The OC Tigers pose with their trophy they won at the PGF Tournament. (Photo courtesy OC Tigers)
The 12-and-under Orange County Tigers Lastrapes Sasaki travel softball team took third place at the annual PGF Softball National Championship Platinum Tournament played at Bill Barber Park in Irvine.
The Orange County team was made up of first year 12-and-under travel softball players from Irvine, Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley.
Coach Greg Sasaki said, “The girls did so well competing against players from around the country and believing we could do well, I’m so proud of all the girls and their fighting spirit.”
The OC Tigers started off the tournament well against another local team the Orange County the OC Hustlers, defeating the Fountain Valley based Hustlers 6-5 in extra innings. Tea’ Gutierrez from Huntington Beach drove in Gianna Ioja from South Huntington Beach for the game winner.
Next the Tigers beat the Nor Cal Breeze from Sacramento 5-3 as Gutierrez went the distance for the victory. Savanna Estrada went 3-for-3 with three RBI for the victorious OC Tigers.
Next the Orange County team lost to the Utah Heat and was sent to the loser’s bracket. That loss meant the 12 and under team would have to win five games in a row the next day to reach the televised PGF national finals game.
The day started off with a early morning game vs. the Marucci Patriots and the OC Tigers won 8-0. Mia Tamkoc pitched the Tigers to the run rule victory shutting out the Patriots. Abby Sasaki lad the way with the Tiger bats going 3-for-3 with an RBI. Estrada added three RBI on two hits.
Next the OC Tigers team beat the So Cal Choppers Seper girls 7-6 in a close game to advance in the double elimination tournament. Viana Pineda doubled in Sasaki in the top of the seventh inning to score the eventual winning run. Gutierrez pitched all seven innings for the win. Gianna Ioja and Pineda had three hits and Audrey Song added two hits to pace the Tigers offense.
The Orange County Tigers then met up against the Ohana Tigers team and the OC Tigers won the game 5-1 with Gutierrez pitching the OC Tigers to victory going seven full innings. Pineda, Mia Tamkoc, Payton Harris, and Estrada each had two hits for the Tigers.
The OC Tigers then played last year’s national champions, Texas Impact Gold, in a 5 p.m. game at Bill Barber Park.
The Orange County Tigers fell 4-3 with a late score by Texas Impact sending the Houston based team to the televised Platinum National Championship game and sending the Orange County Tigers home with a third place PGF Nationals finish.
Payton Harris and Pineda had two hits each in the game with Tamkoc pitching.
“To play a fourth consecutive game and to have that game be against the national champs was special, but we preach the girls to be believers, we needed to believe in each other, in this moment and each future moment as together we can do great things and the girls did just that in this tournament,” Sasaki said.
The Orange County Tigers team is made up of Savanna Estrada, Ryan Fortner, Kaitlyn Galasso, Tea’ Gutierrez, Payton Harris, Gianna Ioja, Viana Pineda, Abby Sasaki, Audrey Song, Clarissa Stayrook and Mia Tamkoc.
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