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“In towns and cities... there is no more important institution than the local paper.”
Warren Buffett
July 20, 2023
By Loren Kopff • @LorenKopff on Twitter
It’s what every travel softball player strives for; the opportunity to play for a Premier Girls Fastpitch title, and for at least 30 area players, they will have that opportunity. The 13th annual PGF National Championship will begin pool play action on Saturday for the 16-Under and 18-Under teams, culminating in the finals a week later.
One local travel program absent from the PGF National Championship for the first time since the PGF was formed is the Artesia Punishers, which finished in a tie for 49th place last year in the Platinum Division. But this year, area players from seven high schools join their travel teammates in the quest for either a Platinum Division or a Premier Division championship in one of the top travel tournaments nationwide.
Each travel team will have a pair of pool play games on Saturday and one on Sunday and have no bearing on the double elimination playoffs, which begin on Monday.
Games will be played at:
Bill Barber Park in Irvine
Fountain Valley Sports Complex
Great Park in Irvine
Harvard Park in Irvine
Huntington Beach Sports Complex
Yorba Regional Park in Anaheim Hills.
The Platinum Division championship games will be on July 28 while the Premier Division title games will be played the next day, followed by the PGF High School Futures and Seniors All-American Game.
The six championship games will be played at Deanna Manning Stadium at Bill Barber Park. Listed below are the area players, their travel teams, and their pool play games.
Note: the players and their teams are based on information given by high school coaches in May and from team rosters obtained throughout the summer. HMG-Community News apologizes if any area player was not included.
18-Under Premier Division
Marley Cortez (Gahr High)
(Los Alamitos) Wildcats-Weil
Saturday @ H.B., Field 3 vs. (Conroe, TX) Hotshots National-Nelson 8:00 a.m.
Saturday @ H.B., Field 3 vs. (Omaha) Nebraska Gold 9:45 a.m.
Sunday @ H.B., Field 3 vs. (Chicago) Beverly Bandits-Conroy 10:15 a.m.
Since June 10, the Wildcats are 25-7-1 and Cortez has batted .271 with 16 hits, 10 runs scored, nine runs batted in and has walked 10 times in 32 games played.
Natalia Hill (Gahr High/University of Nebraska) and Rio Mendez (Gahr High/Univ. of Utah)
(Anaheim) Briggs Softball Club Bengals-Briggs
Saturday @ H.B., Field 2 vs. Birmingham Thunderbolts 8:00 a.m.
Saturday @ H.B., Field 2 vs. (Lee’s Summit, MO) Top Gun National 11:30 a.m.
Sunday @ H.B., Field 2 vs. Newtown (PA) Rock Gold-Garvey 8:00 a.m.
Since May 27, the Bengals are 16-3-3 as Hill is batting .490 with 24 hits, 20 RBI, nine doubles and two home runs. She has struck out only three times. Mendez is batting .282, has scored seven times and driven in six runs.
Camille Lara (Cerritos High) and Kayla Martin (Valley Christian High)
(Cerritos) Ohana Tigers-Quarles
Saturday @ H.B., Field 2 vs. (Northbrook) Illinois Chill Gold 4:45 p.m.
Saturday @ H.B., Field 2 vs. (Farmington, NJ) Jersey Intensity KOD 8:15 p.m.
Sunday @ H.B., Field 2 vs. (Puyallup) Washington Ladyhawks-Miller 12:30 p.m.
Since June 4, the Tigers are 15-11-1 but Lara is one of the top hitters on the team, batting .429 with 24 hits, 20 runs scored and eight RBI. In 56 at-bats, Lara has struck out just twice. Martin has played in half a dozen games, going four for nine with a double, three runs scored and two RBI.
Hayley Olivas (Gahr High/Loyola Marymount University)
(Huntington Beach) Explosion Premier
Saturday @ H.B., Field 1 vs. (West Richard) Washington Angels Gold 3:00 p.m.
Saturday @ H.B., Field 1 vs. (Houston) Strykers-Esparza 4:45 p.m.
Sunday @ H.B., Field 1 vs. (Hagerstown, MD) Tri-State Thunder Gold 2:45 p.m.
The Explosion are 19-12 since June 12 and Olivas is batting .465 with 20 hits, 19 runs scored and 14 RBI.
18-Under Platinum Division
Hannah Bernal (Cerritos High), Melanie Perez (La Mirada High) and Rya Rivas (Gahr High)
(Hawaiian Gardens) Wildcats-Amaya/Jacobsen
Saturday @ Harvard Park, Field 2 vs. (Downey) Ohana Tigers-Colenzo 8:00 a.m.
Saturday @ Harvard Park, Field 2 vs. (Mesa) Mojo AZ-Vela 11:35 a.m.
Sunday @ Harvard Park, Field 2 vs. Las Vegas Blast 8:00 a.m.
Sienna Contreras (Norwalk High) and Catherine Quibrantar (Cerritos High)
(Downey) Ohana Tigers-Colenzo
Saturday @ Harvard Park, Field 2 vs. (Hawaiian Gardens) Wildcats-Amaya/Jacobson 8:00 a.m.
Saturday @ Harvard Park, Field 2 vs. Las Vegas Blast 9:40 a.m.
Sunday @ Harvard Park, Field 2 vs. (Mesa) Mojo AZ-Vela 10:15 a.m.
Irma Gonzalez (Artesia High)
Santa Ana Extreme-Maquivi
Saturday @ Great Park, Field 6 vs. Fresno Force 3:10 p.m.
Saturday @ Great Park, Field 6 vs. Chicago Cheetahs-Bowman 4:50 p.m.
Sunday @ Great Park, Field 6 vs. (Puyallup) Washington Ladyhawks-Simpson 2:45 p.m.
Sophia Magcale (Gahr High/University of Redlands), Hailey Sanchez (Gahr High/California State University, Northridge), Amber Valdez (La Mirada High)
(Cerritos) Explosion-Sanchez
Saturday @ Harvard Park, Field 7 vs. (Fairfield) Northern California Bombers Gold 3:10 p.m.
Saturday @ Harvard Park, Field 7 vs. (Puyallup) Washington Ladyhawks-Gonzalez 4:50 p.m.
Sunday @ Harvard Park, Field 7 vs. Atlanta Vipers-Wiggins 2:45 p.m.
Alea Medina (Artesia High), Vanessa Soto (Artesia High) and Maya Torres (Artesia High)
(Lakewood) Southern California Athletics-Rivera/Blanck
Saturday @ Harvard Park, Field 2 vs. (Riverside) Explosion-Flores 4:50 p.m.
Saturday @ Harvard Park, Field 2 vs. (Louisville, KY) Fusion National Unruh/Greenwood 5:25 p.m.
Sunday @ Harvard Park, Field 2 vs. (Thornton) Colorado Stars 12:30 p.m.
The So Cal Athletics haven’t played in too many tournament games this summer (16), but Soto leads the team with a .393 average and four doubles. She has been walked nine times and has driven in seven runs. Medina and Torres are batting .363 and .393 respectively with a combined 24 hits, 16 runs and seven RBI. Torres has also pitched just over 13 innings with 11 strikeouts and four walks.
16-Under Premier Division
Zoee Barrett (Valley Christian High) and Madison Morgan (Valley Christian High)
(Chino Hills) Empire Fastpitch Premier Elite
Saturday @ Bill Barber Park, Field 4 vs. (Portland) NW Bullets-Smith 8:00 a.m.
Saturday @ Bill Barber Park, Field 4 vs. (Irvine) Southern California Athletics-Thomas/Grimm 11:35 a.m.
Sunday @ Bill Barber Park, Field 4 vs. (Mason) Ohio Hawks-Joseforsky 8:00 a.m.
Larissa Flores (Gahr High)
(Garden Grove) 5 Star PlayMakers-Siofele/Mulipola
Saturday @ Fountain Valley, Field 4 vs. (The Woodlands) Texas Sudden Impact-Jones 8:00 a.m.
Saturday @ Fountain Valley, Field 4 vs. (Chicago) Beverly Bandits-Holloway 11:30 a.m.
Sunday @ Fountain Valley, Field 4 vs. (Tempe) AZ Storm-Captain/Monte 10:15 a.m.
Peyton Kingery (Valley Christian High)
(Riverside) Briggs Softball Club Bengals-Briggs
Saturday @ Bill Barber Park, Field 1 vs. (Chattanooga, TN) Fury-Moyer/Perry 3:10 p.m.
Saturday @ Bill Barber Park, Field 1 vs. (Spartanburg, SC) Carolina Elite-Fusetti 6:45 p.m.
Sunday @ Bill Barber Park, Field 1 vs. (French Camp, CA) Sorcerers-Gann 2:45 p.m.
The Bengals are one of the hottest 16-Under teams, winning 31 out of 39 games since May 27 and Kingery is one of three players who are batting at least .500 in at least 24 games. Kingery, one of the young up and coming stars for V.C., has 23 hits, 13 RBI and two home runs.
Katherine Villegas (Cerritos High)
(Long Beach) USA Athletics-Rogers/Gunnar
Saturday @ Bill Barber Park, Field 1 vs. (Livermore) AASA-McCafferty/Novitske 11:35 a.m.
Saturday @ Bill Barber Park, Field 1 vs. (San Jose) Warrior Academy-Gutierrez 1:15 p.m.
Sunday @ Bill Barber Park, Field 1 vs. (Chicago) Beverly Bandits Futures-Page 10:15 a.m.
16-Under Platinum Division
Jailynn Banda (Norwalk High) and Angelie Kennedy (La Mirada High)
(Pasadena) Firecrackers-Vines
Saturday @ Yorba Regional, Field 3 vs. (Salinas) California Storm-Norman/King 8:00 a.m.
Saturday @ Yorba Regional, Field 3 vs. (Murrieta, GA) Southern California Athletics-Marinakis/Jaquish 24 11:30 a.m.
Sunday @ Yorba Regional, Field 3 vs. (Highlands Ranch, CO) Rocky Mountain Thunder-Swank/McAllister 10:15 a.m.
Alianna Calderon (Cerritos High)
(Covina) Wildcats-Natividad
Saturday @ Great Park, Stadium vs. (Elk Grove) LTG Lions-Carda/Oliver 8:00 a.m.
Saturday @ Great Park, Stadium vs. (Vista) Breakers Labs-Bobby 9:40 a.m.
Sunday @ Great Park, Stadium vs. (Signal Hill) USA Athletics-Rogers/Mathis 8:00 a.m.
Quira Castillo (La Mirada High) and Angelina Ratzlaff (La Mirada High)
(Signal Hill) USA Athletics-Rogers/Mathis
Saturday @ Great Park, Stadium vs. (Elk Grove) LTG Lions-Carda/Oliver 11:35 a.m.
Saturday @ Great Park, Stadium vs. (Vista) Breakers Labs-Bobby 1:15 a.m.
Sunday @ Great Park, Stadium vs. (Covina) Wildcats-Natividad 8:00 a.m.
The Athletics went 19-10-1 since May 21 and Ratzlaff is batting .392 with 20 hits, 11 runs and five RBI. Castillo has pitched nearly 24 innings, striking out a dozen batters and has saved four games.
Kylie Manibusan (Cerritos High) and Kendall Nakano (Norwalk High)
(Los Alamitos) Wildcats Laufou/Hunter
Saturday @ Great Park, Field 4 vs. (Whittier) Briggs Softball Club Bengals-Gurule 11:35 a.m.
Saturday @ Great Park, Field 4 vs. (Louisville, KY) Fusion National Unruh/Hunt 1:15 p.m.
Sunday @ Great Park. Field 4 vs. (Kirkland, WA) NW Grapettes-Wilson 10:15 a.m.The Wildcats have been busy this summer, going 24-11 entering the PGF National Championship. Nakano is batting a blistering .475, third best on the team with 38 hits, 25 runs scored, 24 RBI, seven doubles and four home runs. In 80 at-bats, she has struck out five times. Manibusan has a .242 average with 15 hits and 17 runs scored.