Six Standout Club Teams From Veterans Tribute

Last weekend, the northwestern suburbs and exurbs of Atlanta were softball central, as a cavalcade of premier teams from the southeast and beyond converged on Cobb and Cherokee counties for this year's Veterans Tribute Showcase.

Teams that took part were sorted into three divisions—18U, 16U, and 14U. A number of teams were playing up in class.

There were several standout players who turned in solid performances over the weekend, and there were also several standout teams that established themselves as tough to defeat. Here are six of those teams from last weekend.

Impact Gold Premier NC McCauley

The Charlotte-based travel team went eight-for-eight during its Veterans Tribute Showcase weekend. It competed in two games on Friday, four on Saturday, and two more on Sunday.

Impact Gold Premier NC McCauley began its weekend with an 8-0 victory over AP Gold Smith 18U. A five-run second inning was the key catalyst in that victory. Taryn Jenkins—a Francis Marion commit—was the key catalyst in that victory with a double and two RBIs. The team also benefited from two innings of solid work from Morgan Everitt, who was playing up in class as a 2029. She worked two innings while striking out six batters.

The weekend concluded for Impact Gold Premier NC McCauley with a 5-0 shutout of Unity Russel. Jenkins lifted her team to victory in the circle (five strikeouts and only two walks in four innings) and at the plate with two home runs.

Team NC Polk 18U

It was the fourth invite for the Rock Hill, South Carolina-based travel squad, and Team NC Polk 18U departed from Georgia with six victories in six tries.

Team NC Polk displayed that it can win in a rout. An example of this occurred in the team's final matchup of the weekend, with a 15-2 blowout of Tampa Mustangs RT 18U. Team NC Polk 18U benefited from three RBIs courtesy of Lily Stone and Reagan Rowsey. Stone is an Elon commit, while Rowsey is set to bring her softball talents to Wofford. Kendall Howard also struck out four batters in two innings of work.

The team also showed it can win nail-biters. Its second game of the weekend was against Virginia Legends Premier 18U Freitager/Brown/Creque. Team NC Polk 18U prevailed in a 2-1 decision following a walk-off double from Howard. Berkeley Miller also gave her team five solid innings in the circle, where she struck out six batters while allowing only two walks and one earned run.

Athletics Gold Tamborra/Batroff 16U

Moving to the 16U ranks, Athletics Gold Tamborra/Batroff was one of the teams to defeat in that group. The team was shorthanded at the Champions Fall Showcase because several players were competing with their school ball teams at the state championships in Columbus.

Athletics Gold Tamborra/Batroff 16U was at full strength at the Veterans Tribute Showcase, and it displayed it throughout the weekend with a 5-0 record. It began on Saturday with a 6-5 victory over Rock Gold Diab Manetta Premier 16U. Porter Butler contributed two hits—a double and a triple—along with two RBIs. Athletic Gold Tamborra/Batroff 16U held on for the victory despite a furious Rock Gold Diab Manetta Premier 16U comeback attempt.

The team concluded its time at the Veterans Tribute Showcase with an exclamation point in the form of a 12-2 decision at the expense of Impact Caymol Lawson 16U. Home runs from Pyper Barnhardt and Aubree Spencer were the big hits of that effort, and Brylyn Parsons drove in two runs, as did Spencer.

Barnhardt, Butler, and Ryleigh Taylor scored two runs apiece.

Carolina Elite National Cheek/Genovese 16U

As all teams do prior to a showcase, tournament, or season, Carolina Elite National Cheek/Genovese 16U entered the Veterans Tribute Showcase with a zero in its loss column. It also departed from Georgia with a zero in its loss column after seven games played.

The bulk of Carolina Elite National Cheek/Genovese 16U's games were blowouts. Its most lopsided one was a 16-0 rout of NJ Gators National 16U. Among the signature performers in that matchup were Vivi Whitfield (home run, three RBIs), Mary Kate Lively (double, run, three RBIs), Reese Davis (double, two RBIs, two runs), and Braley Richardson (three strikeouts in two innings).

There was an exception to that theme of routs for Carolina Elite National Cheek/Genovese 16U. It was on the same Saturday as the blowout against NJ Gators National 16U when it defeated Armor Elite Premier 28/29 Pope 16U by a final score of 4-1. Adi Howard scored three of those four runs, and Richardson finished with two RBIs. Whitfield and Avery Jones combined to hold Armor Elite Premier 28/29 Pope 16U to only one hit.

Easton Select 2031

Last, but not least, is the 14U division. Easton Select was one of two teams in the 14U field that concluded its Veterans Tribute Showcase weekend with five victories.

It also had a mix of routs and nail-biters. The team's final contest of the weekend was a nail-biter, which resulted in a 4-2 victory over Lady Dukes Wilkerson/Lamar 14U. Easton Select greatly benefited from four innings of relief courtesy of Kara Gautney, who struck out three batters while allowing only one walk and one hit. Laynia Gautney drove in three runs in a winning Easton Select effort.

Easton Select's offense scored a grand total of 32 runs throughout its three Saturday games, including 17 against M.A.G.I.C Select 14U. Cami Sisa scored three of those runs in addition to stealing a pair of bases, and Aubrey Thompson added three RBIs, two hits, and a run to Easton Select's efforts. Harper Renfroe drove in three runs and scored two more. Her game also included a double and a stolen base. Makenzie White contributed a double, two runs, and an RBI to the Easton Select cause.

Unity 2030/31 Dickey

This was the other team in the 14U division that picked up five wins out of five throughout the weekend. Unity 2030/31 Dickey hit the turf and dirt running in its first contest of Veterans Tribute Showcase weekend, resulting in a 13-2 blowout at the expense of Athletics Gold Tamborra/Reece 2031.

The team tallied four runs in the first and second innings and five in the third frame. Daelynn Mapp, who recently completed her freshman season at 7A Dacula, had two big hits in that offensive onslaught—a double and a home run in addition to three RBIs and two runs scored. Unity 2030/31 Dickey also benefited from a double, a run scored, and two RBIs courtesy of KG Totherow.

Following a pair of games that Saturday in which the team put up a double-digit run total, it faced its toughest test against GA Bombers Newsome 14U. That contest would result in a 6-4 victory for Unity 2030/31 Dickey. The team built a 5-0 lead until the bottom of the fourth, which would yield a furious four-run GA Bombers Newsome 14U comeback bid. Unity 2030/31 Dickey would plate an insurance run in the top of the fifth.

Jillian Mundy of 5A state champion Jefferson contributed two hits and a stolen base. Ella Benson from the softball powerhouse that is 7A Buford added a double, a run scored, and an RBI. Totherow also delivered a double.

The team hit .459 over the weekend, and opposing batters only hit .239 against Unity 2030/31 Dickey's arms.