By Manny Alvarez

Corona Angels Fight to Stay in the Winner's Bracket

What Auburn-commit Sarah Willis couldn't take care of in the circle, she finished off with her bat.

Willis went 2 for 4 with a home run and four RBI to lead Corona Angels-Marty (Corona, Calif.) to a 9-7 victory over East Cobb Bullets-Caldwell (Loganville, Ga.) at the PGF 14U Premier Nationals on Thursday at the Fountain Valley Sports Complex in Fountain Valley, Calif.


(Kelvin Kuo/USA TODAY Sports)

Stanford-commit Sydnee Huff went 3 for 4 with an RBI, Taylor Peck went 1 for 3 with an RBI, Bella Rocco went 2 for 3 with an RBI for the Angels. Willis started the game on the mound, but struggled early. She was replaced by Angels ace Tessa Magnanimo, who threw 4.2 innings five strikeouts to get the win.

"We just had to get those clutch hits," Willis said. "We had our pitchers get the strikes and we had to play smart defense. We just had to get on top of the plate and get those inside pitches. If they came inside, then we had to get our hands through the ball. We just need pitching, hitting, and clutch defense. That's all we have to do. We have to keep our pitcher in the game and get those hits."

For the second straight day, Emma Wilson hit a home run, a three-run blast to center field that gave the Bullets a 4-1 lead. The Bullets got another home run in the fifth inning, a two-run shot to left field by Caroline Davis, and a solo home run to center field in the seventh inning by pinch hitter Madison Langford. The other Bullets' RBI came from Cayla Bishop. Hannah Forehand went 2 for 3 and Emily Buck threw 5.2 innings in the loss for the Bullets.

"We battled hard," Bullets coach Jeff Caldwell said. "We made a couple of key errors that costed us, but it was a battle all the way through. We are a fighting team, we don't give up. All in all, I'm really proud of the girls. There's nothing negative. We are what we are. We fight hard all the way to the finish. I'm really proud of my team."


(Kelvin Kuo/USA TODAY Sports)

After Wilson's home run tied the game in the second inning, the Angels got in a funk, popping up nine times over the next four innings. As the Angels tried to regroup at the plate, The Bullets took a 6-4 lead on Davis' home run in the fifth inning. The Angels bats eventually woke up after Willis tied the game up in the bottom half of the fifth inning with a two-run single. It was all Angels from that point on.

"I just told my girls to hit the top half of the ball," Angels coach Marty Tyson said. "We just had to work on hitting hard ground balls. That was going to be our focal point. We went four innings in a row where nine of our 10 outs were pop ups. Our philosophy is not just on this team, but in this program that I teach is put pressure on the defense. That is taught from 10U to 18U. We want them to catch the ball, throw the ball and catch the ball again. That is what you have to achieve to have a quality at-bat. That's what we are working at. We're just building."



The Bullets committed three errors, all in the bottom of the sixth inning where the Angels scored three runs to go ahead and eventually take the win. The Bullets will have to regroup and prepare to play on Friday against OC Batbusters-Campbell (Cypress, Calif.), ranked No. 2 in the nation by FloSoftball. Mark Campbell's Batbusters won three games on Thursday in the loser's bracket to stay alive. Game time is at 8:30 a.m. on Friday.

"I told this team early on when this season started that I'll never give up on them," Caldwell said. "They have tons of heart. We are deep in our pitching staff and as you can see, we can crush the ball. A hit here and there and we win that game. If we can hang with a team like the Corona Angels and all the players that they have with only 12 of us, then we can get the job done. I'm pretty confident in what we could dotomorrow. We're looking forward to getting back on the field." 

The Angels move on to the fifth round of the winner's bracket and face the So Cal Choppers-Fausett (Valencia, Calif.) on Friday at 10:45 a.m. The winner will be one win away from heading to the PGF National Championship game.

"Hopefully, we can come out tomorrow and put some pressure on their defense," Tyson said. "We need our pitching. We have to figure out if Tessa can do it. She has thrown in every game. We are going to go with her tomorrow. We are going to go as far as she takes us. That's where we are with this."

See our PGF NationalsUltimate Streaming Guide

In other PGF 14U Premier games:

So Cal A's-Mercado/Smith (Corona, Calif.) 10, Beverly Bandits Premier-Harms (Orland Park, Ill.) 0 (4 innings)

Audrey LeClair had two doubles and drove in three runs and Quincee Lilio and Jasmine Perezchica each drove in two runs to lead the So Cal A's to a run-rule victory. Shannyn Bustamante threw four innings while only giving up two hits for the A's, who play in the winner's bracketon Friday at 10:45 am against Birmingham Thunderbolts-Dorsett (Trussville, Ala.).

Jaylin Calvert and Gabriella Carra each had a hit for the Bandits, while Ryleigh White got the loss. The Bandits move into the loser's bracket to face Cal Breeze-Warren (Sacramento, Calif.) on Friday at 8:30 a.m.   

So Cal A's-Mercado/Smith (Corona, Calif.) 4, Firecrackers-Young (Santa Ana, Calif.) 1

UCLA-commit Lexi Sosa (Kelvin Kuo/USA TODAY Sports) threw a complete game, striking out eight and she hit a solo home run to center field in the sixth inning to lead the A's to the next round. Alyssa Garcia went 2 for 3 with an RBI and Raeleen Gutierrez and Destinee Noury each had an RBI for the A's, who move into the next round of the winner's bracket to take on Beverly Bandits Premier-Harms (Orland Park, Ill.) later in the day.

"They're a really good hitting team," Sosa said. "They're solid offensively. I just had to work on my rise ball, low rise, high rise and the occasional curveball on the outside. I just had to work with the different locations. As soon as we start a rally, we just keep going. We use our offense and defense. As soon as it comes together, it's all good."

Cydney Sanders drove in the lone run with a monstrous shot to left field in the fifth inning. Thessa Malauulu and Savannah Price each went 2 for 3 and Price hit a double. Olivia Shimmin threw 5.2 innings of relief, while Taja Felder took the loss for the Firecrackers, who were eliminated in their next game in a 5-4 to Illinois Chill Gold.

Beverly Bandits Premier-Harms (Orland Park, Ill.) 7, Ohana Tigers-Quarles (Cerritos, Calif.) 1

Bailey Dowling went 3 for 4 with a home run and three RBI and Alexis Voss went 2 for 3 with a home run and two RBI to lead the Bandits to victory. Alexandra McManus threw a three-hitter and she had an RBI double for the Bandits. Jade Tomashek drove in the only run for the Tigers, Ariell Romero had a double and Grace Jackson threw 5.1 innings in the loss for the Tigers, who were eliminated in their next game by Cal Grapettes-Cat (Manteca, Calif.), 3-2.

Birmingham Thunderbolts-Dorsett (Trussville, Ala.) 8, Tampa Mustangs-TJ (Myakka City, Fla.) 0

Madison Majors went 2 for 4 with two RBI and Abby Allen added two RBI to lead the Bolts to victory. Shelby Lowe threw five innings, gave up four hits and struck out six for the Bolts, who face So Cal A's-Mercado/Smith on Friday at 10:45 a.m. Taylor Woodring, Kaia LoPreste, Alexis Moy and Bailee Leistl each got a hit for the Mustangs, who face Illinois Chill Gold on Friday at 8:30 a.m. in the loser's bracket. 

Tampa Mustangs-TJ 2, Cal Breeze-Warren 1

Taylor Woodring drove in two runs to lead the Tampa Mustangs to victory. Devyn Mulligan threw a complete game, while giving up one earned run to get the win. The victory helped the Mustangs advance to take on Birmingham Thunderbolts-Dorsett later in the day.

"My team always has my back," Woodring said. "All I was thinking was I have to plant up in my at-bat and I just had to get the runs in. It's going to take a team effort to get to Saturday. Our pitching has to be on, our hitting has to be on as well as our defense. We have to have each other's backs. It's a team win."

Leah Polson went 3 for 3 while Brooke Niemiec hit a double and Cecelia Sidley took the loss for the the Breeze, who face Beverly Bandits Premier-Harms on Friday at 8:30 a.m. 

Birmingham Thunderbolts-Dorsett 7, Team Seattle (Seattle, Wash.) 2

Madison Webber went 2 for 3 with a double and two RBI to lead the Thunderbolts to victory. Madison Majors had two RBI and Shelby Lowe threw a complete game with 12 strikeouts to get another win for the Bolts.

"We just had to keep hitting," Webber said. "Our pitching is there. Our pitchers are great, but we just have to keep hitting the ball like we have been. We have to have energy that we have had in the past two days. If we keep that up, we can win each game."

Hailey Van Lith went 2 for 4 with a triple and an RBI, Raigan Barrett hit the other RBI and Landyn Bruce threw a complete game to take the loss for Team Seattle, who were eliminated in their next game 4-3 to Texas Impact Gold-Mata. 

So Cal Choppers-Fausett (Valencia, Calif.) 10, Jersey Intensity-Cipolloni (Farmingdale, N.J.) 2

Emily Tinkham went 3 for 4 with two home runs and three RBI to lead the Choppers to victory. Grace Keene hit a three-run, pinch-hit home run, Sophia Medellin went 2 for 4 with a home run and two RBI, Kendall Jennings went 2 for 4 with a home run and Jessie Fontes threw another complete game eight strikeouts for the Choppers, who face Corona Angels-Marty on Friday at 10:45 a.m. 

Lexington Poole and Karina Gaskins each drove in a run and Kaitlyn Mulcahey threw 4.2 innings to take the loss for Intensity, who move to the loser's bracket to face Texas Team Mizuno Impulse on Friday at 8:30 a.m. 

So Cal Choppers-Fausett (Valencia, Calif.) 3, Georgia Impact-Stewart (Dacula, Ga.) 2

Lauryn Carter, McKenzie Barbara, and Sophia Medellin each had an RBI as the So Cal Choppers advanced to the next round with the victory. Jessie Fontes threw a complete game to get the win for the Choppers, who faced Jersey Intensity-Cipolloni later in the day.


(Kelvin Kuo/USA TODAY Sports)

Kinley Stewart hit a solo home run and Aleixandria Hudson drove in the other run for Georgia Impact, which was eliminated by CA Suncats-Jimenez, 6-5, in their next game.

Jersey Intensity-Cipolloni (Farmingdale, N.J.) 7, So Cal Breakers-Labs (Vista, Calif.) 3

MiKayla Laplaca had a two-run double to lead Intensity to the win. Lexington Poole, Erin Kennedy and Jayda Kearney each had two-hit games, while Kaitlyn Mulcahey took the win for Intensity. Alyssa Vilke drove in the only run for So Cal Breakers, Kaila Uyeda went 2 for 3 and Ashley Tuggle took the loss in relief for the Breakers, who were eliminated in their next game by OC Batbusters-Campbell, 7-0.

PGF 14U PREMIER NATIONALS SCOREBOARD AT FOUNTAIN VALLEY SPORTS COMPLEX

THURSDAY, AUG. 4, RESULTS

WINNER'S BRACKET

THIRD ROUND

BRACKET A
Tampa Mustangs 2, Cal Breeze 1
Birmingham Thunderbolts-Dorsett 7, Team Seatle 2
So Cal A's-Mercado/Smith 4, Firecrackers-Young 1
Beverly Bandits Premier 7, Ohana Tigers 1

BRACKET B
So Cal Choppers-Fausett 3, Georgia Impact-Stewart 2
Jersey Intensity 7, So Cal Breakers 3
Corona Angels-Marty 6, FL Jacksonville Storm 0
East Cobb Bullets 5, OK Game Stars 2

FOURTH ROUND

BRACKET A
Birmingham Thunderbolts-Dorsett 8, Tampa Mustangs 0
So Cal A's-Mercado/Smith 10, Beverly Bandits Premier 0

BRACKET B
So Cal Choppers-Fausett 10, Jersey Intensity 2
Corona Angels-Marty 9, East Cobb Bullets 7

LOSER'S BRACKET

​FOURTH ROUND

BRACKET A
LTG Lions 8, Firecrackers DFW 1
Texas Impact 4, Firecrackers-Ryono 2
Illinois Chill 2, Lady Lightning 1
Cal Grapettes 5, Beverly Bandits DeMarini 4

BRACKET B
Cal Suncats 9, Beverly Bandits Futures 0
OC Batbusters-Campbell 3, OC Batbusters-Mascarenas 1
Texas Sudden Impact 6, AL Huntsville Sparks 5
Texas Mizuno Impulse 8, Texas Blaze-Bonola 7

FIFTH ROUND

BRACKET A
Cal Breeze 5, LTG Lions 0
Texas Impact 4, Team Seattle 3
Illinois Chill 5, Firecrackers-Young 4
Cal Grapettes 3, Ohana Tigers 2

BRACKET B
Cal Suncats 6, Georgia Impact 5
OC Batbusters-Campbell 7, So Cal Breakers 0
Texas Sudden Impact 4, FL Jacksonville Storm 2
Texas Mizuno Impulse 6, OK Game Stars 2

SIXTH ROUND

BRACKET A
Cal Breeze 5, Texas Impact 0
Illinois Chill 5, Cal Grapettes 1

BRACKET B
OC Batbusters-Campbell 8, Cal Suncats 0
Texas Mizuno Impulse 6, Texas Sudden Impact 0