Two Florida programs made major noise at the PGF Super Grand in Dalton, Georgia, as Tampa Mustangs Rene finished as 18U co-champions and the Miami Stingrays made a strong semifinal run before weather cut the tournament short.
Miami Stingrays Make Semifinal Run, Weather Stops the Run
The Miami Stingrays left Dalton, Georgia with a strong statement weekend, even if the weather did not let them finish the job.
Competing at the PGF Super Grand from June 12-14, the Stingrays battled through a loaded field of 16U and 18U teams and made a run all the way into the semifinals before the tournament was cut short by weather. Miami finished the weekend 7-3, turning a 3-3 pool play start into one of the stronger bracket pushes of the event.
It was not a perfect weekend. It was probably not supposed to be. Events like this rarely give teams a clean path. The field was deep, the games were competitive, and the Stingrays had to earn their way forward after an uneven start in pool play.
Once bracket play arrived, Miami looked like a different team.
The Stingrays picked up big bracket wins over Armor Elite Premier - O’Neal and Unity Torres, two quality wins that helped push them into the semifinal round. In a tournament with this level of competition, those wins matter. They showed that Miami was not just hanging around the bracket. They were capable of beating strong teams when the games carried more weight.
Offensively, the Stingrays gave themselves plenty to work with.
Over 10 games, Miami hit .376 as a team with 88 hits, 16 doubles and 71 runs. Those numbers tell the story of a lineup that stayed active throughout the weekend. This was not one big inning or one hot game inflating the stat sheet. Miami consistently put pressure on opposing defenses, got traffic on the bases and found ways to turn opportunities into runs.
Ava Stevens had one of the top offensive weekends for the Stingrays, hitting .619 with 13 hits, 11 runs, three doubles and six walks. That is production in just about every category. Stevens reached base, scored runs and helped set the tone for an offense that became difficult to slow down as the weekend went on.
Danbee Kim was another major part of that offensive push, batting .524 with 11 hits, 11 runs and five RBIs. Kim’s ability to get on base and produce runs gave Miami another steady presence in the lineup. When multiple hitters are producing at that level, it makes it hard for opponents to work around one player or one part of the order.
The Stingrays also showed real power.
Lani Gonzalez finished the weekend with four home runs, leading Miami’s “Dinger Club.” That kind of power changes games quickly, especially in bracket play where one swing can completely shift the momentum. Jasmine Armenteros, Caylee Cerda and Carley Hernandorena also joined the home run group, giving Miami multiple bats capable of driving the ball out of the park.
That balance was a big part of the Stingrays’ success. They had hitters getting on base, hitters driving in runs and hitters who could change the game with one swing. Against strong pitching, that kind of depth becomes important. A lineup is much harder to manage when the damage can come from several spots.
Miami also got important work in the circle from Destiny Ortega and Cheyanne Chaffin. Ortega threw 15 innings and recorded 17 strikeouts, while Chaffin worked 20 innings with 21 strikeouts. Together, they combined for 35 innings and 38 strikeouts across the weekend.
In a 10-game tournament, innings add up fast. Having pitchers who can keep competing deep into the weekend is a major piece of any bracket run. The Stingrays needed that stability, especially after having to climb from a 3-3 pool play record into semifinal position.
That may be the biggest takeaway from Miami’s weekend. The Stingrays did not come out of pool play with a spotless record or an easy path. They had to reset, respond and play their best softball when the bracket started to tighten. That says something about the group.
A 7-3 finish at an event like the PGF Super Grand is strong on its own. Doing it after a 3-3 pool start makes the run more impressive. Miami could have let the weekend drift after pool play, but instead the Stingrays found another gear.
The weather ended the tournament before Miami had the chance to finish the semifinal run on the field, which always leaves a little frustration. But the body of work was still there.
The Stingrays hit, they pitched, they won big bracket games and they proved they could compete deep into a loaded event.
For Miami, Dalton was not just a good weekend. It was a reminder that bracket play is often where a team shows what it really has.
Tampa Mustangs Rene Finish as 18U Co-Champions
The Tampa Mustangs Rene made their weekend in Dalton pretty simple to understand.
They showed up, scored a lot, gave up very little and left as 18U co-champions at the PGF Super Grand.
The event, held June 12-14 in Dalton, Georgia, brought together a loaded field of 16U and 18U teams, and the Mustangs put together one of the cleanest overall weekends in the division. Tampa finished 7-0-1, reaching the championship game before weather prevented the final from being played.
It was not the ending anyone wanted, but it was enough to make the point. The Mustangs were still standing at the end of a long, difficult weekend, and they earned their share of the title with a complete performance from top to bottom.
The numbers were strong across the board.
Tampa scored 63 runs while allowing just 14, a gap that tells most of the story. In a tournament with this type of competition, averaging nearly eight runs per game while giving up fewer than two is a pretty good way to avoid unnecessary drama. Softball will always find a way to get strange at times, but the Mustangs did a good job making sure most games stayed on their terms.
At the plate, Tampa hit .391 as a team across the event. That type of average over eight games is not just a hot inning or one big game carrying the weekend. It points to a lineup that consistently put pressure on opposing pitchers, created traffic and turned opportunities into runs.
The Mustangs also showed real power, finishing with 16 total home runs. That was one of the biggest pieces of their weekend. Home runs do more than add runs to the scoreboard. They change how teams have to pitch, how defenses line up and how much pressure every baserunner puts on the game.
For Tampa, the power was spread throughout the lineup.
Gracyn Needle led the way with three home runs, giving the Mustangs their top long-ball producer of the weekend. Sabrina Boyer, Kamryn Hackett, Kamryn Potts, Madison Rider and Emma Pynes each added two home runs, while Madison Kokoszka, Sammi Ryther and Tallah Murria each added one.
That is not one player carrying the power numbers. That is a lineup with damage coming from several spots, which is exactly what makes a team difficult to manage late in a tournament. Pitch around one hitter and there is another one waiting. Make a mistake in the wrong count and the ball may not stay in the yard.
Madison Rider led the way offensively, hitting .526 with 10 hits in 19 at-bats. She also finished as the team’s hits leader with 10, giving Tampa a steady presence in the lineup throughout the event. Rider’s weekend was the kind that helps an offense settle in. When a hitter is producing that consistently, it creates rhythm for the rest of the order.
Kamryn Potts led the team with seven RBIs and also added two home runs. That combination matters. It is one thing to hit for power, but driving in runs consistently is what turns offensive pressure into wins. Potts delivered in those moments and helped Tampa cash in on scoring chances throughout the weekend.
The pitching side was just as important.
The Mustangs finished with a 1.92 team ERA and allowed only 14 runs over the entire tournament. In an event filled with strong lineups, that level of run prevention gave Tampa room to play aggressive softball. The offense had plenty of firepower, but the pitching staff made sure the Mustangs were not forced into track meets every time out.
That balance is what stood out most about the weekend.
Some teams win by outslugging everyone. Others lean hard on pitching and defense. Tampa Mustangs Rene showed they could do both. They scored in bunches, hit for average, hit for power and controlled games in the circle. That is how a team gets through a loaded tournament without taking a loss.
The final game being wiped out by weather will always leave a little unfinished business. That is part of tournament softball, especially in the summer. You can build the schedule, line up the matchups and get everything ready, and then the sky decides it wants a say.
Still, the weather did not erase what Tampa did over the weekend.
The Mustangs went 7-0-1. They scored 63 runs. They gave up only 14. They hit .391 as a team. They posted a 1.92 ERA. They hit 16 home runs. And they earned a co-championship in a strong 18U field at the PGF Super Grand.
That is a full weekend of work, even without the final pitch.
For Tampa Mustangs Rene, Dalton was not just about leaving with a title. It was about showing the depth, power and balance of a team that looked comfortable in big games and dangerous throughout the lineup.
The trophy may say co-champions, but the weekend said plenty more.
