The PGF 16U and 14U National Championship title games are set for later today and the finals look to be two great games with each age division being represented by an OC Batbusters squad and with three of the four teams being from Calif. The Chicago-based Beverly Bandits are the last hope for a non-Calif. title winner at one of these age levels.

Here’s a look at the four teams still standing and how they got to the National Championship games…

 

16U National Championship:
Beverly Bandits (Chicago, Ill.) vs OC Batbusters-Myers (Anaheim, Calif.)

In the 16U championship game set for 7:30 pm at Cal State Fullerton, the Beverly Bandits will take on OC Batbusters-Myers.

The two programs both knocked off the teams from the loser’s bracket late Thursday night, albeit in two very different ways.

The Bandits rolled over Minnesota Sting 11-0 in a four-inning game as four Bandit batters had multiple hit games led by catcher Alyssa Buddle (James Madison) who went 3-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored and third baseman Michal Cunningham (LSU) who went 2-for-3 with three RBI.

The Batbusters had a much tougher time as they edged the Firecrackers-Blanco squad 3-2.  The team from Orange County, Calif. put across single runs in the third, sixth and seventh innings with Melissa Rochford, the Notre Dame-bound third baseman, going 3-for-3 and shortstop Nikki Fry going 2-for-4 with a run knocked in.

Pitcher Sarah Costlow, who’ll play at George Washington, was solid, scattering six hits over seven innings.

Note: the championship game will be broadcast live at 7:30 pm PST on web radio at this address: www.sportsnetusa.net and tape delayed on Comcast/FoxSportsWest (times TBA)

 

14U National Championship:
Team Mizuno-Campbell (Cypress, Calif.) vs OC Batbusters-McNee (Garden Grove, Calif.)

The path wasn’t as clear in the 14U march to the championship game Friday at 4:30 pm PST as the OC Batbusters-McNee had to play Friday morning after losing to the Sorcerers late Thursday night.

Friday’s rubber match was a nailbiter and went back and forth as the Sorcerers jumped out to two runs in the first, but were matched by the Batbusters.

In the top of the second the Sorcerers again went ahead, 3-2, only to be matched by the Batbusters in the bottom of the inning.

It stayed 3-3 until the bottom of the seventh when Irie Naea singled to lead off the inning and advanced to second on a fielder’s choice and then went to third on a flyout before scoring the winning run on a two-out game-winning single by Arianna Burns.

Team Mizuno Campbell was able to sweep through the winner’s bracket and knock off the So Cal A’s Quarles Thursday night 5-1 as centerfielder Vanessa Taukeaho and catcher Dejah Mulipola both knocked in a pair of runs.

The A’s didn’t help their cause on defense, committing an uncharacteristic eight errors.

Note: the championship game will be broadcast live at 4:30 pm PST on web radio at this address: www.sportsnetusa.net and tape delayed on Comcast/FoxSportsWest (times TBA)