July 6, 2026
By Jack Carlough
WESTMINSTER — In a battle fit for the stage, NJ Heist Gold emerged victorious over Team Heat Tristate on Sunday to win its second straight Triple Crown Sparkler 18U Mt. Elbert championship.
Knotted at 11 in the top of the seventh, NJ Heist Gold shortstop Kylie Allmendinger delivered a two-run homer to put her team up for good at Westminster’s Christopher Fields. Things hadn’t been coming easily for Allmendinger at the plate, but the team-first 2028 prospect locked in to deliver the go-ahead hit.
“I was struggling a little bit in the beginning, but I knew that I have to do this for my team,” Allmendinger said following the 15-11 win. “I can't be selfish. I have to do what's best for my team. I knew that I had to do what I had to do. It just felt great. I was so excited that my team was very happy and that I could do that for my team.”
NJ Heist Gold head coach Sergio Rodriguez was overwhelmed with praise for his shortstop.
“I've been coaching 30 years; this is the best sophomore I've ever coached,” Rodriguez said. “From an understanding of the game, from a competitive level, the hardest thing to do in coaching her has been trying to teach her how to pace herself, because she wants to make every play all the time. But in terms of skill set, she's big time.”
Two batters after Allmendinger, Grace Waldrum followed with a two-run homer of her own. Then in the bottom of the seventh, pitcher Maggie Quinn earned the final out against a likewise resilient Team Heat Tristate lineup.
“I feel that our team competed the best they could,” Allmendinger said. “We all left our hearts out, especially after having to play so many games all week. We definitely paced ourselves very well.”
Team Heat Tristate threw the first punches, scoring three times in the bottom half of the opening frame. Claire Kennedy and Kyree Fischer each had RBI hits to help gain an early lead.
“To be honest, I don't really think when I swing,” said Fischer, who finished with three hits. “Think less, do more. That's my mindset.”
NJ Heist Gold answered quickly, however, with two runs in the second and three in the third. Valentina Diianni and Amelia Flood each had two-RBI singles in the process.
From there, NJ Heist scored at least one run in each of the final four innings while holding Team Heat Tristate to two runs over the final three frames. Both teams delivered several clutch hits, including a game-tying two-run single from Team Heat Tristate’s Mikala Schnering in the bottom of the sixth.
While Team Heat Tristate couldn’t hold the tie in the seventh, the Wisconsin-based club left the field with its heads held high.
“Never would I have ever thought I would have been starting in the championship game in Colorado,” said Team Heat Tristate starting pitcher Kayahna Furrer. “It was a lot of fun because this will probably be my last time out here. Everyone on the team is my friend. It was so fun playing with them and staying at the hotel with them.”
Team Heat Tristate’s road to the championship game included Sunday wins over Utah Avalanche Skylar (7-2) and NJ Pride Gold (13-1). NJ Heist Gold earned a spot via victories over Elite Gold (15-6) and Louisiana Blazers Elite (11-4).
