas Sudden Impact in the semifinals, falling 5-4 in a game in which only three innings were fully completed due to time constraints.

The Sudden Impact jumped out to an early lead in the top of the first inning as LSU commit Anna Jones of Cy-Ranch High School singled to left-center field, stole second base, advanced to third on a ground-out, and stole home on a wild pitch to put Texas up 1-0.  In the bottom of the inning, Jones dove over the centerfield fence to rob Tampa’s McKenzie Clark of a home run and preserve Texas’ one-run lead.

Jada Smallwood of Newsome High School legged out a two-out RBI infield single in the bottom of the first inning to tie the game at 1-1.

The Sudden Impact retook the lead in the top of the second inning as College Station Middle School’s Mia Rivers launched a two-run home run to right field, putting Texas up 3-1. Texas extended its lead in the top of the third as a fielding error allowed a pair of runners to score and the Mustangs trailed 5-1 heading to the bottom of the inning.

After an illegal pitch and a pair of walks loaded the bases with no outs for Tampa in the bottom of the third, Goelz reached on a fielder’s choice to bring home a run. Riverview High School’s Kaia LoPreste singled to right to plate a run before Smallwood’s RBI groundout cut the Mustangs deficit to 5-4. Tampa stranded the tying run on third base, however, and were unable to advance to the championship.

Ohio Lasers Green Takes All

Ohio took a 1-0 lead over Texas in the bottom of the first inning with an RBI bunt-single from Bishop Ready High School’s Hannah Bryan. Leading 2-0 in the bottom of the third inning, the Lasers’ offense exploded to put the game on ice. Marysville High School’s Isabelle Shroyer hit a bloop RBI single to shallow left field to extend Ohio’s lead to 3-0.

Hilliard Darby High School’s Tegan Cortelletti drew a bases loaded walk; followed by an RBI groundout from Mt. Gilead’s McKenzie Bump and the Lasers lead 5-0. Shroyer ad Cortelletti each stole home and Ohio opened up an insurmountable 7-0 lead heading to the third inning.

The Sudden Impact’s lone run of the game came on a sacrifice fly from Mia Rivers to score Mayde Creek High School’s Shaylon Govan from third.

By Mason Wittner @mason_wittner