June 28, 2026
by Kyle Koso
FORT COLLINS — Like all pitchers, Malloy Miles must play the role of traffic monitor.
Sometimes, the load on the base paths is quiet, like a Panhandle highway in the middle of the night. Other times, it can feel like the epicenter of a giant Hong Kong traffic circle, where you just try not to get swallowed up or blindsided.
Miles certainly had the radar tuned for her Texas Bombers Gold 16u team Saturday, holding a potent offense from the Georgia Impact Premier Crenshaw-Burrell to a single tally as the Bombers claimed the P5 Patriot Games championship matchup, 11-1, at the Triple Crown Sports field complex via a six-inning run rule. The Bombers carved through the 45-team field with an 8-0 record, ringing up 38 runs in four games of bracket play in an event that welcomed many of the nation’s most respected and skilled fastpitch programs.
Miles, a Class of 2027 right-hander who already has signed to play for Ole Miss, started off by retiring 10 straight batters. Her changeup played a large role … until it didn’t, as the Impact started laying off the pitch and making better contact.
Extra-base hits and multiple baserunners throughout the last half of the game never really broke Miles’ concentration, as she gave up one run in the sixth before lowering the boom with three consecutive strikeouts to conclude the evening.
“I know my defense has my back and will do everything they can to back me up. I just have to pound the zone there, spin the ball and change speeds, which leads to the success,” said Miles, who as an eighth-grader earned MVP honors pitching her French Settlement (LA) high school team to a state title. “You have to lock in a bit more (when opponents rally) and trust each pitch. I have one of the best pitching coaches ever (Brooke Vestal) and she’s super consistent in what she calls.
“My (college commitment) shows how hard I’ve worked; it’s a privilege to be at that level, and I want to keep proving to people I can do it. That makes me feel good.”
The Bombers took the lead in the second inning, with Courtney Latronico and Emree Massaad (signed to Texas) reaching on bunt singles before both advancing with a stolen base. Lefty-hitting Ainsley Morvan (who used to catch Miles when the two both lived in Louisiana) seized her moment by thumping a double at least 15 feet up the netting in right field to make it 2-0.
“Both our slappers got on base, and that was the perfect time to strike, no matter how we did it. I had to be confident in my sawing and get a pitch I could do damage with,” said Morvan, who scored two runs as well. “Got an inside pitch and scored those runs. This tournament tells us we can play against the best of the best. We scored a lot of runs. I just love watching Malloy pitch, and playing behind her."
Latronico reached base four times for the Bombers; Joley Bennett had two RBI, as did Landry Mutscher.
“We knew they had a high-powered offense, with very good players. We just wanted to go at them, attack, get in on their hands (with Miles’ pitching) and keep the ball in the infield so we could make the plays,” said Bombers coach Dale Series. “Malloy can spin the ball, change speeds, hit her locations. But when you play a team as talented as the Georgia Impact, you’re going to have some innings where it’s hard to keep them off the board.
“We’re rolling, playing our best right now. To go undefeated in this tournament and play the caliber of teams we have, that says a lot about where we are.”
Katie Wrigley had two doubles and a run for the Impact; Kendall Mayo (Marshall) had a double and an RBI.
