FORT COLLINS, CO – With an eye to improving communication and planning going forward, Triple Crown Sports has named five associates who will assume the title of divisional director as the longtime event-production company dials up its vision for 2024 and beyond.
 
Based in Fort Collins, CO., Triple Crown Sports has been producing youth, high school and college events for more than 40 years. Here’s the list of associates who will be taking the lead role in their departments:
 
Stephanie Klaviter (Fastpitch) – Stephanie came to Colorado after a successful collegiate pitching career and in 2000 began work as a pitching instructor with Triple Crown. She then helped launch a teaching/training facility at the company and created a new semipro fastpitch league, competing on an all-star team at the Canada Cup event. Next came her primary role in TC’s fastpitch division, assisting in executing the 1,100-team Colorado 4th of July event along with the popular Fastpitch World Series. She assumed a lead role in 2004 with the Colorado fastpitch series and the Sparkler tourney, and was head coach of the TC Stars program from 2006-14 and 2018-21.
 
Sarah Molina (Basketball) – Sarah began her time at Triple Crown in 2007 by providing seasonal support for the company’s fastpitch division, centering on the 1,100-team Colorado 4th of July event, while also helping organize and orchestrate work flow in our busy warehouse. Next was a stint in TC’s publishing operations; she then moved into the basketball division and became an essential voice in the growth and execution of the Preseason and Postseason WNIT and the men’s and women’s Cancun Challenge events. Careful maintenance of the many important relationships with collegiate coaches and athletic departments is one of Sarah’s essential strengths. 
 
Alyssa Morrison (Pickleball/Data Analyst) – Alyssa started in the accounting department at Triple Crown before becoming an essential on-site director at various fastpitch and baseball events. She helped launch the 15u-18u Pathway Baseball division along with College Sports Evaluation and has been instrumental in refining TC’s approach in tracking budgets, registration trends, customer surveys and lodging protocols. She helped create a vendor/sponsor position, the TC Series initiative in baseball and fastpitch and has researched growth opportunities in multiple sports, capped by her primary role with pickleball’s arrival in 2024.
 
Carrie Rivera (TC Series) – Carrie is the East Coast Fastpitch Director at Triple Crown and has worked for the company since August 2008 in the Fastpitch division, where she and team of 14 other talented individuals run more than 30 events in 15 states. Carrie has helped Triple Crown establish popular tournaments along with impactful college camps and showcases that draw the most accomplished and competitive club programs in the nation and fortify our coast-to-coast relationships with college coaches. The 2023 East Coast Summer Nationals in Myrtle Beach, SC, drew a record number teams, from age groups 12u through 18u.
 
Jared Rudiger (Volleyball) – Jared joined the Triple Crown roster in May 2011 and made an immediate impact with our successful Colorado Baseball division. Other director assignments followed, including the TC Baseball World Series, Texas baseball and the Preseason and Postseason WNIT events. With 20-plus years of experience coaching club and high school volleyball, Jared has been at the organizational heartbeat of new events within that division, with his primary assignment since January 2018 being the execution of the TC NIT volleyball tournament that welcomes about 550 teams every February to Kansas City. It’s widely appreciated as the nation’s most competitive club volleyball event.

​Analytics powered by CSE; look for high D-I coach presence 

FORT COLLINS, Colo. - As high-achieving customers ask for events that maximize competition and reflect the 21st-century need to capture and understand performance data, Triple Crown Fastpitch is excited to announce an evolution in our tournament palate. 
 
Superior club programs will join us for the inaugural P5 event, set for June 27-29, 2024 and merging the strengths found at TCS and College Sports Evaluation.
 
The debut tournament will be anchored at the two collegiate-sized fields located on the TCS campus in Fort Collins, CO., the same complex used for the NISC D-I postseason championship. We’ll also play at four other quality fields in the area. The P5 will be invite-only, drawing clubs with a talent base that reflects a Division I/Power 5 flavor, and teams can play here and make just one trip to the Front Range ahead of the world’s largest fastpitch event, the Colorado 4th of July.
College coaches will also have the opportunity to observe amazing student-athletes at the Patriot Games in nearby Windsor, CO., with 40 top-notch teams from 14u through 18u.
 
We’re building this event with a dedicated group of high D-I/Power 5 college coaches who will attend and tune their sharp recruiting eye on the teams in action. For all three days, players and coaches will take advantage of analytics insight provided by College Sports Evaluation – a new performance lab capable of gathering data on pitching, hitting and on-field performance was built at Triple Crown in the fall of 2023.
 
Here are the programs committed to attend the P5 tournament debut:
 
Arizona Storm
Canadian U19 National Team (Pending)
Canadian Women’s National Team (Pending)
Explosion
Fury Platinum
Georgia Impact
Louisville Lady Sluggers
Oklahoma Athletics
Strykers
Tampa Mustangs
TC Colorado Women’s Team
Texas Glory
Virginia Unity
Warrior Academy
 
Event page: www.cosparkfire.com/p5.html
 
Contact:
Krista Crawford
krista@triplecrownsports.com
(970) 672-0522

by Kyle Koso

Taking a spin through the standard softball tournament calendar, you’ll see your fair share of Classics and Showcases and Showdowns – part of the sports language we all understand.
 
But with Triple Crown, a November event in Southern California tends to catch the eye and create a little mystery.
 
To honor one of the region’s ground-breaking coaching voices, Triple Crown debuted the Don Battles On tournament in 2013, recognizing the enduring ripple effects of Don Minard in the world of youth softball. From his start in coaching recreational softball in 1973 to his long association with California’s own Firecrackers club program, Minard has carved a unique place as one of the sport’s high-end competitors who never lost track of his goal to treat student-athletes with respect and dignity.
 
It's been a parade of SoCal all-star talents who have suited up for Minard’s teams, with his first travel ball run going from 1985 to 1992 with the Huntington Beach Outlaws. A couple of years later, his daughter chose to play for the SoCal Athletics, who wanted him in the dugout as well.
 
“She said I could do it as long as I wasn’t the head guy,” Minard laughed. “But the coach didn’t work out, and I ended up taking over, and I ran it until 1998.”
 
After working around the margins for a couple of years, Minard was asked by Firecrackers founder Gary Wardein to join his coaching staff, and Minard has been with the group ever since – the schedule is crafted to his liking by now, to be sure, but he loves having a hand in the sport.
 
“Gary Wardein asked me to come aboard with the Firecrackers,” he said, “and I liked the organization and his philosophy. Tony Rico was the head coach and proved to be an outstanding teacher of the game. It seemed to fit well with me, and it’s still going. I’m grateful they’ve let me hang around.”
 
One of Minard’s key contributions was establishing the SoCal’s Finest event series, a set of tournaments that included Zoom Into June, now one of Triple Crown’s truly significant showcase events that is arguably the most essential early-season gathering for college coaches and recruits. Triple Crown founder Dave King purchased SoCal’s Finest a little more than 10 years ago.
 
“Triple Crown put on good tournaments, and we entered quite a few. I ran my own set of nine tournaments, which funded the Firecrackers, so our parents didn’t have to pay dues for many years,” Minard said. “I wasn’t trying to make a lot of money, just enough to fund the team. The tournaments got bigger and bigger, I got older, and one day Dave and I talked – he asked if I was interested in selling. I thought he was the right person, and a couple years later the time was right and I sold them to Dave in 2012.”
 
Right away, Triple Crown liked the idea of having Minard be a featured face and voice in its realm, with the Don Battles On event starting in 2013 as a 14u fall championship. Soon, customers were clamoring for a more showcase/recruiting situation, and TCS responded to make it a five-game round robin for 14’s through 18’s.
 
Team numbers through the years are as follows:
2013 – 72 teams
2014 – 95 teams
2015 – 100 teams
2016 – 172 teams
2017 – 204 teams
2018 – 217 teams
2019 – 212 teams
2020 – COVID, moved to Vegas, 113 teams
2021 – 280 teams
2022 – 301 teams
 
“It’s a very well-run tournament, a lot of great teams in it, and yeah, I’m amused by it,” Minard said with a laugh.
 
“We are honored and humbled to run a tournament in recognition of such a great leader,” said TCS event director Kaitlin Flynn. “Don Minard’s hard work and dedication to running top notch fastpitch events will continue to motivate us. We are so thankful for the personal and professional relationship we have with Don.”
 
“Don Minard's five decades of unwavering commitment to fastpitch softball have not only elevated the sport but also inspired countless individuals,” added TCS event director Krista Crawford. “His passion and tireless efforts are a testament to what can be achieved through dedication and love for the game. We are privileged to have Don as a guiding light in the world of fastpitch, and his legacy will forever fuel our passion for excellence.
 
“We chose ‘Don Battles On’ to show that Don’s legacy will continue to hold weight and carry on forever. He has always taken the high road, focused on his events and his product. He is a man of integrity and extremely humble.”
 
When Minard was asked if a particular group of athletes stands out as a strong memory, he mentioned his very first squad with the Firecrackers.
 
“That first Firecracker team from 2000, it was very talented. We went to Nationals and lost our first two games, what they refer to as ‘Two and Bar-be-que.’ After we talked to the girls after the last game, I told Gary, ‘Everybody is going to be after these kids, teams will come swooping in, how many do you think we’ll lose?’
 
“And Gary said, ‘I don’t think we will lose any.’ And he was right – we didn’t lose one kid. You know, we never wanted to be defined by a finish at Nationals, and a lot of teams are, they’re so afraid their players will scatter. But we never did that – it’s one tournament, one week, and it may not be your time. That really impressed me that all those kids came back.”
 
Triple Crown also has a yearly coaching award named in Minard’s honor that is handed out every year before the Colorado 4th of July event. It’s another deserved moment of appreciation for a coach who understands the work and patience and rewards of helping young women reach their potential on the diamond.
 
“Prior to Title IX, and even after, things didn’t happen right away. It was a very slow process, and back in those days, a high school game was probably on a grass field, sometimes with no dugout,” he said. “Just a bench to sit on, pretty bad stuff. Across the way, a big baseball field for the boys, nice scoreboard, such a huge difference. Girls sports were laughed at a bit, to be honest. But there were great athletes even back then, and if you came to see a great pitcher, you knew you were seeing something special. Guys weren’t able to do what they did.
 
“Title IX got more money into women’s athletics, so they did get better facilities, and the pioneer coaches in those days still had to fight, but they did have those magic words of Title IX. More top athletes went into softball, and in 1996, the first Olympics for softball happened, then it exploded.”
 
Interested in getting your team in the mix Nov. 17-19 at the 2023 Don Battles On? Contact Kaitlin Flynn (kaitlin@triplecrownsports.com or 970-672-0546)
 
Don Battles On

By Bob Judson

OGDEN, UT — When Mountain West (Northern Utah) softball fell behind the BSC Bengals (St. George, Utah) by a 5-1 count after the first inning of the Triple Crown 16u Fastpitch World Series title game Saturday, there was not a sense of panic among their players.

After all, the final game of the tournament was scheduled for seven innings without a time limit, so there were still six more opportunities to rally back.

Turns out, Mountain West only needed five innings to take the title.

Mountain West scored runs in all five innings and run-ruled the Bengals 12-5 in the Gold Mountain Championship contest at the Weber County Softball Complex.

“Our team never gets down on ourselves; we stay positive throughout everything,” Mountain West designated hitter Bonnie Barnett said.  “After they scored five runs, we felt we had so much time remaining in the game that we had a chance to get the runs back.  We knew we needed to aim for base hits and not big hits.”

With a quick run in the top of the first inning, Mountain West was off on the right foot, but starting pitcher Emma Harrow was only able to get one out in the bottom half before BSC put up a five spot and chased her. Veyda Simon and Nelyana Brinagh both hit two-run homers for the Bengals in the inning.

Mountain West’s players counseled after the pitching change to gather their thoughts.

“We knew we could hit the ball; we just had to get our bats on it,” Barnett said.  “We all trust in each other that we’ll hit the ball hard and we can score runs later in the game.”

Sooner than later, Mountain West tied the game, 5-5, plating four runs in the top of the second inning. Barnett grounded a two-run single that scored the tying runs.  “I was aiming for a hit in the gap to move the runners and it just happened,” she said.

A base hit by Rita Tavita in the top of the third inning broke the tie at 6-5, and put Mountain West ahead for good.

Mountain West had left four runners on in the first three innings and was unable to cash in with a key hit. Things changed in the fourth when Barnett smashed a three-run dinger, making the score 9-5.

“I was aiming for a line drive in the five-six hole to move the runners again, but it ended up going over,” Barnett said.  “Usually, my hits bounce over the fence, but this weekend I was lucky.”

Mountain West put the run rule in effect with three more runs in the fifth inning when Barnett drove in her sixth run of the game with a two-out single.

Camryn O’Farrell had four hits and scored two runs from the leadoff spot for Mountain West.  First baseman Kenya Lapuaho went 3-for-4 with two doubles, while Jewel Korth, Morgan Rich and Lexi Hardman added two hits each.  Hardman scored three runs.  Mountain West rapped 17 hits overall.

Both teams were playing their third games of the day and Tavita had just pitched in game two, an hour before the championship bout. She came on in relief in the bottom of the first following the BSC five-run outburst and escaped without further damage, stranding a pair of Bengal runners.

“We were planning on a half game each; I was still pretty warm,” Tavita said.  “The first inning was a little unexpected, but you just have to come back and stay steady and we did a good job of that.”

Tavita pitched 4 2/3 innings, yielding only one hit, while striking out six and walking two, with no runs allowed.

“I’m more so getting the ball on the ground and let my defense work for me, but today was a different story.  I decided to go a little faster and place the ball better–definitely my drop ball and changeup worked really well for this game,” Tavita said.  Just making sure no more runs were scored, and keeping it easy ground balls; getting them to swing.”

Nine games in five days finally caught up with Harrow, but she was a major factor that helped Mountain West to the championship game.

“Emma has pitched so much this week; she got us to this point and we let Rita come in and she took over,” Mountain West coach Tiffany Jackson said.  “(Emma) knew her team had her back, because she has always had theirs.  She pitched lights out all week.”

“These girls have worked so hard.  Some of them have been together since 12u and up.  They have the chemistry and they’re really good friends.  They get so excited for each other to make plays and come up with the big hit,” Jackson said.

The arduous schedule this week has been a great growth experience and learning curve for the Mountain West players.

“We’ve been behind the last couple of games, and they were like, ‘we can do this;’ knowing that it’s seven innings. They came in joking, like we have six innings left guys,” Jackson said.  “Let’s do it one at a time; get it back, be patient and wait for our pitch. They were very calm with the whole thing.  We have two great pitchers who work on hitting their spots and getting grounders–not feeling the pressure and let their defense help them.”

By Bob Judson
   OGDEN, UT — Rocky Mountain Thunder (Highlands Ranch, CO) left fielder Joceyln Steiner jump-started the offense with a two-run jack in the second inning Friday and the Thunder amassed an eight-run cushion through the top of the fourth.
     Thunder pitcher Riley Bowman was sailing along with a shutout through three dominant innings when coach David Swank pulled her for a reliever in the bottom half of the fourth.
     Seven SOZO Clark (Vail, AZ) batters, two outs, and four runs later, Bowman was back in the circle, trying to close the game out.
     A four-run lead will not run-rule a team, but clock limits will end the game, and Rocky Mountain advanced to the quarterfinals of the Triple Crown 16u Fastpitch World Series, with an 8-4 victory over SOZO Clark at the Weber County Softball Complex.
     Having played six games in four days, with potentially three more on the horizon Saturday, Swank no doubt tried to mitigate the exhaustion factor for Bowman.  She had struck out eight of the nine outs the Thunder recorded and was okay with the decision.
     “I just want to be there to help my team however possible and my coach made that decision and I respect whatever he wants to do,” Bowman said.  “I came out, but was ready to go back in whenever he needed me.”
     That opportunity came sooner than they may have expected, as reliever Emmaline Humphreys struggled in the fourth inning, hurt by a bases-loaded three-run error on a hit to right field that cleared the bases.
     Time to begin another inning had expired during the SOZO Clark at bat, when Bowman returned to the circle and struck out the final batter with a runner on first.
     “Emmaline and I are ready to go tomorrow and pitch for our team,” Bowman said.  “The plan was to use both of us this game, get a lead and then I could come out.  That way we could be fresh for tomorrow and both be ready to go.”
     In summary, Bowman struck out nine batters in 3 1/3 innings, with no walks, and allowed only a soft pop fly single that landed between the rubber and home plate, that somehow took a divot and didn’t roll foul.
     “I just try to spin the ball, miss bats and get weak contact.  I’m mostly an east-west pitcher.  I throw my curve mostly and mix in my rise ball,” Bowman said.  “My goal is to give my defense a chance to make plays so that we can go hit and hopefully get it done.”
     It took an inning to get untracked, but the Rocky Mountain Thunder broke through with three runs in the top of the second.  Steiner stroked a two-run homer to left center and the Thunder were rolling from there.
     “The first inning we came out a little slow, but we figured out what the pitcher was doing and came back in the second inning with a lot more energy and were ready to compete,” Steiner said.  “She was throwing a lot of high stuff, so we let each other know; honestly, that helped me because I knew what I was going to be seeing.”
     “I was just trying to hit one hard…I wasn’t thinking about hitting a homerun.  Move (the runner) over; do my job,” Steiner said.  
     As it turns out, three runs weren’t enough, but a five-run fourth inning ended up sealing the deal.  Steiner was part of that rally also, following a Rowan Daufeldt opening walk with a single.
     “After we had the lead, I was a little bit more relaxed at the plate.  I was ready to pile a lot more on.  We had the mojo going for us,” Steiner said.  “The second at bat was a lot more fun.  Not thinking about myself; just about the girls that are already on.  Do whatever I can to help us score runs.”
     Katie Perkins, Sophie Mangiameli, Eliza Auger and Jillian Kelly all had an RBI in the big fourth inning for the Thunder.
    SOZO Clark then made things interesting in the home half of the fourth, getting six straight runners on, shrinking the gap to 8-4. Katie Lutton had the key hit, a line drive single to right with the bases loaded, that was misplayed by the fielder, as three runs scored.
    Bowman then returned and finished with a flourish, her ninth strikeout and the game clincher.  Shohei Ohtani she is not, as she prefers to not bat when she is pitching.
    “It helps me focus more on my pitching and I can get a little more rest in the shade and have more energy and give everything I have when I’m on the mound,” Bowman said.
     So far, so good for the Thunder.  Bowman can watch quietly and let her teammates carry the big stick.

By Bob Judson

OGDEN, UT — Throughout the Triple Crown 18u Fastpitch World Series game Thursday, the result was obvious and the story easily written.

The Oregon Blaze (Beaverton) would comfortably dominate by four runs. Then it got close at two runs. Surely the Blaze would win when it went to three.

But Utah Cruisers (Salt Lake City) had other plans, erasing each of those deficits, and sent the game into extra innings with a three-run bottom of the seventh, tying things up at 5.

Rules require a speed-up runner in extra innings and No. 10 hitter Kaitlyn Ventris chased that run home with a one-out double and the Blaze led 6-5. So, when first-baseman Erica Eidson came to bat with two out and Ventris on, there wasn’t much tension to the situation.

“I was really happy she hit that because I could go up there and was nice and relaxed,” Eidson said. “I didn’t have to pressure myself. I thought, ‘okay, I need get this hit. We need to get this run in.’ We already had it, so I could go up there and do whatever I wanted to do.”

Eidson had had a rather non-descript performance thus far, going 'oh for' – striking out twice, flying out and grounding out in her other plate appearances.

“You can’t think about something bad you did; you have to move on and play your best,” Eidson said. “You have to come together as a team. Everyone has to want it and you have to put in your whole effort. It was all the players. We all came in (at the top of the eighth) and said we’ve got to do it for our pitcher; we’ve got to do it for ourselves. We don’t want to lose this.”

With no pressure, and the lead run across, Eidson promptly lined a solid single, scoring Ventris, giving the Blaze a 7-5 cushion, and – as it turned out – the winning run.

The Cruisers mounted yet another comeback with a run in the bottom of eighth, but starting pitcher Abby Stansbury closed the door on a strikeout with the tying run on second to end it, and the Blaze advanced in the Mt. Peale bracket of the tournament with a harrowing 7-6 victory at 4th Street Park.

“They’re a tough team. I knew they were going to be ready to get that runner in and I really wanted to get that first out because that would make it a lot easier on our infield and me too,” Stansbury said.

Utah chased home its speed-up runner, making it 7-6 and had the tying run at second with one out when Stansbury called a team meeting in the circle to settle things down.

“I knew some of them were letting the pressure get in their heads and I needed them to get it together because I rely on them to get the outs,” Stansbury said. “I had to make sure I hit my spots and locations and make sure all my spins were routine. I had to be mentally tough.”

Stansbury got a fly out to center and then a strikeout to end it.

Oregon had scored four runs through the first three innings, and batted around twice, before Utah even went through its batting order once, and Stansbury was cruising.

She also helped herself in the batter’s box with an RBI double in the first inning and a leadoff double in the third.  Stansbury walked in her next two at bats in an unusual twist of fate.

“I felt really good. I actually cracked my bat on the second (double). It was completely toast,” Stansbury said.  “I had to share a bat the next two turns up, but I got walks so I really didn’t get to use it. Just be picky; knowing my pitches and what I want.”

Second baseman Rachel Powers and catcher Emmy Carver also each had two hits for the Blaze.

The Cruisers chipped away at the lead with two runs in the fifth, shrinking the gap to 4-2 on a two-run single by Alyssa McOmie, but the Blaze countered with a run in the seventh.

“I felt pretty good about the game from the beginning, especially when we were up,” Stansbury said. “When it started getting a little closer it was stressful, but I had faith in my team and in my ability that we could pull through.”

McOmie’s groundout RBI in the bottom of the seventh capped a three-run rally and sent the game to extra innings. Stansbury returned to pitch the bottom of the eighth in 90-plus degree heat and got the complete game victory, scattering 10 hits and striking out three.

“I wanted it (the complete game).  Even though we’re from Oregon, honestly, when I’m pitching I don’t think about the heat; I’m really in the zone and not thinking about it,” Stansbury said.

She has a scholarship to Eastern Nazarene College as a pitcher but can play the outfield or first base when not on the rubber.

“Getting a complete game win on pitching makes me feel a lot better. I love getting the doubles; but I feel like getting a complete game win… the happiness lasts longer than getting a hit.”

Left-hander Chaytlyn Dodge pitched the entire game for the Cruisers, allowing 12 hits, striking out seven and walking five. First baseman Izzy Mabey had two hits and scored twice for Utah, while second baseman Jadelyn Hooper rapped a pair of hits, including a double.

By Bob Judson

OGDEN, UT — At only 14 years of age, right-handed pitcher Gracie Longhurst was in uncharted territory, playing up a level while throwing for the USA Explosion (Idaho Falls, ID) softball team in the Triple Crown 16u Fastpitch World Series game at Miles Goodyear Park on Wednesday morning.

When the Nor Cal Hot Shots (Oakley, CA) put up three runs in the top of the first inning, things got even more uncomfortable for Longhurst and her teammates.

But the Idaho Falls squad lived up to its nickname, exploding for five runs in the home half of the first and eventually run-ruling the Hot Shots in five innings, 10-3, during the second round of pool play.

“Honestly, it felt really good to get back up on them,” Longhurst said after the early three-run hole.

Jade Perez had a key two-run double with one out in the first inning for the Hot Shots, then Longhurst escaped without further damage.

"I wasn’t really warm; kind of got warmed up a little bit. These are better teams. It’s hard to come up from 14u and face 16 players,” Longhurst said. “I was put up for nationals … just playing with my friends. I’ve known these girls for about four years now. They were already pretty good, winning some games and tournaments.”

After Longhurst got loose, she only allowed one hit over the final four innings (four in the first), and struck out six batters, including four of the last five. 

“It depends on the game.  Sometimes I’m a contact pitcher, sometimes I’m more strikeout type,” Longhurst said.  “Kind of get my mental state right; release points, spins. Just settle in a little bit. Figure out where the batters can’t hit the ball and where they are going to swing at it.”

The Explosion supported Longhurst with 13 hits, six coming in the first inning, with Alli Sutherland leading off with an inside the park home run. Shortstop Jerzy Jarvis had three hits, scored a run and drove in one from the second spot in the lineup. 

“Confidence. We can hit the ball. We saw the pitcher; we knew just wait on it. She was slower. Put runs on the board and get our runners in scoring position,” Jarvis said.

Jarvis was part of the rally in the first inning, and also when the Explosion tallied a run in the second and two in the third for an 8-3 lead.

“At second and third, we hit the ball, scoring the runners whether it’s a pop fly to the outfield, a tag up, or a hard ground ball. Work as a team,” Jarvis said. “Any way to get on to help the team and let them do their jobs. Start the rally. Let everyone help. The best thing to do is keep it on the ground or a line drive.”

With two more runs in the fourth, the Explosion mounted a 10-3 edge and needed to close out the Hot Shots in the fifth, which they did with a one-two-three inning. Longhurst finished the game via a flourish, striking out two of the three batters.

Reagan Young also had three hits for the Explosion, scoring a run and adding an RBI. Kenley Butler and Sav Johnson both had two hits and scored two runs each. Ava Petrino produced runs in two separate at bats, with a sacrifice fly and a double.

Delaney Zimmer had two hits and scored a run for the Hot Shots.

​By Bob Judson

OGDEN — The Oregon Silver Bullets (Portland OR) held a narrow 2-1 lead over the AZ Choppers (Phoenix) when catcher Sierra McKenna stepped to the plate in the bottom of the third inning Tuesday morning.

One compact swing and towering three-run homer later, the lead had expanded to 5-1.

Oregon added three more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and run-ruled the Choppers 8-2 in pool play at the Triple Crown 18u Fastpitch World Series at Fourth Street Park.

“In that situation, with runners on, I’m just thinking have a nice line drive somewhere in the outfield and hopefully it’s down to get those runners around,” McKenna said.  “I just lucked out and hit a little higher one, so it went out.  Definitely not thinking about that.”

McKenna was part of the three-run rally in the fifth with a solid single and came around to score on a two-run single by Olivia Borzy, which led to the run-rule victory.

“I’m looking for good and fun at-bats; looking to work on my swing and get some interesting contact,” McKenna said.  “The second hit felt better than the homerun in my opinion – just how it came off the bat.”

The Silver Bullets jumped to an early 2-0 lead in the second inning when Aspynn Westby went yard. AZ Choppers countered with a run in the top of the third off of Oregon reliever Evyn Morriss, after starter Bridgette Boling pitched the first two innings.

“Our starter today is slowly coming back from a nerve issue and we wanted to make sure she doesn’t overwork,” McKenna said.

Morriss then settled down and allowed just one other run, scattering five hits over three innings, while striking out three.

I’m not really a speed pitcher, so I trust my defense a lot and they made plays for me; they help me out,” Morriss said.  “I haven’t pitched much recently, but because of our injured starter, I’ve picked it back up a little bit again.  Just trying to produce ground balls.”

On top of her catching duties, McKenna also called the pitches throughout the game.

“We let our catchers call pitches. I’ve had Sierra on our team since she was nine years old. She’s worked with Evyn … she’s been on the team that long too,” Silver Bullets coach Erin Boling said. “So, the catchers know the pitchers really well. They (catchers) make mistakes, but we make mistakes and they see better than we do from the dugout.”

Ready or not, the tournament goes on, and Oregon has only 11 players at this World Series.

“We’re down a couple of girls.  I try to get them to play different positions, so when we get into jams like this, we utilize people the best we can and make it work and go as long as we can,” Boling said.

McKenna finished the game with two runs scored and the three RBI with one swipe of the bat, while Westby scored once, had a pair of hits and also three runs batted in. Borzy’s lone hit put a wrap on the game.

For the Choppers, Mia Valenzuela went 2-for-2 with a double, and Aviana Deortentiis and Ava Aguirre scored the runs.

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – With more than 1,100 teams from ages 12u through 18u in the pipeline, there’s a massive flow of softball action coming to the Front Range thanks to the Triple Crown Sports Colorado 4th of July event, slated for June 23-July 2, 2023.
 
Stretching from Fort Collins, Windsor and Greeley all the way down the I-25 corridor through Denver to Colorado Springs, the 4th of July tournament brings a coast-to-coast mix of the nation’s most competitive and high-achieving club programs as the TCS fastpitch division puts over 40 complexes and 150 fields in motion.

The event has long been a prized destination for college coaches and programs as they look for talent to fortify their rosters. Showcase games as well as tournament play will put athletes in front of more than 500 coaches; added value comes through a series of camps and clinics directed by the coaching staffs from national D-I powerhouses through NAIA and JUCO programs.

Returning for a third year to the 4th of July menu is the TC International Challenge, which kicks off the excitement from June 23-25 at the Christopher Fields complex in Westminster. Brackets at both 16u and 18u have been built to give players a unique opportunity to represent their nationalities and provide another recruiting highlight on the schedule.

Tournament officials are gearing up for two powerful convergence moments during the event, on the evenings of June 28 at Christopher Fields and June 29 at Aurora Sports Park. Both nights will feature all-star and power pool games to be broadcast by ESPN3, along with multiple vendors, food and merchandise options – thousands of people are expected to attend each location. The younger age groups get their own moment to shine on Monday, June 26 with the 12u Player Party in Colorado Springs and the 14u Player Party in Loveland.
 
College Sports Evaluation will be running a series of camps throughout the Colorado 4th of July event as well as their must-qualify events, which will have top-performing athletes showcasing their skills using sensor data technology while college coaches watch live.

Other key numbers revolving around the Colorado 4th of July event include:

• 150+ hotel properties
• 50,000+ hotel room nights
• Five umpire assignors
• Over 500 umpires
• Over 4,000 games scheduled
• Nearly 15,000 athletes
• 47 states represented 
• 1,400 players in college camps
• 2,000 players in all-star games

The 12u and 14u Sparkler Juniors brackets will play out in Colorado Springs and north of Denver, respectively. Championship day for 12u is Saturday, July 1, and for all other age divisions is Sunday, July 2.
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“So many youth softball programs secure their spot at Colorado 4th of July early, just as we never delay in tackling the work to prepare for the next one,” said TCS fastpitch event director Stephanie Klaviter. “It’s a point of pride to know how many families and teams insist on putting the event on their calendar, and we are humbled by the number of college programs that use the games, clinics and camps to help prepare for their own road ahead. We’re such big fans of the sport and really love seeing how softball continues to grow.”