Castro Valley Synergy Team Beats State Champs En Route to Fastpitch Title

It's not often you get a chance to face the state champ in girls' softball, but when they got the opportunity, the 12-and-under Black team was up to the challenge Sunday in the semifinals of the Rainbow Fields Rev-Honey "B" Fastpitch Tournament in Modesto.

Led by the pitching of Kelsey Nelson and the hitting of Angelina Parker and Amanda Huerta, the Synergy Black squad shocked USA Elite of Lodi 6-4 en route to the tournament championship.

USA Elite, which had won four consecutive tournaments—including the NSA State Championships—and had dominated its first four opponents in Modesto, featured the best pitcher the Synergy team had seen all summer.

The Lodi powerhouse led the semifinal contest 2-0 before Gabby Glavin's hit off the ace's foot ignited a six-run uprising in the third inning. Parker and Huerta had key run-producing hits in the inning.

Nelson took it from there, getting plenty of help from Christina Maldonado behind the plate and Yazmine Romero at second base.

The Synergy team then went on to rout the Central Valley Smackerz of Orange Cove, which had beaten Castro Valley in pool play Saturday, 10-0 in the finals behind Maggie Del Grande's second shutout of the day. Parker and Huerta combined for five RBIs in the title-clinching win, and Jaylin Palega smacked a long double.

The Synergy squad had opened the day with a 5-0 quarterfinal win over the Calaveras Sliders. Romero had three hits in the game and Michael Edwards-Gonzales came through with a critical two-run single.

The Synergy team also had faced the Sliders on Saturday, with Margeaux Jackson coming out of the bullpen to save a tight 8-6 victory.

The tournament championship was the team's first of the summer. Castro Valley will return to action Friday night in the Del Soderholm Memorial Tournament in Union City.

Sydney Richardson, Allie Curtis and Ashley Williams also contributed to the impressive championship run.