Event News: 18U, 16U and 14U Champions Crowned at IDT (July 3, 2022)

Many of the top teams in the country converged on the Independence Day Tournament June 26-July 3 in Boulder, CO. Here are some of the highlights for Sunday, July 3 (All rankings are Extra Elite Eighty Club Rankings):

HOTSHOTS NATIONAL-NELSON TAKE 18U BOULDER IDT

#9 Hotshots National-Nelson knocked off #8 OC Batbusters-Stith, 7-4, in the finals to win the 18U Boulder IDT on Sunday, July 3, at Stazio Field.

The Hotshots avenged a 3-1 loss to OC Batbusters-Stith at the Top Club Nationals semifinals on June 25 in OKC.

The Hotshots went 9-1-2 in the IDT, beating Top Gun, 11-1, KC Peppers, 11-1, OC Batbusters Maroon, 12-1, NW Bullets, 19-3, PA Chaos Gold-Spina, 10-0, and OC Batbusters-Stith, 7-4, in bracket play.

The Hotshots’ offense was led by LSU-committed 2023 OF/IF Maddox McKee (.609 AVG, 2 doubles, 1 HR, 11 RBIs, 20 runs and 22 SBs), Oklahoma-committed 2023 OF/RHP Kasidi Pickering (.559 AVG, 3 doubles, 6 HRs, 18 RBIs, 16 runs and 5 SBs), UCLA-bound UT Kennedy Powell (.500 AVG, 3 doubles, 3 HRs, 9 RBIs, 17 runs and 11 SBs), Texas Tech-bound C Reese Atwood (.444 AVG, 4 HRs, 9 RBIs and 6 runs) and Tennessee-bound IF Taylor Pannell (.379 AVG, 2 doubles, 1 triple, 5 HRs, 15 RBIs, 14 runs and 5 SBs).

The Hotshots’ pitching staff featured Louisiana Lafayette-bound LHP/1B Chloe Riassetto (3-0, 17 IP and 14 Ks), Florida-committed 2023 RHP/1B Ava Brown (3-1, 19 IP and 22 Ks), Central Florida-bound RHP Madison Applebe (2-0, 7 IP and 8 Ks) and 2023 LHP/1B Madison Azua (1-0, 12 IP and 15 Ks).

TEAM NC-EATON CAPTURES 18U LOUISVILLE TITLE

#60 Team NC-Eaton upset #34 Mojo 2023-Lunsford, 3-1, in the finals to win the 18U Louisville championship at the IDT.

Team NC-Eaton went 10-1 for the tournament and beat the KC Rebels, 10-0, Ohio Hawks National, 9-1, the California Grapettes, 7-0, the Batbusters, 8-6, and the Mojo, 3-1, in bracket play.

Virginia-bound P Courtney Layne was the ace in the circle, allowing eight earned runs and striking out 38 in 31 innings.

Team NC-Eaton hit 11 home runs as a team, led by UNC Greensboro-bound 1B/OF Kiley McQuillan (4 HRs), Virginia-bound 1B/OF MC Eaton (3 HRs), UNC Charlotte-bound C/1B/3B Lexi Winters (3 HRs) and 2023 C/3B Graceigh Booth (1 HR). Eaton and Winters had 14 and 13 RBIs, respectively. North Carolina-bound MIF Caroline Fox and 2024 MIF/OF Ella Fox both hit over .400. UNC Charlotte-bound 3B/1B Emma Tisdale hit a team-high .471.

BEVERLY BANDITS-CONROY PICK UP 16U LONGMONT TITLE

#1 Beverly Bandits Premier-Conroy edged #4 Tennessee Mojo 2023-Danley, 4-3, in the IDT finals to win the 16U Longmont title.

2024 CF/3B Addy DeLong and 2024 MIF Gabrielle Comia led Bandits-Conroy offensively and defensively. The duo combined for 24 stolen bases. 2024 3B/UT AnnaLee Adams had a three-run homer in the semifinals and South Carolina-committed 2023 RHP/UT Sage Mardjetko and 2024 LHP/1B Audrey Lowry and developed into the 1-2 punch in the circle for Bandits-Conroy.

Bandits-Conroy went 10-0-1 for the tournament, beating Texas Blaze United, 5-0, Jersey Intensity-BOD, 7-2, Texas Sudden Impact-Seneca, 11-3, #10 Beverly Bandits Premier-Dorsey, 4-2, and #4 Tennessee Mojo 2023, 4-3, in bracket play.

BATBUSTERS-K. STITH UPSETS BANDITS-MORAN IN 14U BROOMFIELD FINAL

#14 OC Batbusters-K. Stith pulled off a 13-2 upset over #2 Beverly Bandits Premier-Moran, which won the PGF Show Me The Money title, in the 14U Broomfield final at the IDT.

Katie Stith’s Batbusters went 9-3 for the tournament and beat NM Sundancers, 11-2, Top Gun, 10-8, Corona Angels-Tyson, 10-9, the So Cal Athletics, 11-2, Rhode Island Thunder Gold National, 7-0, and Bandits-Moran, 13-2, in bracket play.

2025 P Paityn Lavin came through in a big way, picking up wins in the final five bracket games.

2025 2B/3B Kali Su’e, 2025 3B/1B Alyssa Grajeda and 2025 C Brooke Piwowar each hit over .500 on the week.

In the championship game, 2026 C Tessa Cowsill went 2 for 3 with 2 home runs and four RBIs, Piwowar went 2 for 3 with three RBIs and Su’e and Grajeda had two hits apiece for the Batbusters.

*****

INDEPENDENCE DAY TOURNAMENT

AT STAZIO FIELD, BOULDER, CO

SUNDAY, JULY 3, RESULTS

18U BOULDER DIVISION

QUARTERFINALS

• PA CHaos Gold-Spina 9, GA Bombers Gold 3
• Hotshots National-Nelson 19, NW Bullets Gold-Campos 3
• OC Batbusters-Stith 17, BSC Bengals-Briggs 2
• Nebraska Gold National 8, Jersey Intensity-KOD 2

SEMIFINALS

• Hotshots National-Nelson 10, PA Chaos Gold-Spina 0
• OC Batbusters-Stith 6, Nebraska Gold National 4

CHAMPIONSHIP

• Hotshots National-Nelson 7, OC Batbusters-Stith 4

18U LOUISVILLE DIVISION

SEMIFINALS

• Mojo 2023-Lunsford 7, Corona Angels-Slye 4
• Team NC-Eaton 8, OC Batbusters 6

CHAMPIONSHIP

• Team NC-Eaton 3, Mojo 2023-Lunsford 1

16U LONGMONT DIVISION

SEMIFINALS

• Beverly Bandits Premier-Conroy 4, Beverly Bandits Premier-Dorsey 2
• Tennessee Mojo 2023-Danley 4, Georgia Impact 06-Sampson 1

CHAMPIONSHIP

• Beverly Bandits Premier-Conroy 4, Tennessee Mojo 2023-Danley 3

14U BROOMFIELD DIVISION

SEMIFINALS

• Beverly Bandits Premier-Moran 12, Texas Glory 3
• OC Batbusters-K. Stith 7, Rhode Island Thunder Gold National-Lotti 0

CHAMPIONSHIP

• OC Batbusters-K. Stith 13, Beverly Bandits Premier-Moran 2

— Carlos Arias, Extra Inning Softball (Follow Carlos on Twitter @Los_Stuff)