10 2029 Top Performers From Alliance Open Nationals

The scenery of Chattanooga, Tennessee provides one of the most picturesque backdrops to any youth sports event, especially outdoors. This year's Alliance Open Nationals was no exception.    Several venues throughout the Tennessee-Georgia state line were utilized, as teams from the 18U, 16U, and 14U divisions gathered for a week of exhilarating softball. One of the sites used was Heritage Point in Dalton which, in appropriate Dalton fashion, features 10 astroturf fields.    We at Prep Softball were on site in the Tennessee and Georgia mountains for the festivities. A number of signature performances were turned in by the rising sophomore class. We spotlight those standouts below.     Louisiana Voodoo Gold Barksdale/Dufrene 14U managed to begin this year's Alliance Open Nationals with a 4-0 record, in large part because of Savannah Ledet's heroics both at the plate and in the circle. She responded to a rough outing against Vibe Arnold 14U (one where her team gave her plenty of run support en route to a 10-7) with an impressive performance against Lady Dukes Casteel 14U, in which she struck out four batters in four innings. She also helped her own cause in that contest with a double. Ledet also scored two runs in a 15-5 victory over Gametime Ones Compton, and an RBI double accounted for one of her three hits in an 11-6 win over TN Firecrackers Roberts 2029.      Outlaws National Wolff/Shepherd 2029 14U also established itself as one of the teams to beat in Chattanooga. In a 14-0 rout of TN Ballhawks-Dotson 13U, a triple accounted for Sophia Shumaker's lone hit of the day—in her only at-bat, as she also scored twice, plated two runs, and drew a walk. Shumaker was a particularly tough out in a 9-1 victory over Unity – VB 14U. Her day included a home run, three RBIs, and two runs scored. Another home run was one of her two hits, along with three more RBIs and two more runs scored in a 13-0 blowout of Gametime Ones Compton.      Speaking of teams that opened Alliance Open Nationals with a 4-0 record, that applied to Turnin2 Julien. Sam Nikolovski wasted no time getting her bat going as she had a double, an RBI, and two runs scored in an 8-0 win over Unity 13U. She can have an aggressive approach when she sees pitches she likes, but also understands the value of patience at the plate. Two more hits and two more runs scored helped her team to an 8-6 win over Outlaws Premier 2011 Popowitz 14U. Another run scored would help Turnin2 Julien 14U to a 6-5 victory over another tough squad in AL Impact Gold Premier 14U.     When facing Firecrackers FL 29/30, a key objective of an opposing team has to be to find a way to get Tocoi Creek standout Ally Satryan out. There is a reason why Satryan hits in the heart of the Firecrackers FL order. Satryan was a key bat in a 4-3 victory over Ohio Stingrays 2029 Thompson National, as evidenced by her two RBIs, a double, and a run scored. It was in a 9-1 victory over Atlanta Vipers Johnson/Henry 14U where Satryan was particularly tough to get out, as her day included a home run, a double, three RBIs, and two runs scored.      Four wins in four tries would be how Dodgers National 29/30 14U's time at Alliance Open Nationals would commence. Keagynn Williams came through with the big hit in a 7-5 win over Power Softball 14U Nixon. With the game tied at five in the bottom of the fourth, Williams delivered a walk-off two-run hit to give her team the win. Those were two of her three RBIs she had for the game. Dodgers National 29/30 got just enough offense in a 3-2 win over OK Athletics National 13U Madden/Ferg, and her double accounted for one of only two extra-base hits her team had in that contest.     Bailey Holderfield is one of Alabama's premier pitchers in the 2029 class, and she hit the astroturf infield running at Alliance Open Nationals. In a 7-2 victory for SoCal Athletics 2029 National against RI Thunder LFC 14U Schmeiser/Carriero, Holderfield held her opposition to three hits while striking out seven batters in four innings. She is also dangerous with the bat. Offense was at a premium in a 3-1 win against Top Gun 29/30 Simmons-Parker 14U, but a home run accounted for one of those three runs. She had another stellar performance in the circle in an 8-3 win over Texas 14U Gold – KTX, in which she struck out five in nearly four innings of work.     Conventional wisdom says that hitters at the bottom of a team's order are easier outs than those who hit in the top half. That did not apply to Bryn Reilson. In Top Gun 29/30 IL's first two games at Alliance Open Nationals, Reilson sailed three over the outfield fence. Two of those bombs occurred in a 9-5 win over Carolina Thunderbolts 2029 in a game in which she had eight total bases. A two-run home run helped her team to an 8-2 win over Mystics 14U Garrett/Kilborn. Offense was at a premium in a 2-2 tie with Impact Caymol 2029/2030 Martinez, but Reilson still had one of her team's five hits.      As this year's Alliance Open Nationals wore on, it appeared that Reece Braman's bat only got stronger. Athletics Mercado Lazenby 2029/30 14U's time in Chattanooga commenced with a 3-3 tie with EC Bullets Perry National 2030/2031, in which Braman drove in two of her team's runs. It was in a 15-6 win against TN Mojo Hudson later that Wednesday that Braman's presence began to be felt. Braman had three hits in four at-bats and scored every time she reached base. Her bat stayed hot in a 10-2 win against EC Bullets Mafia with a triple, two runs driven in, and a run scored.      Jess Waggoner and her AL Impact Gold Premier 14U team put forth a strong showing at this year's Alliance Open Nationals. She got things going in a 7-3 victory over EC Bullets Premier Tampa with a double, two RBIs, and a run scored. Waggoner had the only extra-base hit for her team in that contest. Her entire squad had the bats going in a 17-0 blowout of Unity 13U Umansky. This included Waggoner who had another double as one of her two hits, in addition to plating three more runs. Prior to sporting an AL Impact Gold Premier 14U uniform, Waggoner played for Georgia Impact 2010 Hartman.      D1Vision began its time at Alliance Open Nationals with a 3-1 record. Savanna Robinette displayed the production coaches expect from someone hitting fourth in a team's batting order. That included one of her team's four doubles in a 6-2 victory over Texas Blaze Gold Futures Gabriel 14U. She also scored a run and drove in another in that contest. Robinette slugged a three-run home run as part of an offensive onslaught that saw her team blow out NC Stars National Humble 14U by a final score of 13-0. Even day zero was productive for Robinette, as she had the highest exit velocity across all age divisions.

The scenery of Chattanooga, Tennessee provides one of the most picturesque backdrops to any youth sports event, especially outdoors. This year's Alliance Open Nationals was no exception.