Club Recap: Atlanta Legacy Invitational Final… 18U Final Comes Down to Two Southern Teams as the Mustangs Top Atlanta Premier Gold

There were 340 teams in the Atlanta Legacy Invitational and Showcase tournaments with 32 states represented, but when it came down to the finalists in the 18U Invitational tourney held Sunday at Al Barber Park in Marietta, Georgia, the finalists were all homegrown… or close to it.

Three of the four teams were from the Peach State: Atlanta Vipers – Holbrook; Atlanta Premier Gold – Locke; GA Power Gold – Berkhiser/Pisciotta and the fourth, Tampa Mustangs – TJ, was from just to the South.

The Georgia/Florida border rivalry was renewed in the championship gamime as both the AP Golde and Tampa Mustangs were coming off semi-final wins, but the theme of the weekend—rain showers—would make an impact once again.

In the finale at the 18U Invitational, the Tampa Mustangs didn’t waste any timing getting on the board as Olivia Elliott, a 2022 OF committed to Central Florida, singled to open the game and one out later Kristen Caravaca, an uncommitted 2022 C/3B who impressed all weekend, drove the ball up the middle for an RBI single to put Coach T.J. Goelz’s team on top 1-0.

In the bottom of the first, uncommitted 2022 outfielder Emma Davis stroked a single to centerfield to start the AP Gold’s inning but was erased on a throw to third when she tried to advance on Jamison Brockenbrough’s single. With two outs, however, 2022 catcher Marisa Miller—who had a three-run home run earlier in the day—blasted a rainbow over the left field temporary fence to put AP Gold up 2-1.

The lead, however, was short-lived as the Mustangs pushed four runs across the board in the top of the 2^nd inning with three coming on a home run blast to left field by Caravaca to push the lead to 5-2.

As one Mustang coach accurately said it to the 3-hole hitter after she returned to the dugout: “You knew that one was gone the second you hit it!”

That was also an accurate description of a blast hit the very next inning when Jordan Stephens, a 2021 OF signed with Alabama, crunched a ball over the left field fence for another three-run home that extended the Mustangs lead to 8-2.

Coach Goelz revealed after the game that he had told Stephens, a 2021 outfielder signed with Alabama, to “do with the first pitch what she could because I know she has been hitting very well. After that, though, I told Jordan that she’d be bunting with two on and a three-run lead at that time.”

Not wasting the opportunity, Stephens’ blow effectively iced the game because a strong downpour meant that the already rain-soaked fields wouldn’t be able to remain playable and after a conference between the two head coaches and the umpire crew, the game was called with the Mustangs taking the title after four innings.

“You got better this weekend,” Coach Goelz told the players in the dugout after they posed for a team picture with the Atlanta Legacy title banner. “You did the small things needed to win and each of you made the team better because of it.”

In other action, Mojo – Munsford took the 16U Invitational championship::

…. while Tampa Mustangs – Seymour captured the 14U title:

We’ll have more on these championship teams coming up this week.

Also, here’s a look at the 18Ugames  leading up to the finale…

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SEMI-FINALS

Tampa Mustangs – TJ 9, Atlanta Vipers – Holbrook 3

The Mustangs jumped out to a 8-0 lead with a seven run top of the second and never looked back as seven players had hits—three with multiple hits including Cassidy McClellan who went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs and Haley Cummings who went 2-for-3 and also had two RBIs.

Pitcher Jorde Chartrand started for the Mustangs and went 1.2 innings and gave up one earned run and was followed by Brianna Godfrey who closed the game to get the win. Both Mustang pitchers combined to give up just three hits.

“We did a really good job of hitting with two outs and two strikes,” Coach Goelz explained. “Our pitching is solid and our hitting is strong right now two.

It was the fourth time this summer the two teams have faced off including play at the USA Softball JO Cup. The record for both is 2-2 and they will face off again this upcoming Thursday in a tournament.

Atlanta Premier Gold – Locke 9, GA Power – Berkhiser/Pisciotta 7

The AP Gold scored three in the 1st inning, two in the 3rd and three in the top of the 4^th to put the game out of reach early as Kendall Hueslman, who hit the game winning walk-off home run in the first game of the day, went 3-for-3 with an RBI to spark the early rally.

Tegan Levao, who was 2-for-4 in the early win, went 3-for-4 with a home run and five RBIs to add to the offensive onslaught.

Pitcher Destin Howard was strong, getting four strikeouts and giving up just two hits through three innings before being relieved by Mckenna McCard who pitched the final two stanzas.

The Power began to heat up in the second half of the game scoring all seven runs in the last three innings but ran out of time as the games were called at one hour fifty minutes (no new innings).

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QUARTERFINALS

Tampa Mustangs – TJ 5, Jersey Gators – Biasi 4

The Mustangs fell behind 3-0 but battled back to tie the game and go ahead 5-3 in the top of the seventh inning on a two-out, two RBI single by uncommitted 2022 middle infielder Kelsey Vogel.

GA Power – Berkhiser/Pisciotta 8, Texas Peppers 6

In a very back-and-forth matchup, the Power went ahead 2-0 in the first, but the Peppers tied it 4-4 in the fourth inning before the Power pulled ahead 6-4 only to have it tied 6-6 heading into the final inning.

In the top of the 7^th inning, a two-run home run by 2021 C/MIF Lauren Anderson, a Georgia signee, put the local team up for good and 2021 P Hannah Gore, headed to Berry College, came in and struck out the side to capture the win.

Atlanta Vipers – Holbrook 1, Lady Lightning Gold – Corn/Maguire 0

Emily Hodnett pitched a shutout in what Coach Jonathan Ray called “her best pitching performance in a month.”  It was a pitchers’ duel as 2024 LLG starter Katelynn “Red” Oxley was impressive as well.

Ray, who has the acting head coach as Jason Holbrook was with his son in Alabama at a baseball event, called Oxley “one of the top three pitchers we’ve faced this year” but the game came down to a bases loaded walk by the Vipers that proved to be the difference in the win.

Atlanta Premier Gold – Locke 8, Georgia Impact  – Lewis 6

The AP Gold jumped out to a 5-1 lead after three innings, sparked by a three-roun home by 2022 catcher Marisa Miller, who has committed to Georgia, but a five-run outburst by the Impact put them ahead 6-5 in the bottom of the 6^th.

The AP Gold tied it in the bottom of the 6^th on an RBI single by Kailyn Jones which set the table for a dramatic two-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the 7^th by Kendall Huelsma, who drove a shot over the right-field fence on the first pitch of the at-bat.

Taylor Pannell, the 2022 IF committed to Tennessee, went 4-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs for the Impact.