The 18U and 16U AFCS Champions are set between the three tiers in each division have been claimed in Indiana.
AFCS 18U Tier 1: OC Batbusters over Texas Bombers (2-1)
Game 1: Texas Bombers 6-4
In one of the most thrilling contests, Abby Lynch-Buxton (Ole Miss signee) stole the show. Lynch-Buxton drove out a blast to center field for a walk-off three-run home run in the eighth inning to put her team in the driver’s seat.
It didn’t matter if it was 2028 five-star Sydney Root, 2027 five-star Washington commit Abby Ford or Florida signee Liliana Escobar, Lynch-Buxton had her way.
She hit a two-run homer off Root in the second inning. She hit an opposite-field double against Ford, followed by her game-winner against Escobar.
The trio of Gisela Boitmann (2027 Auburn commit), Riese Flood (Arizona State signee) and Brooklynn Hagerty (2027 Texas commit) pitched well. Hagerty tossed three hitless innings in relief.
Oklahoma commit Riley Hilliard drilled a three-run homer off Boitmann in the third inning to give OC Batbusters a lead. Hilliard also put down a perfect sacrirce bunt for in the top of the eight to move Caelyn Campos, the runner placed at second to third. Campos scored on a groundout in the next at-bat.
Ford pitched very well, navigating through multiple jams, including keeping the Bombers off the board when they loaded the bases with no outs. She ended her four-inning outing with four hits and five strikeouts.
Game 2: OC Batbusters 7-6
The second contest came down to the last pitch as well. Texas signee Annie Abdullah collected her first hit of the series, hitting a two-out triple to put the tying run at third in the seventh. Escobar, who started the game for the Batbusters, struck out Morgan Sanchez (2027 Texas State commit) to end the threat and force a third game.
The Batbusters offense came alive from the start. Despite not scoring in the first inning, Stanford signee Ka’lea Tindal and Caelyn Campos (2028) opened the game with singles, seeing Bomber starter Cece Dotts (2027 Missouri commit) well.
Tindal opened the third inning with a double and came around to score on a second single from Campos. Reese Hilliard (2027 Stanford commit) poked a single through the left side for an RBI. Grace Maguire (Nevada signee) blooped a ball into left field and took a wicked hop in front of Addison Otto (Houston signee) to allow two more runs to score.
Hilliard lined a ball to center for a two-run double. Tessa Cowsill (BYU signee) extended the lead to six with a sacrifice fly in the fourth.
The Bombers didn’t go down without a fight. Florida signee Brooklyn Gidley carried the rally in the fifth with a double for the team’s second run. Sanchez blasted a three-run homer to cut the lead down to two.
Lynch-Buxton needed to add to her stellar series. She led off the sixth inning with a solo home run, her third of the championship. In the end, it was too little, too late.
Game 3: OC Batbusters 11-6
The AFCS 18U Tier 1 title is headed back to the West Coast. The bats were on fire for the Batbusters, and well, the Bombers too.
In a future Red River Rivalry showdown between two of the best in the 2027 class, the Sooner won out. Riley Hilliard blasted a grand slam against Bomber starter and future Longhorn Brooklynn Hagerty. That kickstarted the slugfest to decide the champion.
Maguire roped a two-run double to extend the lead to five in the third.
The Bombers did put together a strong third inning in response. They had five straight singles, with Gidley and Sanchez driving in three runs. Ford came in on relief and rolled an inning-ending double play to keep the lead at two.
It didn’t take long for the Batbusters to punch back as well. Maya Matthies (2027 Oregon commit) doubled in a run. Hilliard and Natalie Keith (Arizona signee) both homered, marking Hilliard’s third blast of the series. Tindal drove in another run in the sixth.
Back-to-back doubles from Gidley and Michaela Landers (2028) netted the Bombers a pair of runs in the fifth. Gidley ended the game with four hits.
AFCS 18U Tier 2: VA Glory Willemssen over OC Batbusters Legacy-Lara (2-0)
Game 1: VA Glory Willemssen 11-8
Scoring came early and often in this slugfest. VA Glory scored three in the eighth inning as Ryleigh Dooley (2027 Penn State commit) smoked a two-run homer to put her team up three late.
MJ Melvin (2027 Virginia Tech commit) also homered earlier in the game. Charleston Southern signee Jenna Wilson and 2027 College of Charleston commit Zea Sullivan also drove in two runs.
The crooked numbers get the attention, but Norah Jacques (2027 South Carolina commit) calmed things down. The future Gamecock allowed one hit in 4.1 innings, striking out five in the win.
Game 2: VA Glory Willemssen 5-1
Jacques starred in the second game as well. She threw 3.2 innings scoreless in relief with four Ks. Rylan Crisafulli (2027 Boston U commit) had a solid start, tossing three innings, allowing one hit.
In the box, Wilson had a two-hit, three-RBI game, hitting a pair of home runs. Princeton signee Ashley Bui homered and doubled at the top of the lineup.
AFCS 18U Tier 3: Chicago Cheetahs Connolly over Indiana Gators Premier Meyer/Lloyd (2-0)
Game 1: Chicago Cheetahs Connolly 8-1
Ashley Ellevog (UIC signee) – 2-for-4
Lily Perocho (2028) – 4 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 K
Game 2: Chicago Cheetahs Connolly 9-6
Aubrey Mazza (McLennan signee) – 2-for-4, 2B, 4 RBI
Alyssa Shimanski (UIC signee) – 2-for-4, 2B, 3 RBI
AFCS 16U Tier 1: Texas Bombers Gold Serie over Turnin2 Pezz (2-0)
Game 1: Texas Bombers 10-2
The game was tightly contested for most of it until the middle of the Texas Bomber lineup broke things open late. Savannah Barrientos (2027) and Emree Massaad (2027 Texas commit) hit back-to-back singles to open the fifth. Ryann Harris (2028) blasted a three-run homer to take the lead and the Bombers never looked back.
In the sixth, the bottom of the lineup loaded the bases for Joley Bennett (2028). The star at third base delivered with a hard shot up the middle that went all the way to the wall for a bases-clearing double and extending the lead to seven.
Barrientos ended with three hits and Courtney Latronico (2029) added two.
2028 standout Jessica Hinnant went the distance for the Bombers, limiting Turnin2 in their scoring chances. She allowed two earned runs on four hits and struck out five.
Kamryn Stankus (2028) had a pair of hits and drove in both runs for Turnin2.
Game 2: Texas Bombers 14-4
The second game had a similar feel as the teams traded blows early before a big swing from Harris changed the momentum. Harris stepped up with the bases loaded in the third as the Bombers trailed 3-2. That only lasted so long. She sent out another homer past the left-field wall for a grand slam, which opened the floodgates.
Turnin2 answered back with a run in the top of the fourth to trim the decifit to two, but the Bombers scored eight in the bottom half to end the game via run-rule.
Harris finished the game with six RBIs. Kenley Sonnier (2028), Ashlynn Kennedy (2028) and Ainsley Morvan (2028) all had two RBIs apiece.
Malloy Miles (2027 Ole Miss commit) and Maliyah Lewis (2028) split the work in the circle for the Bombers.
AFCS 16U Tier 2: ROI Midwest-Kessler over LLG Premier (2-0)
Game 1: ROI Midwest-Kessler 5-2
ROI Midwest capitalized on defensive miscues by LLG Premier, which committed five errors. In ROI Midwest’s three-run sixth inning, the difference in the game, three errors fueled their scoring.
Raegan Brandt, one of the top 2028 bats, and Kaylee Keuhl (2028) had two hits each with Brandt hitting a homer and Keuhl a double. The youthful bottom of the lineup: Charlee Sanders (2030) and CC Mateo (2029) both had a hit and scored a run.
Four-star pitcher Maisey McCarty carried a heavy load in the circle again. She threw 6.1 innings in relief after Brandt started the game, but lacked control. McCarty allowed four hits and worked around four walks in the win.
Game 2: ROI Midwest-Kessler 6-2
It was more of the same in the second game with Brandt and McCarty leading the way. Brandt went 4-for-4 with two RBIs, hitting a triple and a home run, falling a double short of the cycle.
McCarty went six innings, allowing two runs and five hits. She also struck out five batters. Gabriyella Kessler (2030) closed it out with a scoreless inning. She had a great tournament as a hitter, a name to know along the way.
AFCS 16U Tier 3: EC Bullets Gold Ellis over Stars National Waker (2-0)
Game 1: EC Bullets Gold Ellis 6-3
Ella Twilley (2028) – 2-for-3, 2 2B, 3 RBI
Ava Twilley (Mississippi State signee) – 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 3 K
Game 2: EC Bullets Gold Ellis 5-3
Courtney Wheeler (2027) – 2-for-4
Emmi Harris (2027) – 1-for-4, HR, RBI
Abby Griffis (2027) – 6.1 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 6 K
