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“In towns and cities... there is no more important institution than the local paper.”
Warren Buffett
TRAVEL SOFTBALL NATIONAL TOURNAMENTS ROUNDUP: La Mirada stars, other area players have success in summer-ending national tournaments
July 27, 2026
By Loren Kopff
The best of the best youth softball players nationwide displayed their talents on the biggest stages the sport has to offer, and some local stars were right in the middle of it last week. La Mirada High sisters Reese Hilliard, a Stanford University commit, and Riley Hilliard, who has committed to the University of Oklahoma, had the most success as their travel team, the Orange County Batbusters-Stith, captured The Alliance Fastpitch Championship Series championship in Kokomo, Indiana.
After dominating pool play by outscoring opponents 30-3, the Batbusters rolled through the Tier 1 Supers and Elite 8 rounds before meeting the Texas Bombers Gold in the championship series. Riley Hilliard blasted a three-run home run in Game 1, but the Batbusters fell 6-4 in eight innings.
The Batbusters bounced back on Sunday with a 9-6 victory to force a winner-take-all Game 3. Reese Hilliard drove in four runs in the win, collecting a run-scoring single and a two-run triple.
In the championship game, Riley Hilliard went 3-for-5 with two home runs and five RBI while Reese Hilliard scored three times as the Batbusters claimed the national title with an 11-6 victory.
Other area standouts also enjoyed strong summers. Gahr High’s Hazel Anglo and Megan Wong helped the Firecrackers Select RTY 2028 reach the Tier 1 Supers. La Mirada’s Julianna Rivera and the BSC Bengals-Briggs finished as runners-up in the PGF National 16-Under Premier Division. Gahr’s Kayleigh Allen, Valley Christian’s Peyton Kingery, Gahr’s Mylah Burrowes, Valley Christian’s Choyce Chambers, Aubrielle Ramirez and Rachel Zhang all produced standout offensive seasons, while Gahr’s Isabella Gonzalez continued to excel in the circle for USA Athletics Gold-Rogers.
The national tournaments marked the conclusion of another successful summer travel softball season for many of the area’s top high school players as they prepare for the 2026-27 prep campaign.