A one-run deficit must have looked like nothing for Sean Brashear's Firecrackers the way they have been running at the PGF 16U Premier Nationals this week

Texas A&M recruit Shaylee Ackerman smashed a two-run bomb to left-center field in the bottom of the sixth to help the Firecrackers rally to a 2-1 victory over Andrew Biele's East Cobb Bullets in the fifth round of the winners bracket on Thursday evening at Huntington Beach, California. It was the third-straight come-from-behind win for the Firecrackers.



"It felt amazing," Ackerman said. "I knew my teammates were behind me and it was time. We were due. We've been starting behind in a couple of games, but it's a seven-inning game. It's never over. It keeps going. We're always back. Somebody gets on, we find a way to get them in every time."


Photo: Orlando Jorge Ramirez/USA TODAY Sports

There are 12 teams left in the PGF 16U Premier Nationals. The Firecrackers face Jen Tyrrell's Beverly Bandits in the sixth round of the winners bracket on Friday at 10:15 AM at Field 3. 

In other PGF 16U Premier Nationals Winner's Bracket fifth round games:

Beverly Bandits-Tyrrell 3, Sorcerer-Savoy 2
Northwestern-bound Sydney Supple outdueled Nicole May, a 2020 right-hander committed to Oklahoma, to help the Bandits advance in the winner's bracket.




Supple, who has a 0.52 ERA in the tournament, allowed six hits, no earned runs, four walks, and struck out seven to record the complete game victory.

"Sydney Supple is an elite pitcher and had a fantastic day to lead out team," Tyrrell said. "When we come here, we play to win each inning, each game, but our goal is to win a championship and making it to Friday in the winners bracket is huge. We stayed together as a team and picked each other up, production comes from all spots in the lineup."

Huntsville Sparks Elite 7, Nor Cal Firecrackers 2
With two on and facing a 2-1 deficit in the top of the sixth, Karla Hice launched a flyball deep to right field that was bobbled, fumbled, and dropped by the right fielder, allowing Hice and her teammates to score. The Sparks ended up scoring five runs in the inning and went on to the victory. Hice's hit was scored a triple and she finished with four RBIs. 

"I hit it to right field and I was going for second, (but) she fumbled the ball, so I just went ahead and we home and it also allowed my teammates to go ahead and go home too," Hice said. "I'm happy being an Alabama team, people aren't used to seeing Alabama teams out here and we're still in it."

The Sparks face Athletics-Mercado/Smith in the sixth round on Friday at 10:15 AM at Field 4.

Athletics-Mercado/Smith 7, South Dakota Renegades 1
UCLA commit Alyssa Garcia belted a three-run home run and LSU-bound Raeleen Gutierrez went 2 for 2 with a double, a run and two RBIs to lead the Athletics past the Renegades, who reached the PGF 16U Premier national title game last season.

"I walked into the situation and just tried to keep it simple," Garcia said of her home run. "I try not to overthink it. I was just glad I could help out my team."

Most of the Athletics have been together to win national championships at 12U, 14U and now they are going after the PGF 16U Premier national title this year.



"It's awesome," Gutierrez said. "We have awesome chemistry. That just brings us all together and makes us better as a team."

NOTE: South Dakota Renegades vs. Beverly Bandits-Ketelhut, Nor Cal Firecrackers vs. New Lenox Lightning-Izzo, Beverly Bandits-Dorsey vs. East Cobb Bullets-Biele and Sorcerer-Savoy vs. So Cal Athletics-Briggs are the seventh round losers bracket matchups for Friday at 8 AM.

In PGF 16U Premier Nationals Winner's Bracket fourth round games:

Beverly Bandits-Tyrrell 3, Texas Glory-Naudin 1
Stormy Kotzelnik went 2 for 3 with a home run and three RBIs, Northwestern commit Maeve Nelson went 3 for 4 with a run, and Sydney Supple -- also committed to Northwestern -- allowed eight hits, one run, four walks, and struck out three to get the complete game win to help the Bandits advance.



Sorcerer-Savoy 3, Atlanta Vipers 1
Oklahoma-bound Nicole May allowed four hits, one walk, and struck out seven to pick up the complete game victory for Sorcerer.

East Cobb Bullets-Biele 4, Oro Valley Suncats 0
Duke recruit Arielle Oda went 2 for 4 with two RBIs and Michigan commit Chandler Dennis had an RBI double to lead the Bullets past the Suncats.

Firecrackers-Brashear 11, Explosion-Greg 6
Kelly Ryono went 4 for 5 with a double, two runs, and two RBIs; Texas A&M-bound Shaylee Ackerman went 2 for 4 with a double, a homer, two runs, and four RBIs; Tennessee-bound Nyomi Jones went 2 for 5 with two runs; and Illinois commit Miranda Gallardo went 2 for 4 with a run and an RBI to help the Firecrackers rally from a 6-2 deficit to defeat the Explosion.

Huntsville Sparks Elite 9, So Cal Breakers Blue 1
Aquana Brownlee went 3 for 3 with a home run and two RBIs, and Johnna Staggs and Bailey Smart homered to lift the Sparks over the Breakers.

Nor Cal Firecrackers 4, Firecrackers-Roth 0
Sofia Earle tossed a three-hitter with no walks and two strikeouts to help Nor Cal get the shutout.

South Dakota Renegades 9, New Lenox Lightning-Izzo 1
Northern Illinois recruit Megan Guericke went 2 for 5 with a double, a home run, and four RBIs, and South Dakota State commit Emma Hardin went 3 for 4 with two doubles, two runs, and three RBIs as the Renegades.

Athletics-Mercado/Smith 8, Birmingham Thunderbolts-Maze 2
Arizona commit Jasmine Perezchica went 2 for 4 with two runs; Oklahoma commit Quincee Lilio went 1 for 3 with a double, two runs, and an RBI; and UCLA-bound Alyssa Garcia went 1 for 4 with a run and two RBIs as the Athletics took care of the Bolts.


Written by Carlos Arias
Follow him on Twitter @SoCalSidelines.