O.C. Batbusters catch fire, reach final four

More than one club could have considered itself unlucky when the brackets were released for the Premier Girls Fastpitch Nationals.

In one first-round matchup, the programs featured had combined to win three of the last four 18U Premier titles.

The O.C. Batbusters Stith, winners of the 18U Premier crown in 2014 and 2015, saw their name appear next to the Beverly Bandits Conroy (Chicago), the defending national champions.

Immediately, the Batbusters dropped to the loser’s bracket after falling in a close opener by a score of 4-3 on Monday morning.

A team that drops its opener has a tall mountain to climb, as it has to win 10 elimination games in a row to reach the finals. The Batbusters bounced back from an early disappointment behind a prolific offense and intense focus.

On Thursday, the Batbusters notched the sort of win that would seem to get a rise out of their players. After being sent to the loser’s bracket on the first day, the Batbusters ended the Bandits’ season when they met again in the loser’s bracket.

The Batbusters pounded out 16 hits as a team in disposing of the Bandits 10-4 at the Huntington Beach Sports Complex.

Following the momentum-building win, Batbusters coach Mike Stith said exacting revenge on the Bandits was not one of his takeaways from the game. It was the start of what he hoped would be a long day, one in which his team would have to win six games to reach the championship round.

“The revenge, it’s not a big deal to me,” Stith said. “I just want to win the games and move on.

“They beat us [on Monday]. We didn’t play well the first game, and they beat us. They deserved to win, and now we’re dealing with what we’re dealing with.”

The 18U Premier championship game will take place in the early evening on Friday at 4:30 p.m.

In his pursuit of a fourth title-game appearance in six years at the 18U level, Stith saw his team rattle off convincing wins in the first four games of Thursday’s action. In winning those games, the Batbusters will finish no worse than tied for third place.

Jasmine Perezchica and Kinzie Hansen led the Batbusters with three hits apiece against the Bandits. Maya Brady, Colleen Sullivan, Terra McGowan and Jadelyn Allchin each had two hits.

Allchin, a rising senior at Huntington Beach, serves as a leadoff hitter for the Oilers. She sparked a three-run rally for the Batbusters in the fifth with a leadoff home run.

The local center fielder has given her commitment to the University of Washington.

Had it not been for her getting robbed by Bandits center fielder Kiki Milloy in the second inning of the Batbusters’ opening game on Thursday, Tiare Jennings would have homered in three consecutive games to start the day.

The Batbusters notched wins against the Impact Gold Jackson from Texas (11-2), the Texas Glory (7-2), and the Firecrackers Brashear (8-2). They used a revolving door in the pitching circle, with Vanessa Foreman, Madi Elish, Alanna Thiede and Olivia Rains throwing innings. All four pitched against the Bandits.

“It’s an advantage if they’re pitching [well],” Stith said after eliminating the Bandits. “I kept changing people because nobody could find any consistency. If they pitch, they’ll be fine, but that’s not the case.

“There’s no consistent basis for what they’re doing. If somebody would step up and own this a little bit, this would get a lot simpler.”

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Also in the PGF Nationals 18U Premier Bracket

E.C. Bullets 5, Firecrackers Rico/Weil 4 (Late – 8 innings): The Huntington Beach-based Firecrackers were eliminated after squandering one run leads in both the seventh and eighth innings in Wednesday night’s loser’s bracket game.

Allee Bunker, a recent graduate of Huntington Beach High, had a two-run home run in the first inning. The former Oilers’ infielder will play for the University of Oregon in college.

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Twitter: @ProfessorTurner