ATHLETICS MERCADO-SMITH RUN-RULES WICHITA MUSTANGS IN 18U FINAL
Athletics Mercado-Smith, #1 in the Extra Elite Eighty 18U Club Rankings, finished off a perfect week by beating Wichita Mustangs-Griggs, 8-0, in five innings in the championship game of the Team1 Elite Club Invite on Sunday at Shawnee Mission.
Athletics Mercado-Smith went 8-0 for the week and defeated Indiana Gators 04-Craft, 9-1, Illinois Thunderbolts-LS, 9-0, NTX Athletics Mercado-Baez, 10-0, Premier Fastpitch-Paulson, 6-0, and Wichita Mustangs-Griggs, 8-0, in bracket play.
2024 2B/OF Kaylynn Jones (.667 AVG, .783 OBP, 13 runs), East Carolina-committed 2023 OF Kanesha Anderson (.500 AVG, .538 OBP), Arizona State-committed 2023 1B Mya Perez (.444 AVG, .560 OBP, 2 HRs, 9 RBIs), Kentucky-bound IF Lauryn Borzilleri (.429, .571 OBP) and Florida-committed 2023 IF Alyssa Hovermale (.409 AVG, .500 OBP, 3 doubles, 9 RBIs) led the Athletcs’ offense for the tournament.
2024 P Cambria Salmon (0.00 ERA, 16 IP, 31 Ks) dominated in the circle for the Athletics.
ATHLETICS MERCADO-HOVERMALE WINS 16U TITLE ON A WALK-OFF
UC San Diego-committed 2023 C Brooklyn Lee delivered a walk-off double to give Athletics Mercado-Hovermale a 3-2 win over Iowa Premier National-Lacina in the 16U championship game at Shawnee Mission.
Lee ended up going 3 for 3, 2024 CF Addison Duke went 1 for 3 with a run, 2024 P/1B McKenna Gieger went 1 for 2 with a run, 2024 2B Tiare Ho-Ching went 1 for 2 with a run and an RBI and 2024 SS/3B/2B Madison Lardizabal went 1 for 2 with an RBI for the Athletics’ offense.
2023 P Celine “Cece” Tirado and 2024 P Miali Guachino handled the pitching duties all week and allowed eight runs for the entire event.
Athletics Mercado-Hovermale went 9-0-1 for the tournament and beat Minnesota Renegades National, 5-0, CO Firecrackers-Vollmar/Gale, 3-0, Athletics Mercado-Frausto, 9-0, Tulsa Elite ARK-Rhine, 5-2, St. Louis Chaos-Gentile, 7-0, and Iowa Premier National-Lacina, 3-2, in bracket play.
OGDEN LEADS LADY SLUGGERS 07-WATHEN TO 14U TITLE
2026 P Layla Ogden went 3 for 3 with two doubles and three RBIs and she pitched a one-hitter with five strikeouts to lead Louisville Lady Sluggers 07-Wathen to a 10-1 victory over Indiana Magic Gold National-Bennett/Goddard in the 14U championship game of the Team1 Elite Club Invite at Gum Springs Park.
2026 UT McLaine Hudson also had a big game in the finals, going 2 for 3 with two RBIs for the Lady Sluggers.
Ogden went 3-1 with a 1.42 ERA and 18 strikeouts and she batted .550 with a .640 OBP, three doubles, three triples, three HRs and 14 RBIs for the tournament.
2025 OF Jenna Lindsey (.500 AVG, 3 doubles, 2 triples, 8 runs and 7 RBIs), 2025 C/2B/OF Briley Pruitt (.474 AVG, 1 double, 2 triples and 8 runs) and 2025 P Abigail Byrd (3-0, 1.65 ERA and 17 Ks) also had stellar tournaments for the Lady Sluggers.
The Lady Sluggers went 7-1-1 for the tournament and they beat Oklahoma Athletics 08 National-Madden/Davis, 6-0, KC Peppers 07, 5-1, Aces Fastpitch Club National, 8-0, Iowa Premier National, 5-4, and Indiana Magic Gold National-Bennett/Goddard, 10-1, in bracket play.
IOWA PREMIER BLACK CLAIMS 12U TITLE
2027 LHP/1B Taryn Stoner turned in another masterful performance, tossing a four-hitter with one walk and 11 strikeouts to lead Iowa Premier Black to a 2-0 victory over Oklahoma Athletics 09-Madden/Ashbaugh in the 12U championship game at Stump Park.
Stoner had a double and 2027 2B/OF/P Kate Sandvick had a single and two RBIs to account for Iowa Premier Black’s offense in the final.
Stoner was 4-1 with a 2.92 ERA and 47 strikeouts for the tournament. She also hit .500. 2027 C JLee Van Driel batted .400 and had fours stolen bases for the tournament.
Iowa Premier Black went 6-1 for the weekend and beat KC Peppers 09 Black, 3-2, Aces Fastpitch Club National, 5-4, and Oklahoma Athletics 09-Madden/Ashbaugh, 2-0, in bracket play.
*****
TEAM1 ELITE CLUB INVITE
AT SHAWNEE, KS
SUNDAY, JUNE 19, RESULTS
18U TIER 1
THIRD ROUND
- Athletics Mercado-Smith 9, Ilinois Thunderbolts-LS 0
- NTX Athletics Mercado-Baez 5, Colorado Batbusters Gold-Smith 2
- Premier Fastpitch-Paulson 2, St. Louis Chaos-Alvarado 0
- Iowa Premier National 2, St. Louis Chaos-Mazzola 1
- Aces Fastpitch Club 1, Indiana Magic Gold-Lamar 0
- Louisville Lady Sluggers-Huecker 12, American Freedom National 2
- Wichita Mustangs-Griggs 2, Oklahoma Athletics Premier National-Madden 1
- Warrior Academy-McDonald 8, Colorado Styxx Gold 0
QUARTERFINALS
- Athletics Mercado-Smith 10, NTX Athletics Mercado-Baez 0
- Premier Fastpitch-Paulson 4, Iowa Premier National 1
- Aces Fastpitch Club 2, Louisville Lady Sluggers-Huecker 1
- Wichita Mustangs-Griggs 8, Warrior Academy-McDonald 1
SEMIFINALS
- Athletics Mercado-Smith 6, Premier Fastpitch-Paulson 0
- Wichita Mustangs 7, Aces Fastpitch Club 4
CHAMPIONSHIP
- Athletics Mercado-Smith 8, Wichita Mustangs-Griggs 0 (5 innins)
16U TIER 1
THIRD ROUND
- Athletics Mercado-Hovermale 9, Athletics Mercado-Frausto 0
- Tulsa Elite ARK-Rhine 1, Sioux Falls Cyclones Red 0
- Southern Force National 9, Louisville Lady Sluggers-Murphy 5
- St. Louis Chaos-Gentile 2, Indiana Magic Gold-Green 1
- Warrior Academy-Jimenez 2, Iowa Premier National-Dickel 1
- Aces Fastpitch Club National 6. Indiana Magic Gold-Loudermilk 2
- Iowa Premier National-Lacina 3, Aces Fastpitch Club Black 0
- Tulsa Elite ARK-Jaramillo 6, STL Stix 05 5
QUARTERFINALS
- Athletics Mercado-Hovermale 5, Tulsa Elite ARK-Rhine 2
- St. Louis Chaos-Gentile 6, Southern Force National 3
- Aces Fastpitch Club National 8, Warrior Academy-Jimenez 1
- Iowa Premier National-Lacina 11, Tulsa Elite ARK-Jaramillo 1
SEMIFINALS
- Athletics Mercado-Hovermale 7, St. Louis Chaos-Gentile 0
- Iowa Premier National-Lacina 2, Aces Fastpitch Club National 0
CHAMPIONSHIP
- Athletics Mercado-Hovermale 3, Iowa Premier National-Lacina 2
14U TIER 1
QUARTERFINALS
- Kentucky Chrome 08-Premier 11, Louisville Lady Sluggers-VanBoxmeer 3
- Indiana Magic Gold National-Bennett/Goddard 10, Indiana Magic Gold-Neace/Kleiner 2
- Iowa Premier National 6, Turnin2-Robeson 0
- Louisville Lady Sluggers 07-Wathen 8, Aces Fastpitch Club National 0
SEMIFINALS
- Indiana Magic Gold National-Bennett/Goddard 6, Kentucky Chrome 08-Premier 5
- Louisville Lady Sluggers 07-Wathen 5, Iowa Premier National 4
CHAMPIONSHIP
- Louisville Lady Sluggers 07-Wathen 10, Indiana Magic Gold National-Bennett/Goddard 1
12U TIER 1
CHAMPIONSHIP
- Iowa Premier Black 2, Oklahoma Athletics 09=Madden/Ashbaugh 0
— Carlos Arias, Extra Inning Softball (Follow Carlos on Twitter @Los_Stuff)
