The Red, White, and Blue dominated the final day of Border Battle XIV, securing victories in both the Men’s and Women’s Futures games, as well as winning both Men’s and Women’s Border Battle contests against Canada.
U.S. Women’s Futures Slow Pitch National Team The Women’s Futures team finished the weekend with back-to-back wins, defeating JMI Sports and Tolbert’s All-Stars, ending Border Battle XIV with a 4-2 record. The only losses came from JMI Sports and the U.S. Women’s Slow Pitch National Team (WSPNT). The team narrowly beat JMI Sports 6-4 in their first game of the day, with 12 hits and multi-hit performances from Ta’Shelya Bynum (2-for-3), Alyssa Derrick (2-for-2), and Pam Usry (2-for-3). In the second game, they triumphed 17-9 over Tolbert’s All-Stars, with Randi Pauly going a perfect 4-for-4. Overall, the Women’s Futures team collected 88 hits and a .486 team batting average.
U.S. Women’s Slow Pitch National Team The USA Softball Women’s Slow Pitch National Team opened day three of Border Battle XIV with a dominant 28-4 win (run-rule in four innings) over Tolbert’s All-Stars, highlighted by an 11-run second inning and 10-run third inning. The U.S. tallied 24 hits, including a perfect 4-for-4 performance by Ashley Langoni.
Women’s Border Battle With strong offense and defense, the U.S. Women’s Slow Pitch National Team captured their fifth consecutive Border Battle title, defeating Canada 12-0 in five innings. Tylia Sylestine led the way with two singles, a triple, and three runs scored, while Megan Baltzell contributed a single, a home run (her fifth of the tournament), and four RBI. The U.S. scored in every inning, with a four-run first inning, a two-run blast from Baltzell, and a final three outs in the fifth to seal the win. The team finished with a .613 batting average, 95 hits, and 91 runs over the tournament.
U.S. Men’s Futures Slow Pitch National Team The Men’s Futures team racked up 27 runs in their first game, defeating GGC/TWP 27-11 (five innings), before defeating Elevate & Celebrate 40-25 (five innings) to close Border Battle XIV with a 5-1 record. The U.S. offense posted 67 runs on 58 hits, including 17 home runs. Mitchell Lendenski led the team with a .800 batting average, while Terry Lambright hit nine home runs, and Tyler Storey and Michal Rainer added five and seven homers, respectively.
U.S. Men’s Slow Pitch National Team The U.S. Men’s Slow Pitch National Team cruised to a 37-8 win (run-rule in four innings) over Elevate & Celebrate, powered by 10 home runs, including three from Kyle Pearson. The team totaled 41 hits, with four players recording five-hit performances and three others collecting four hits.
Men’s Border Battle The U.S. Men’s Slow Pitch National Team secured their 12th Border Battle title with a 21-14 victory over Canada. The U.S. hit seven home runs, including two from Ben Dunn and Phil Matte, and one each from Heath Barnes, Kyle Pearson, and Everett Williams. After Canada took an early lead, the U.S. responded with multiple home runs and timely hits to seize control of the game. Despite a late rally by Canada, the U.S. held strong and sealed the win in the seventh inning. The U.S. offense finished with a .709 batting average and 151 hits, including 47 home runs across five games.