Alliance Nationals, Friday Finals: Athletics – Mercado/Smith & West Bay Warriors Crowned Champions in 18U & 16U Divisions

The Alliance Nationals wrapped up today in Oklahoma City and the USA Softball Hall of Fame complex as the championship series (best 2-of-3) was held for the 18U and 16U teams.

Unlike other Nationals where it is a one-game championship, the Alliance format was implemented to mirror the Women’s College World Series final.

Below are the results with highlights from today’s action; first the game scores from the two age divisions…

18U Tier 1 Championship Series – July 30, 2021

All games at Hall of Fame Stadium

• Game 1 (9 am): A’s 4, Bombers 1
• Game 2 (1 pm): A’s 6, Bombers 2
• Game 3 (5 pm, IF): Not necessary

16U Tier 1 Championship Series – July 30, 2021

All games at Hall of Fame Stadium

• Game 1 (11 am): Angels 7, Warriors 6
• Game 2 (3 pm): Warriors 5, Angels 4
• Game 3 (7 pm, IF): Warriors 3, Angels 1

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18U Championship Games

Game 1: Athletics – Mercado/Smith 4, Texas Bombers Gold – Smith 1

Two of the top pitchers in the club world went face-to-face in a competitive game that was locked in a tie for much of the initial contest of the day.

Sophia Simpson, the 2021 Texas signee, started for the Bombers while Stevie Hansen, the 2021 Oregon-bound pitcher, took the mound for the A’s.

Dave Mercado’s team scored first, in the bottom of the 3^rd, when catcher Kalyn Hill (2021, Seattle) singled to lead off the inning and infielder Savanna Pola (2021, UCLA) would hit a one-out double to put the first run on the board.

The Bombers tied it 1-1 in the top of the 4^th as infielder Mia Scott (2021, Texas) singled, stole second and came around to score on a single by 1B Baylea Brandon (2021, LSU).

The A’s broke the game open in the bottom of the 5^th inning with three runs scored as the bats came alive with singles by infielder Kaila Pollard (2022, Florida), Pola and infielder Quincee Lilio (2021, Oklahoma) to put the score at 3-1.

SJ Querin (2022, Oklahoma) was brought in to relieve Simpson, but the Athletics were able to push another run across on a fielder’s choice to make it 4-1 at the end of five complete.

Hansen went the distance to get the win, scattering four hits and giving up just the one earned run while striking out 13 versus only one walk. Simpson went four innings giving up six hits and four earned runs.

Offensively, Pola went 2-for-3 with an RBI and run scored as the leadoff hitter and 2-hole hitter Lilio was 1-for-2 with an RBI and run scored. Scott went 2-for-3 with a run scored for the Bombers.

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Game 2: Athletics – Mercado/Smith 6, Texas Bombers Gold – Smith 2

With a 1-0 advantage, the A’s looked to take the series and the championship with a second win but trailed 2-0 after the first inning as the Bombers Scott doubled to center to knock in Hodge and Mihyia Davis singled to knock in Scott to give the Texans a 2-0 lead.

The score remained 2-0 until the top of the 4^th when the A’s Keila Kamoku (2021, Ole Miss) hit a two-run homer with two outs to tie the score at 2-2.

The Athletics used the long ball once again the next inning to take the lead 4-2 as corner infielder McKenna Gibson (2021, Tennessee) launched a two-run blast over the left field fence to give Mercado’s team the lead for the first time of the game.

For the third inning in a row, the A’s scored two runs, this time on a leadoff single by Kalyn Hill (2021, Seattle), who would come around to score on a single by shortstop Kaila Pollard (2022, Florida) in the top of the 6^th and then would Pollard would come around to make the score 6-2 on a double by Q Lilio.

Here’s the final celebration by the Athletics – Mercado/Smith team after the final pitch as they celebrate winning the first-ever Alliance Fastpitch National Championship:

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16U Championship Games

Game 1: Corona Angels – Slye 7, West Bay Warriors 6

Unlike the 18U division, which featured the #1 seeded Bombers versus the #2 A’s – Mercado, the 16U division saw #5 seeded West Bay Warriors take on the #8 seeded Corona Angels – Slye team.

As we detailed last night in the Thursday recap the Warriors defeated the Angels yesterday to send them to the Loser’s Bracket.

The visiting Angels jumped on the board immediately as their speed and attack style racked up five hits and four runs leading to a pitching change with two outs in the top of the first.

Speedy outfielder Jaelin Haynes (2022) forced a hurried throw for an error to start off the game followed by a single from infielder Dakota Carter (2022, Nebraska commit) and an RBI single from Mikalah Nitta (2023) to get the rally started.

The Warriors didn’t flinch, though, loading the bases with no outs on three straight hits by shortstop Megan Grant (2022, UCLA), Olivia Dinardo (2022, Arizona) and Hannah Cushing (2023).

The potential rally, however, was thwarted by a strikeout and a fly out to right field that was turned into a double play as outfielder Kaitlyn Wynia (2023) threw a rope to catcher Audree Mendoza (2023) who applied the tag and ended the Warriors’ threat.

The Angels pushed the lead to 5-0 in the top of the 4^th on a nitta single to left to score Wynia but the Warriors chipped away at the lead by scoring a run in the bottom of the fifth on a two-out RBI single by Dinardo to bring home outfielder Talia Tokheim (2022).

In the bottom of the 6^th, the Warriors scored a run and loaded the bases with one out when Tokehim singled up the middle to drive in one run to cut the difference to 5-3 but a runner on third rounded the base too widely and was tagged out.

The Warriors didn’t give up, though, and with two outs and runners on first and second, outfielder Garbiella Lee doubled left center to knock in two and tied the game at 5-5.

With a runner at second, Grant singled to center but in a great throw by centerfielder Haynes nailed the runner at home for the third out and prevent the Warriors from taking the lead for the first time.

In the top of the 7^th, the Angels jumped back on top with a deep double to right center by infielder Samantha Bland to score Aleena Garcia and C/1B Isabelle Jamgotchian followed with a deep sacrifice to put the score at 7-5.

The Warriors didn’t quit and loaded the bases with no outs but pitcher Kayla “Red” Bousquette (2022, Biola), who pitched the last inning after Taylour Spencer (2023) pitched the first six and gave up just one earned, was able to get an infield pop fly, a sac fly to make the score 7-6 and a strikeout to get the Angels the Game 1 win.

The Angels’ final line was 7 runs, 13 hits and 2 errors; the Warriors was 6 runs, 14 hits, 1 error.

For the Warriors Dinardo was 3-for-4 with an RBI; Grant was 2-for-4 and was Alex Bunton and Tokheim went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI. Gabriella Lee went 1-for-3 with two RBIs.

On the Bombers side, Nitta went 3-for-4 with 2 RBIs and a run scored, Bland went 1-for-4 with 2 RBIs, and Jamgotchian was 1-for-3 with 2 BRIs.

Here’s video of the final K:

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Game 2: West Bay Warriors 5,  Corona Angels – Slye 4

 If the Angels won the second game, then they would be the champions at the 16U level but that didn’t look very likely after the top of the third inning when the Warriors blasted through for five runs to take the lead.

Coach McDonald’s team got on the board with a Tokheim home run to left field and then with two outs, Dinardo doubled and was replaced by courtesy runner Lauryn Horita (2022) who came home on a single by 2023 outfielder Hannah Cushing (2023).

The big blow of the inning was a three-run home run by 2025 catcher Avery Motroni, the youngest player on the team. Her drive over the left field fence scored Cushing and Bunton who had singled and made the score 5-0.

However, the Angels shipped away at the lead with one run in the bottom of the 5^th and three more in the bottom of the 6^th to make the game just a one-run affair going into the bottom of the 7^th inning.

That was as close as the score would get, however, as Warriors’ pitcher Elise Roy (2023) quickly got two outs and, after a walk to put the tying run on base, induced a final ground to first to force the IF game with the final contest being the one that would decide the National Champion.

The Angels had 11 hits to outpace the Warriors who had seven but the final score was 5-4 in favor of the Nor Cal team.

We have a Game 3 in the 16U Tier I National Championship Game!!

West Bay Warriors vs
Corona Angels Slye

WINNER TAKES ALL 🏆

Watch live on @AthletesGoLive #AFCS #earnit pic.twitter.com/plrMJcxbS7

— The Alliance Fastpitch (@thealliancefp) July 30, 2021

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Game 3: West Bay Warriors 3,  Corona Angels – Slye 1

Any team that makes it to the final game of the season can be proud of their run, and the same goes for both the West Bay Warriors and Corona Angels-Slye as they faced off in the winner-take-all game in the Alliance Championship Series 16U Tier 1 bracket.

West Bay head coach Ray McDonald and hit team came back from a 1-0 deficit and took home the National Championship, beating the Angels by a score of 3-1 in the championship game.

The Warriors scored early, plating a single run in the top of the first inning. Megan Grant was hit by a pitch to lead off the game and three batters later, Alex Bunton plated her with a nifty single down the right field line.

One inning later, an Emma Eichten single was followed by a Talia Tokheim 2-run home run that broke the game open early for the Warriors. Tokheim’s bomb fell beyond the left-center fence, and she circled the bases towards her cheering teammates, who had assembled to meet her just beyond home plate.

That was all of the scoring for the Warriors, but it proved to be enough.

It would be the third inning before the Angels began to threaten. A leadoff single, stolen base, and another single gave the Angels a 1st-and-3rd situation with two outs, but a popout to left field ended the threat with the game still a 3-0 score.

The Angels got on the board in the fifth inning: Aleena Garcia led off the inning with a single and promptly stole second base on the first pitch of the next at-bat. She would come around to score on a Kaitlyn Wynia RBI double to center field that got the Angels’ scoring started.

Registering seven hits in the affair, the Angels had runners on base in every inning from the 3rd onward and twice had them in scoring position. The teams matched with seven hits apiece.

Rose Malen threw an absolute gem in the circle for the Warriors, pitching a complete game on 79 pitches, allowing seven hits and one earned run. She collected four strikeouts and did not allow a walk. Across the way, Angels pitcher Taylour Spencer also threw an impressive game, going the distance for her own team on 99 pitches. Spencer allowed seven hits, three earned runs, and recorded neither a strikeout nor a walk.

We have our 16U Tier I National champs! Congrats @westbaywarriorr pic.twitter.com/scox6Rue0k

— The Alliance Fastpitch (@thealliancefp) July 31, 2021