Top Gun Invitational News & Notes: Sunday Action Crowns Champions Including One-Run Thrillers in 18U and 16U Title Games

The 2022 edition of Top Gun Invitational concluded Sunday with some the bracket quarters, semis and finals and included more than one contest that was decided on the final play.

Below are some of the highlights in the top three loaded-with-talent Maverick divisions… but first the list of the 2022 event winners.

— Brentt Eads, Extra Inning Softball

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2022 Top Gun Invitational Championship Game Results

• 18U Maverick: TN Mojo – Danley 5, Nebraska Gold 4
• 18U Viper: Miami Express 7, Ruthless Gold – Martinez 2
• 16U Maverick: Beverly Bandits – Dorsey 7, Virginia Unity 6
• 16U Viper: Tulsa Elite 23/23 – Miller 7, OK Pure Fastpitch – Melson 0
• 14U Maverick: Texas Riptide 10, Sparks Premier 0
• 12U Maverick: Nebraska Gold 6, Sparks Premier Black 5

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18U News & Notes

How close were the games at Top Gun this year?

Of the 137 pool games in the 18U Maverick division—the highest level of competition—there were 17 times, 46 games that ended within one run and 69 games had a difference of two runs.

Impressively, exactly half of all the 18U pool games had a run differential of two to show how close and competitive these games were.

And that’s what happened in the 18U Maverick finale as the Nebraska Gold Nation—winners of the event last year and coached by Beth Singleton, faced off against the Tennessee Mojo – Danley team led by Michael Danley.

The Mojo jumped out to a comfortable 5-1 lead but the Nebraska Gold team—showing the never-give-up fight they showed all week, battled back to make it 5-4 before Ashtyn Danley, the excellent lefty 2023 grad headed to Florida State, came in closed out the 5-4 win for Mojo by getting the last two outs.

The Mojo finished 10-1 for the week with the only loss coming on Thursday, the first day of pool play action in an 8-2 defeat to Newtown Rock Gold – Garvey.

“What a weekend at Top Gun!” Coach Danley told Extra Inning Softball. “I keep a small roster because I believe in playing time but it can be tough when injuries happen. We started the weekend with 13 in pool play and late Friday night, we had a collision between an outfielder and infielder and my outfielder was knocked out cold. She doesn’t remember anything (she is going to be fine with some rest). “

“Next I had a pitcher go down on Saturday with a hurt leg,” the championships coach continues. “We played well with some timely hits and it put us at the No. 1 seed for bracket play.”

Still, though, the attrition of numbers continued for the Mojo.

“On Saturday a flight got canceled for Sunday and one of my pitchers had to leave for finals and the only flight was 6”30 am Sunday morning,” Coach Danley explains. “We’re then down to 10 and, with another parent and a work issue, we lost a catcher for the last two games so we finished with nine players.”

But, heat and all, the Mojo found a way to win.

“These girls all of them play with heart grit and a purpose all weekend. They pulled together in the heat and being exhausted from nine games already played,” Coach Danley concluded.

To get to the title game, Ashytn Danley pitched a masterful 2-1 complete game victory against the talent-laden Lady Dukes – Lamar team in in the semi’s in which the Mojo lefty gave up just three hits, two walks and one earned run while striking out four.

The other semi saw Nebraska Gold top Tulsa Elite – Jaramillo 5-3 after jumping out to a 4-1 lead including an impressive play by Katherine Johnson, a 2023 OF/2B committed to Southern Illinois, who walked stole second and used her speed to come all the way home after the ball hit her and rolled into the outfield on the throw down to second.

An impressive pitcher of note was Tegan Livsay for the Nebraska Gold, who was a pickup player from Wichita Rebels, who looked strong for Coach Singleton’s team.

In the 18U Maverick quarterfinals, the Mojo fell behind 3-0 to Arizona Storm – Telesco before exploding for 11 unanswered runs to advance highlighted by a two-RBI double by 2023 SS Rose Davis headed to Oklahoma State.

A funny side-note to the game: Demeetris Beachum, the father of Jaysoni Beachum, the 2023 infielder committed to Florida State, was the Mojo’s “DJ” and would play songs during the breaks in the action including the Capone song “Oh No!” during a pitching change, “I Feel Good” by James Brown after an RBI single by 2025 star Ana Roman and singer Missy Elliott’s “Lose Control” after the big explosive last inning ended the game.

Elsewhere, The Lady Dukes – Lamar team topped the Hotshots Premier – Thompsons squad 6-2; Nebraska Gold beat Select Fastpitch 8-0 and the Northwest Bullets fell to Tulsa Elite 3-2 after a passed ball and error on a throw to first allowed Eric Jamarillo’s team to break a 2-2 tie to advance to the semis.

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16U News & Notes

The 16U Maverick division was also close and competitive as 150 pool games were played and 16 ended in ties, 41 in one-run games and 67 in two run games. Just a shade off the 50 percent of 18U, the 16U pool games had a 45 percent run differential of two but also had some thrillers.

In this final, both the Beverly Bandits – Dorsey team and Virginia Unity – Johnson/Ross pushed each other through the hot temps (ever day the heat index was in triple digits) in what would be a thrilling back-and-forth dual in the title game played at the Mid-American Sports Complex.

Pitcher Julia Gossett, a 2023 Purdue commit, and Berkley Zache, a 2025 P/1B, led the offense with Julia punching the walk-off hit to drive Hadley Parisien, a 2023 outfielder committed to Miami (Ohio), across the plate for the win in the bottom of the 7th.

“The entire line up contributed to the win and both pitchers toed the rubber well for us in exciting finish to a well-run tournament in the blistering heat,” commented Coach Rona Dorsey.

“The tournament had a good mix of teams, stayed on time and managed the impact of high heat by modifying the schedule to allow recovery time,” add the Bandits head coach.

The Bandits Premier 16U team won four times by a walk-off hit and different kids ignited the offense or run production.

Morgan Rogers, a 2023 uncommitted OF/UT, was explosive with her base running and timely hitting and Alivia Boothe, an uncommitted 2024 C/CIF and Parisien led the offense for the 10 games.

In the circle, Zache and Gossett combined for five starts each and shared pitching duties to hold teams to a .188 batting average and a combined ERA of 1.80 and struck out 84 batters In 58 innings. The pitchers were aided by catchers Boothe and Riley Zache—both of whom are uncommitted 2024’s—and Haley Lang, a 2024 backstop and first baseman going to Ohio State.”

“Overall, each game took everyone playing together and performing at the right time to get the wins,” concluded Coach Dorsey. “I’m very proud of the kids and their grit, will to win and physical ability to play 10 games in high heat and humidity. Their stamina and never die attitude may have been borrowed from the Top Gun movie they saw together at the beginning of the tournament!”

The Bandits caught a break when their scheduled opponent for the semi’s, the Texas Dirt Divas, beat a competitive LK Black Hawaii team 4-3, but the Divas had to forfeit their game due to travel issues headed for home.

The decision was made that the Bandits wouldn’t play the Hawaii team, giving them some rest in the shade before taking down a strong but depleted Virginia Unity team that lost ace pitcher Jayden Heavener, the top-rated player in the 2024 Extra Elite 100, to back spasms that forced her to sit for the day.

That put the onus on 2024 uncommitted pitcher Lilly Parrish, who did a great job starting all four games that the Unity would play in before coming up just short.

“I’m proud of our group,” said Coach Josh Johnson, “especially of how they did when they faced some difficulties.”

One player who had a particularly strong weekend was 2024 McCall Sims, a 2025 talented athlete from Martin, Tenn. She had three doubles and two home runs including a grand slam in the title game after smacking one in the semi’s to give her a total of 10 RBIs for the tourney.

In the 16U Maverick semi’s, the eventual champion Beverly Bandits pulled out a close 4-3 win over the Ohio Hawks as 2024 MIF/OF Taylor Monroe hit a walk-off RBI double in the bottom of the 5th inning (the games had time limits, with 90 minutes being the cutoff in the later games).

In other games in the Final 8, the Unity beat a good Rhode Island Thunder – Lotti team 5- 2 and Texas Sudden Impact Gold gave up its first runs of the tourney in a 6-3 loss to the Beverly Bandits – Krause team. As mentioned, the Divas topped LK Black Hawaii when a throw to third was overthrown to allow the winning running in but had to skip out because of travel issues.

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14U News & Notes

The 14U Maverick division beheld a dominating run by Sam Campbell’s Texas Riptide that went 11-0 and scored 83 runs while giving up just 12.

College coaches would tell the Riptide head: “We really are impressed by your organization!” and the coach would respond: “It’s just us, we’re the only team.”

But what a talented squad it is as the 14U squad beat Sparks Premier Red for the second time of the week, taking the final by a score of 10-0 after beating the Illinois-based team 9-6 in pool play earlier.

Overall, Coach Campell’s team hit .463 with a .527 on-base percentage and really showed its speed by stealing an amazing 66 bases, scoring 83 runs and smashing seven home runs, seven triples and 26 doubles.

Outfield Alisa Sneed, the #1 player ranked in the 2025 Extra Elite 100, had five runs including a grand slam and showed her awesome athleticism on one play in the grass where she slipped and fell but was able to get up and chase a ball down for a shoestring catch for the out.

#5 in Kansas video!! Keep grinding!! Set a goal and work towards it!! I got mine, now I gotta hit it!! @SamCamp50 @TxRiptide07 @Los_Stuff @ExtraInningSB @LegacyLegendsS1 @D1Uncommitted pic.twitter.com/eG1KbzUBQa

— Alisa Sneed (@AlisaSneed2025) June 20, 2022

One of Alisa Sneed’s five home runs (above)

Outfielder Khamai Hall, another top player in the 2025 Extra Elite 100, also shined for the 14U team this week.

“There were a lot of good teams that we got a chance to see them and they got to see,” said Coach Campbell. “I was happy with the choice to go there, to Top Gun, and the team we beat in the final was formidable.”

The pitching was also strong as 2027 Hunter Quinetel threw 32 K’s in 23 innings going 6-0 with only one unearned run for the event while 2025 Ella Lozano was also impressive going 5-0.