Athletes from across the country came together as the fifth annual USA Softball 12-Under All-American Games began on Saturday as 24 teams composed of 360 players duked it out at the Softball Capital of the World® in effort to claim the USA Softball All-American Games trophy.
For info on team rosters and more, see our preview article titled: Club News: 24 Teams in OKC to Compete in This Weekend’s 5th-Annual USA Softball All-American Games
After inclement weather postponed Friday’s games, the athletes were eager to take the field and showcase their abilities on Saturday morning.
Six teams remain undefeated with a 2-0 record after yesterday’s action including Region 3 Stars, Region 5 Freedom, Region 5 Stars, Region 10 Freedom, Region 10 Stripes, and Region 10 Stars.
In their first game of the day, Region 3 Stars pulled out a 3-0 win against Region 1 Stripes with Mackenzie Ventura striking out eight batters in the shutout victory. Katelyn Russell was another shining star for the Stars with a double and three RBIs to give her team the runs they needed to secure the win.
In Game Two, Region 3 Stars struck early yet again with another double from Russell and a sacrifice fly from Reese Law to give them an early lead before tacking on another run in the second to put them ahead 3-0. Region 9 Stripes attempted a comeback in the third inning after taking advantage of a defensive miscue by the Stars, but they would come up short as the Stars defeated the Stripes in a close-fought, 3-2 game.
Region 5 Freedom dominated the playing field also, allowing zero runs and scoring a total of 13 in their two pool play games. Heads-up baserunning allowed Region 5 Freedom to score early in Game One against Region 3 Freedom, putting them up 3-0 after one inning of play.
Madelyn Doty and Braylee Spence worked together in the circle to strikeout seven Region 3 Freedom batters and limit them to only two hits in the contest. In their second game against Region 2 Stars, the bats exploded for the Freedom as they strung hits together and scored 10 runs in three innings to come out with another win.
Scoring runs early and often was a common theme today as Region 5 Stars took down Region 4 Freedom 4-0 in their first win of the day. The Stars were able to manifest their four runs on only three hits, but with six stolen bases, getting into scoring position wasn’t a problem.
Defense was also solid for Region 5 Stars with a double play and six combined strikeouts from Emma Escamilla and Tori Turner. The bats came alive for the Stars in Game Two against Region 2 Stripes. Six hits from six different players, including an RBI triple from Isabella Dzialo, kept the good vibes going for the Stars as they scored in each of the first three innings to walk away with the 5-2 victory.
Region 10 Freedom also showed up with hot bats today, scoring 10 runs in their two wins. Their first win against Region 1 Freedom was sparked by a double from Josephine Marsh in the third that led to a seven-run inning and a 7-1 victory.
In their second pool play game, the Freedom racked up seven hits in their 3-0 shutout win against Region 9 Stars. Marsh and Angelina Quirarte combined for seven total strikeouts in the circle while only allowing one hit.
Scoring an impressive 14 runs in their two pool play games, Region 10 Stripes defeated Region 8 Stars 7-3 in Game One. Jordin Washington had three of her team’s seven stolen bases in the contest to help lead her team to victory.
Region 10 Stripes scored another seven runs in their second game, taking down Region 5 Stripes in a 7-0 shutout win. Once again, Region 10 Stripes used their speed to their advantage, stealing six more bases in the victory.
In their first pool play game against Region 4 Stripes, Lilly Hauser threw the complete game shutout while fanning seven Stripes batters, giving Region 10 Stars the 5-0 win.
The pitching was just as impressive in Game Two as Malaya Majam-Finch got the start and went the distance, shutting out Region 7 Stars 9-0 and striking out another seven batters. A two-out, seven-run fourth inning sealed the victory for Region 10 Stars as they walked away undefeated without a single run scored against them on Day One.
In addition to their pool play games, each team had the opportunity to compete against fellow regions on the USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium – OGE Energy Field that did not count for seeding.
Single-elimination bracket play kicked off Sunday morning with the Championship set for 6:30 p.m. CT on the USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium – OGE Energy Field.
