National Team takes the Pitcher’s Duel in Third Annual Alliance All-Star Game Powered by Under Armour

By: Alison Newland

National Team takes the Pitcher’s Duel in Third Annual Alliance All-Star Game

Powered by Under Armour

JULY 24, 2023 – The National Team takes a 3-1 victory over the American Team in this year’s All-Star game in front of a standing room only crowd.

The third annual Alliance All-Star game was played at Cal State Fullerton’s Anderson Family Field and powered by Under Armour. Every coach and player at the event were given a world class experience-outfitted in full Under Armour gear. In a groundbreaking move, the All-Star game was called by a four person, all female umpiring crew provided and outfitted by 3N2 Sports. In addition to Anderson Family Field being packed, many watched the game from home, streamed live by AthletesGoLive with a multi-camera production and announcers calling the game. These sponsors helped put together a memorable day to give these female athletes the experience they deserve in the areas of recovery, training, and competition.

This year’s teams featured star-studded coaching line-ups.  The National Team was led by Tiare Jennings (Oklahoma, 3 Time National Champion), Olivia Dinardo (Arizona, PAC 12 Freshman Team) and Jen Schroeder (Former UCLA Catcher, Founder of The Package Deal). The American Team was coached by Jodie Legaspi-Kiaha (Orange Coast College Coach, UCLA National Champion), Megan Grant (UCLA, All-American), Natasha Watley (UCLA, OLY) and Carol Bruggeman (Executive Director and Future Hall of Fame member of the NFCA), 

The beginning of the game was all pitching, starting with future Longhorn Teagan Kavan striking out the side in the top of the first. Pitching has certainly been a theme over the last two years, as 2022’s game was headlined by starting pitchers NiJaree Canady (Stanford) and Sydney Berzon (LSU, All-America), both of which are coming off of incredible freshman campaigns. 

Tori Edwards, committed to LSU, helped the American Team scratch one run across on an RBI single in the bottom of the inning, but the score stayed stagnant from there until the fifth.  

The National Team tied it up with a monster home-run from Ella Parker, a swing certainly indicative of her upcoming move to Norman. The Oklahoma commit blasted the only home run of the night with a Demarini whisper, the official bat of the Alliance All-Star Game. 

An impressive pitching performance from future Oregon Duck, Taylor Spencer, held the American Team to one hit and no runs through 3 innings, keeping the score the same through five. 

In the 6th, the tie was broken on an RBI single from Makenna Mitchell of the National Team, putting them up 2-1.  The National Team would tack on one more before heading to the 7th inning. 

After no runs and no hits from either squad, the National Team rushed the field in a 3-1 victory over the American Team. The win put the National Team back on top of the all time win column of the All-Game. 

The All-Stars joined their teams today as the hunt for an AFCS Championship begins in southern California.  

11 of this year’s NFCA Top 25 Freshman of the Year List were 2022 Alliance All-Stars. Be on the lookout for every one of these stars in D1 NCAA Softball next season.