Event Recap: Monarchs 18U Gold Captures TCS Fireworks/ Sparklers NIT Championship

The Monarchs 16U Gold team that won the PGF Nationals 16U Platinum this past summer has moved up to 18U this season, with the exception of a few players who stayed in 16U or left the organization.

After finishing as 16U Co-Champions in the TCS Fireworks/Sparklers NIT in San Diego in 2018, Jeff Blanco’s Monarchs 18U Gold team returned to San Diego last weekend to play in the same event.

This time they returned home as 18U champions.

After playing showcase games on Saturday against two tough teams, AZ Firecrackers Kaye (ranked #41 in Extra Innings Extra Elite Eighty 18U) and Firecrackers TJ (ranked #10 in Extra Innings Extra Elite Eighty 18U), the Monarchs returned Sunday to play in a single elimination tournament format.

Following a couple of early run-rule wins on Sunday, the Monarchs had a thrilling come-from-behind win over a good Oro Valley Suncats team (ranked #34 in Extra Innings Extra Elite Eighty 18u), helped by a three-run HR in the last inning by Sophia Masut, an uncommitted 2021.

The Monarchs followed that up by beating a good East Cobb Bullets CA team (ranked #55 in Extra Innings Extra Elite Eighty 18U), the same team the Monarchs were Co-Champions with in 2018.

North Dakota State commit 2020 Reanna Rudd led the offense in that game by hitting a pair of two-run home runs, and 2020 Western Michigan commit Jillian Nguyen helped secure the win by catching a potential home run ball over the centerfield fence.

In the Championship game, the Monarchs played against Tony Rico’s Firecrackers (ranked #13 in Extra Innings Extra Elite Eighty 18U), a team loaded with Power 5 commits.  The game was a pitchers’ dual as the Monarchs prevailed in a hard fought 1-0 victory, thanks to the pitching of Taylor Caudill, a 2020 Boise St commit, defensive plays by uncommitted 2020 shortstop Skyler Sethman, and a solo home run by 2020 Columbia commit, Jaden Hill.

The weekend title for the Monarchs were led as usual by the pitching of Caudill.  After an amazing pitching run in PGF last summer, she returned this fall and picked up right where she left off.

Helping Taylor in the fall has been uncommitted 2020 pitcher Gaige Garcia, who is a big presence in the circle, and together the two hurlers form a strong one-two pitching punch for the Monarchs.

Not to be overlooked is the other half of the Monarchs battery in catcher Allison O’Heany, a 2020 Harvard commit and lone returnee from last season’s Monarchs 18U Gold team. O’Heany and Rudd form a strong catching duo; the two big catchers command the strike zone and neutralize the opposition’s base runners.

The Monarchs offense during the weekend win was led by Rudd, who crushed four big home runs as well as Ali Steinker (three HRs), Nguyen (two homers) and Masut and Hill who also hit one home run each.

Caudill and Garcia were both outstanding in the mound for the Monarchs as was Natalie Norman, an uncommitted 2021 who pitched well in relief.

This Monarchs Gold team continues its fall showcase schedule by playing in the Surf City Las Vegas Showcase this weekend (November 1-3), Early Thanksgiving Showcase on November 22-24, Triple Crowns The Players Classic on November 16-17, and the Monarchs Showcase on December 9-10.