July 8, 2026
By Kyle Koso
AURORA — The ball is just going to fly during the Colorado 4th of July softball tournament, where playing at altitude and the presence of skilled hitters makes robust run scoring a reality.
Until an unreal development catches your eye.
With confident defensive work in the field and door-slamming ability in the pitching circle, the LTG Henderson/Buck 2029 squad wrapped up their stay in the Sparkler Juniors part of the event with a 14-1 victory over Texas Bombers Gold to win the 14u Power Pool title at Aurora Sports Park on Sunday. That capped a remarkable trek through the bracket, as the Lions posted 9-0 and 8-0 victories earlier in the day to reach the cusp of the crown.
There’s just not much precedent for a team to suppress so many opponents so completely during crunch time at the tournament (produced by Triple Crown Sports).
“We wanted this. We knew we could get here for the championship,” said coach Amanda Buck, whose veteran team from Elk Grove, CA, was a PGF Nationals runner-up two years ago. “They made it to Sunday here last year as first-year 14’s. They fight hard and grind.”
In the title game, the Bombers (Baytown, TX) jumped ahead 1-0 when Cambria Peek hit a ball down by her toes for a triple to plate Lyla-Cate Wimberly. Lions pitcher Madelyn Benzler asserted her will the rest of the way in allowing only two more baserunners and notching three strikeouts.
“For me … just give me the ball. I’m ready,” Benzler said. “I always trust my defense. If they get a blooper or even a hard hit, my defense and hitters are there for me. It’s a mix … there are things we can work on, and there are things we do well. Our word of the week was discipline.”
“Maddie was hitting her spots, and when that happens you can’t beat her. She found a way to jam them, to go up in the zone for swings and misses, and keeping the ball outside for the maker hits,” Buck said. “Lauren Klomp threw the game before, just unbelievable. She spins it, got a lot of swings and misses. She’s got about six pitches and they were all working today.
Offensively, the Lions took flight with a seven-run rally in the top of the second inning, initiated with a home run by Brea Hart as 13 batters came to the plate.
“Their pitcher was throwing super hard, and we were coming off an inning where they had scored. I was hunting (inside), she went outside first, and then I stayed back and went yard,” Hart said. “It felt awesome. We’re all dealing with injuries, but we stayed mentally tough.”
Benzler homered in the seven-run fifth inning that wrapped up the verdict, closing with four RBI in the game. Kinsley Buck had a two-run homer as well; Tamiayh Ward, Jackie Landrum and Malia Johnson all drove in two runs in the contest.
