By Mike Martinez

We're down to 12 teams at PGF 16U Premier Nationals with teams from California, Texas, Georgia, and Illinois aiming to make it to the title game on Saturday. Here's what you missed: 

Athletics-Mercado 3, Texas Bombers-Jones 1

The Athletics-Mercado scored two in the bottom of the sixth inning to break a 1-1 tie and earn a 3-1 win over Texas Bombers-Jones.

Katelyn Dunckel provided the go-ahead RBI, chopping a single past third to drive in Oklahoma-commit Alexx Waitman. Waitman had led the frame with a single.

“I was just thinking base hit, base hit with a new pitcher in,” Dunckel said. “I was just ready to swing at anything close.”

A bases-loaded walk drawn by pinch-hitter Keely Glenn upped the Athletics lead to 3-1, plenty of lead enough for Shannyn Bustamante to hold in the seventh.

Bustamante, an LMU-commit, allowed a run on five hits for the game while striking out six.

“We tried to pitch low and a lot of offspeed,” Bustamante said of her attack against the Bombers. “We had played them before and just wanted to show them something different.”

Ole Miss-commit Aynslie Furbush’s home run in the fourth opened the scoring, 1-0 Athletics-Mercado.

The Bombers finally tallied on Bustamante in the top of the sixth as Aaliyah Ortiz connected on her third hit of the game to knock in Camille Corona with two out.

The Athletics now face Impact Gold DFW-Middlebrook at 10:15 AM Friday morning. The winner will be just one win from the PGF Final.

Georgia Firecrackers-Sewell 7, Universal-Garcia 1 (6)

Sometimes it doesn’t hurt to start early. Winners of a couple of recent nail-biters, the Georgia Firecrackers started fast and finished strong in a 7-1 win over Universal-Garcia. Florida-commit Cali Decker launched a two-run homer in the first inning to give Georgia the early lead. 

“I just went back to the basics,” Decker said of her first-inning homer. “I’ve been struggling a little bit at the plate but I just planted my foot and threw my hands at it.”

A four-spot in the third made the lead comfortable for Georgia-commit Britton Rogers and one more run in the sixth ended the night early.

Rogers pitched all six innings, allowing just two hits. She walked three but settled in to strike out six.

“This game early I struggled to throw strikes but I settled down and found the strike zone,” Rogers said. “My team had my back, scoring early for us so I didn’t feel any pressure.”

The first eight batters in the lineup for the Firecrackers all had one hit. They also had five extra-base hits among nine total hits. Leslie Cochran launched a home run for Georgia.

The Firecrackers now face Birmingham Bolts-Dorsett at 10:15 AM Friday morning. The winner will be just one win from the PGF Final.

Impact Gold DFW-Middlebrook 8, Texas Blaze-Bonola 0 (5)

An attack of eight runs on 13 hits in just five innings was more than enough for Impact Gold DFW-Middlebrook in an 8-0 win over Texas Blaze-Bonola.

Sage Harlow had a home run and a double among four hits and drove in four.

That was plenty of support for Maddy Wright, who pitched all five innings, allowing just three hits.

Birmingham Bolts-Dorsett 9, Premier Fastpitch-Paulson 1 (6)

Liberty-commit Caroline Hudson had two of her team’s four home runs and five of the RBIs in a 9-1, six-inning decision for the Birmingham Bolts-Dorsett over Premier Fastpitch-Paulson. Auburn-commit Shelby Lowe pitched all six innings for the Bolts, surrendering just an unearned run.

IN OTHER WINNERS' BRACKET GAMES

Texas Bombers-Jones 2, Aces-Ashley 1

With two out, the game tied and the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning, McNeese-commit Aaliyah Ortiz walked on a 3-1 pitch to score Lourdes Bacon as Texas Bombers Gold-Jones edged Aces-Ashley, 2-1.

Athletics-Mercado 2, Impact Gold-Jazz 0

Oklahoma-commit Alexx Waitman hit a double and a homer, going 3-for-3 and scoring the only two runs of the game in a 2-0 win for Athletics-Mercado over Impact Gold-Jazz. Landyn Bruce (Ole Miss-commit) and Shannyn Bustamante (LMU-commit) combined for the shutout allowing just five hits total and Bruce pitching the first 5.1 innings.

Impact Gold DFW-Middlebrook 8, Lady Lightning Gold-Harrison/Taylor 2

A pair of fours on a big first-inning rally and another in the fifth inning led Impact Gold DFW-Middlebrook to the 8-2 win over Lady Lightning Gold-Harrison/Taylor in six innings. UCLA-commit Carson Armijo and Texas Tech-commit Jacee Hamlin each knocked in three runs, contributing a triple and double, respectively.

Texas Blaze-Bonola 3, Beverly Bandits-Carver 2

Caroline Cagle drove home two runs and pitched a complete game five-hitter, leading Blaze-Bonola to a 3-2 win over the Beverly Bandits-Carver. Cagle struck out five batters in the win.

Birmingham Bolts-Dorsett 6, EC Bullets-Caldwell 0 (6)

Four runs in the fifth inning carried Birmingham Bolts-Dorsett to a six-inning win, 6-0, over EC Bullets Caldwell. Shelby Lowe pitched five scoreless and shutout innings for the Bolts, striking out six.

Premier Fastpitch-Paulson 1, Prospex Gold-Adams 0

Madi Eberle pitched a complete game five-hitter with five strikeouts before giving herself the win with a one-out RBI single, driving in Kynzie Wrigley in the seventh inning as Premier Fastpitch-Paulson edged Prospex Gold-Adams, 1-0.

Universal-Garcia 3, Demarini Aces 1

The battery of Oregon-commit Raegan Breedlove and Cal-commit Alexis Bishop again shined for Universal-Garcia in a 3-1 win over Demarini Aces. Breedlove struck out seven and pitched a complete game on seven hits. Bishop tallied two hits, including a homer while driving in all of her team’s runs.

Georgia Firecrackers-Sewell 10, Birmingham Bolts-Roberson 3 (9)

The Georgia Firecrackers-Sewell again trailed down to their last at-bat before tying in the seventh inning and blowing open a 10-3 win over Birmingham Bolts-Roberson in nine innings. Mia Cantu’s RBI tied the game at 1-1 with one out in the seventh inning. After the teams traded runs in the eighth inning, the Firecrackers batted around in the ninth on only three hits, using a couple of squeeze plays as well in ringing up an 8-spot.

THURSDAY SCORES 16U PREMIER

WINNERS A

Texas Bombers-Jones 2, Aces-Ashley 1

Athletics-Mercado 2, Impact Gold-Jazz 0

Impact Gold DFW-Middlebrook 8, Lady Lightning Gold-Harrison/Taylor 2

Texas Blaze-Bonola 3, Beverly Bandits-Carver 1

Athletics-Mercado 3, Texas Bombers-Jones 1

Impact Gold DFW-Middlebrook 8, Texas Blaze-Bonola 0

WINNERS B

Birmingham Bolts-Dorsett 6, EC Bullets-Caldwell 0

Premier Fastpitch 1, Prospex Gold 0

Universal-Garcia 3, Demarini Aces 1

Georgia Firecrackers-Sewell 10, Birmingham Bolts-Roberson 2 (9)

Birmingham Bolts Dorsett 9, Premier Fastpitch-Paulson 1

Georgia Firecrackers 7, Universal Garcia 1 (6)

ELIMINATION A

THIRD ROUND

California Angels-Slye 3, Firecrackers-Brashear 2

Fury Platinum 5, Suncats 0

Lady Magic 7, Lakewood Firecrackers-Hagberg 6

Beverly Bandits-Tyrell 8, Sparks Premier 0

FOURTH ROUND

The Factory 7, OC Batbusters 5

Easton Preps 4, Texas Dirt Divas 3

Fury Platinum 7, Corona Angels-Slye 5

Beverly Bandits Tyrell 4, Lady Magic 2

FIFTH ROUND

Aces Ashley 3, The Factory 2

Easton Preps 9, Impact Gold 8

Lady Lightning Gold 6, Fury Platinum 2

Beverly Bandits Tyrell 5, Bandits Carver 0

SIXTH ROUND

Easton Preps 1, Aces Ashley 0

Beverly Bandits-Tyrell 2, Lady Lightning Gold 1

ELIMINATION B

THIRD ROUND

SoCal Choppers 3, Cal Breeze 0

Firecrackers TJ 2, So Cal A’s-Briggs 0

Alabama Sparks Elite-Stewart 4, Washington Ladyhawks 3

Hotshots- 4, Iowa Premier 3

Gainesville Gold 3, LTG Lions 0

Beverly Bandits-Moran 8, Cal Nuggets 7

So Cal A’s-McNee 6, West Bay Warriors 0

Tampa Mustangs-TJ 4, Explosion-Flores 2

FOURTH ROUND

SoCal Choppers 7, Firecrackers-TJ 5

Hotshots-Dumezich 2, Alabama Sparks Elite-Stewart 1

Beverly Bandits-Moran 8, Gainesville Gold 6

Tampa Mustangs-TJ 8, SoCal A’s-McNee 5

FIFTH ROUND

SoCal Choppers 5, EC Bullets 1

Hotshots-Dumezich 3, Prospex Gold 2

Demarini Aces 7, Beverly Bandits-Moran 5

Tampa Mustangs-TJ 10, Birmingham Bolts-Roberson 2

SIXTH ROUND

Hotshots-Dumezich 6, SoCal Choppers 3

Demarini Aces 5, Tampa Mustangs-TJ 2