VIERA, FL: The Space Coast Complex would’ve been a puddle last weekend if softball diamonds could melt. The Elite Rock SE Qualifier wasn’t just a showcase of top-tier fastpitch talent but a survival test. With on-field temps pushing triple digits and humidity thick enough to slice with a bat, the fact that only one game didn’t finish is a small miracle. Credit the tenacity of the players, the grit of the coaches, and above all, the endurance of the umpires who somehow stuck it out in that oven without melting into the infield clay.
Let’s also give Tonya Waters and her staff a standing ovation for orchestrating a tightly run event under grueling conditions. Managing a packed slate of games is hard enough. Doing it when the field feels like a frying pan? That takes a special kind of fortitude.
From emerging stars to gritty underdogs, here’s a breakdown of what went down in each division:
14U Division: Bullets Battle Ends in Family Affair
The 14U final was an all-EC Bullets showdown, with Jackson/Travis 14U taking home the crown after an emphatic 8-2 win over their sister squad, Jackson/Bobby 14U. Familiarity didn’t breed complacency—it fueled a fierce, cleanly played final between two well-coached teams.
EC Bullets Jackson/Travis put together a perfect 7-0 run across the weekend, outscoring opponents 52-14 with a blend of aggressive offense and rock-solid pitching. The title game followed suit. Avalowe Fitzgerald started in the circle and worked four efficient innings, allowing just two hits and two runs (only one earned) while striking out three.
The lineup offered no breathers. Natalie Singletary was a menace at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a double and two RBIs. Willa Pagnutti got on base and made things happen, drawing a walk, scoring twice, and adding a hit. Linzie Hamilton delivered the dagger—a 2-for-2 day with a triple and three RBIs that slammed the door on any comeback hopes.
As for Jackson/Bobby, the weekend was a rollercoaster. They went 4-4 overall, but caught fire late. On Monday, they posted gritty wins over Ohana (6-2) and Tampa Mustangs Bedenbaugh (7-4) to claw their way into the final. It was a gutsy effort from a team that battled all the way back after an up-and-down start.
16U Division: Hustle and Heart, Weather Be Darned
The 16U bracket might not have crowned a singular champion, but no one walked away unsatisfied. Miami Stingrays 16U and Hustle 16U were named Co-Champions after Mother Nature decided she’d had enough of the softball marathon. The final started but was ultimately washed out in the second inning due to more weather delays.
Miami Stingrays 16U continued to show why they’re among the premier programs in the region, going 6-1 on the weekend. But don’t let the record fool you—they had to claw for every inch. All three of their bracket wins came by two runs or less. In the semifinal, Kaley Dyer and Shaun Fernandez led the way both at the plate and in the circle. Each went 2-for-3, with Dyer lacing a triple and Fernandez smacking a double. They tag-teamed the pitching duties as well, showing versatility and ice-in-the-veins composure.
Hustle 16U, meanwhile, lived up to their name. They posted a 5-3 record, but their bracket run was straight out of a movie montage. Entering as a No. 9 seed, they knocked off the 8, 1, 4, and 2 seeds in succession to punch their ticket to the title game. In their semifinal matchup against Rock Gold Manetta Gabriele, they exploded for an 8-3 win. Dylan Hetrick paced the offense with a 2-for-3 day, while Chloe McGowan added a clutch 3-RBI performance on a 1-for-3 line.
When the final got called, there was no grumbling. Just mutual respect, a lot of hugs, and maybe a collective sigh of relief from two teams that had already left it all on the field.
18U Division: Stingrays GATOR Run the Table
The Miami Stingrays 16U – GATOR squad took the 18U bracket and made it their own personal statement tour, capping off an 8-0 weekend with a dominant 9-1 win over Rock Gold Manetta 18U in the championship game.
Taylor Rebhan was unstoppable at the plate in the final, going 2-for-3 with a double, a home run, and five RBIs. She set the tone early and refused to let off the gas. Jasmine Armenteros added to the fireworks with a triple, part of her 2-for-3 day. And in the circle, Sasha Seidel was nothing short of surgical—four innings, three hits, one unearned run, and six strikeouts to ice the win.
The numbers tell the story: the Stingrays went undefeated and allowed just seven runs across the entire weekend. That’s not just dominant; that’s suffocating.
Rock Gold Manetta deserves plenty of respect, too. They battled to a 6-3 record and made a deep push through a loaded bracket. Keaunna Green was nearly impossible to get out, hitting .667 for the tournament. Daci Harvey delivered big-time power, clubbing three triples and a homer to keep her squad in every game. The talent was there, but the Stingrays were in a groove.
Final Whistle
Heat. Heart. Hustle. That was the story of the 2024 Elite Rock SE Qualifier. From nail-biters to blowouts, comeback stories to dominant runs, the tournament delivered everything a fastpitch fan could want, and maybe a little more sunburn than anyone planned.
Props again to the unsung heroes: the umpires who stayed sharp despite baking in the sun, and the organizing crew led by Tonya Waters, who kept things moving despite Mother Nature’s best efforts to derail the weekend.
As the smoke clears and the gear gets packed, one thing is certain: the Southeast is still a hotbed, literally and figuratively, for elite fastpitch talent.
