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Wednesday was a big day at Premier Girls Fastpitch (PGF) Nationals across Southern California as the competition saw top teams across the country battle to advance in the winner’s bracket while others will be forced to continue in the loser’s side.
Here’s a look at how everything played out in the Premiere ranks as Thursday will determine who will play in Friday’s finals in the Platinum Division and Saturday’s Premier Championships (along with the PGF High School (Senior) and PGF High School (Futures) All American Games.
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The winner’s brackets across the 18 and 16U Divisions at the first week of PGF Nationals are down to eight ballclubs, while more teams were sent packing on Wednesday as bracket play has reached a fever pitch in the 2021 tournaments.
Each of the two brackets in both divisions will see semifinals played on Thursday afternoon at 12:30 p.m., while the final for both divisions will be set for later that evening at 7:15.
Vying for those spots in the 18U Premiere Division Bracket A will be the Orland Park A’s Premier 18U, which got an eighth inning ITB walk-off win over NW Bullets on Wednesday, as Trinity Christian College signee Maddy McIntyre scored on an error at shortstop to push the A’s into the Bracket A semifinal, 3-2.
Three bracket wins later, including this walk off in the 8th inning, and the @OPAPremier18U is in the top 16 at PGF Premier Nationals. One of eight still standing in the winners’ bracket. We’re all rooting for you! pic.twitter.com/UExoaR7h99
— Orland Park A's (@orlandparkas) July 29, 2021
Beverly Bandits Premier will be the A’s opponent, after getting a 5-3 win over Lady Magic on Wednesday. They’ve also knocked out Carolina Elite and So Cal A’s – Briggs to go 3-0 in bracket play through the week.
In the bottom half of the left side of the bracket, Lady Dukes – Lamar won a 1-0 pitcher’s duel over Georgia Impact Premier – Lewis and has fought to a 4-0 start after being forced into an 8 a.m. game on Tuesday morning.
The Dukes will face Nebraska Gold 18s – National, which was a 5-0 win over Beverly Bandits – DeMarini. Jordyn Bahl pitched a 10-strikeout game, while Washington commit Ruby Meylan and Lexie Brady provided the run support with a home run each.
On the right side of the 18U bracket – Bracket B, Birmingham Thunderbolts 18U Premier keeps on rolling into the bracket semifinal with an 8-1 win over Jersey Intensity in six innings. Tallen Edwards was 2-for-4 with a homer, while Nelia Peralta was 2-for-3 with a homer of her own.
Hotshots Premier will be on the other side after taking down Arizona Storm – Mathis, 6-3, on Wednesday. The Hotshots also beat Rhode Island Thunder and Select Fastpitch on the way to Thursday’s battle showdown with the Thunderbolts.
Tampa Mustangs – TJ was a 3-0 winner over the Pennsylvania Strikers to advance to the final four in Bracket B play, where they’ll face Atlanta Vipers – Holbrook, which was a 4-3 winner over Firecrackers – TJ 18U on Wednesday.
Tampa Mustangs-TJ wins again @PGFnetwork and advances to the Final 4 of our bracket. Play tomorrow at 2:45pm and we will be playing hard for our number 1 fan!! We miss you Christian! Go Mustangs! pic.twitter.com/stThfBfvFd
— Tampa Mustangs TJ (@TampaMustangsTJ) July 29, 2021
There’s some recent history between the Mustangs and Vipers, as they’ve seen each other a few times this summer. At Triple Crown in Atlanta, the hometown Vipers took a 4-3 win to deny the Mustangs a tournament championship. Thursday’s meeting will be the eighth time this summer that they’ve matched up, and this one – so far, anyways – has the most weight, with a trip to the Bracket B Final on the line.
Moving down to 16U Premier, winner’s bracket play will start up at 10:15 a.m. at the Fountain Valley Sports Park, then will play each bracket’s final at 5:00 p.m.
In Bracket A, Beverly Bandits – Conroy worked its second shutout in three days, this one a 3-0 win over Select Fastpitch. The Chicago-based club was able to get a great outing from Audrey Lowry, who went five innings and struck out eight before giving it up to Kami Kamzik in the sixth, who struck out all six batters she saw in two perfect innings of relief.
Rhode Island Thunder Gold – Lotti was a 5-2 winner over Texas Dirk Divas 16U – Blades to advance to the Bracket A semifinals, getting multi-hit days from Gabby Lantier, NC State commit Amanda Hasler, Villanova commit Maddie Burrows and McKenzie Jewell. Burrows and Hasler also homered in the win.
Arizona Storm – Mathis 16U won 4-1 over Carolina Elite and will have to face a talented Birmingham Thunderbolts – Rocky team that won 6-0 over Tennessee Mojo – Lunsford to get to that semifinal. Mikie Lieving threw five innings of shutout softball, working around just three hits and a walk, while Sydney Langdon came in to close it out with a clean inning.
Nationals CC 16U out of North Carolina got a 6-5 comeback win over Tennessee Mojo Blue to advance to the first of two Bracket B semifinals, thanks to Savannah Jessee’s RBI single. Kadie Becker had a big two-run homer in the sixth to bring the Nationals within a run at 5-4 before back-to-back RBI singles did the job.
Tennessee Mojo – Fisher was a 4-0 winner over Atlanta Vipers – Tamborra to sit on the other side of that matchup, as Kierston Deal was dealing, striking out 13 on the afternoon.
Hotshots – Nelson and Birmingham Thunderbolts – Roberson make up the bottom half of the remaining teams in Bracket B’s winner’s bracket – the former hung 13 on LTG Carda in the quarterfinal, while Birmingham Thunderbolts was able to outlast a good Tennessee Mojo 2023 squad, 4-3, to stay in the winner’s bracket.
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Loser’s Bracket Action
Extra Inning Softball was around to see some other action in the loser’s bracket and had to highlight some solid performances from three teams in the 16U Division across the Fountain Valley facilities.
Jenna Samuels, a 2023 pitcher and first baseman for D1Vision Softball – 16U Premier had a great game against Tampa Mustangs – Rene. She caught our eye in Chattanooga at the Scenic City Showcase and impressed again in California.
Samuels had a two-run home run to tie the game at 2-2, then came up with an important two-run double to tie it at 4-4 in the late innings. D1Vision would eventually walk it off, 5-4. Louisiana – Monroe commit Maddie Nichols came in to relieve Samuels and was very good with an effective pitch mix.
As the night winded down at Fountain Valley, we got a chance to look at Tennessee Mojo – Lunsford for the first time since the team won the 16U Invitational Division at the Atlanta Legacy Showcase, as they found themselves in a battle with NW Bullets 16U – Muir out of Oregon.
The Bullets jumped out a 2-0 lead on the strength of a double from Brynn McManus and an RBI single from Georgia Corey, while Portland State commit Trinity Holden led off the game with a double of her own. Corey would later homer in what was a solid night at the office for her.
Mojo – Lunsford star center fielder Kennedy Harp quickly tied the game at two with a homer into the night, sparking a string of seven unanswered runs to make it a 7-2 game. Jenna Krol tripled, Caroline Patterson had a run-scoring double and Mojo would take a 10-4 victory, giving themselves a chance to claw out of the loser’s bracket after a loss to Birmingham Thunderbolts – Rocky earlier in the day.
— Will Turner, Extra Inning Softball