A week ago Sunday (August 2, 2026), the PGF Nationals championship games were held at Deanna Manning Stadium in Bill Barber Park, Irvine, Calif. featuring the 14U and 12U Premier age divisions along with the 14U Platinum title game.

Line Drive contributor Ryan Wardinsky was there for a very important reason: his daughter Paige—a talented Class of 2030 infielder from The Woodlands, Texas ranked No. 5 overall in the Line Drive 2030 HOT 100—started for the Hotshots – Torres/Seneca team and had a pair of hits in the championship game.

The 14U Premier championship game was a tight one before the Love The Game (LTG) – Henderson/Buck team won by scoring six runs late in the 6-0 finale.

• Click HERE to read the Line Drive Media game report titled The 2026 PGF Nationals Concludes with Battle of Two Future Franchise Pitchers in 14U Premier Title Game – (August 4, 2026)

Ryan shares his perspective on the game as a former professional baseball player and longtime Major League Baseball scout with more than 20 years of experience evaluating talent.

A Montana native, Ryan was drafted out of high school by the Colorado Rockies before playing shortstop at Texas A&M University, where he later earned a Master’s Degree in Sport Management.

He was subsequently drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies and played professionally through the High-A level. Ryan then spent nearly two decades with the Miami Marlins organization, serving as an Area Scout and later as the Central U.S. Scouting Supervisor, overseeing scouting operations across 16 states.

Here are his thoughts on the title game through the eyes of a parent, former baseball star and experienced scout…

*****

It was a great Premier Girls Fastpitch Game (PGF) 14U championship game this summer–up until the seventh inning, when LTG eventually broke through for six runs on its way to beating Hotshots – Torres/Seneca.

I’m sure I wasn’t the only Hotshots observer thinking to themselves: What just happened?” but to that point, it had been an excellent game featuring quality pitching and solid defense.

Hotshots starter Layla Permenter pitched 2.1 innings without giving up a run before Avery Dunlap came on while LTG’s Lauren Klomp was equally impressive as she had been all week. 

I don’t believe I’ve seen the Hotshots have a defensive inning like that all summer (47 games).

And I’ve seen every inning—besides the self-imposed timeout when I went to sit in the car for a while one particular day in Dallas.

An excellent Hotshots coaching staff of Joe Torres, Terry Seneca, Chris Dove and Chuck Miske emphasizes defense, and it showed as they played sound “D” all summer but give credit to LTG for putting pressure on the Hotshots in the top of the 7^th, when it mattered, and taking advantage. 

LTG is clearly a well-coached, disciplined team, led by Joe Henderson and Amanda and Zach Buck, with a balanced lineup and front-line pitching—the kind of team you’d expect to see on Championship Sunday.

I was particularly impressed with their mentality in that game. The Lions didn’t give in, they didn’t panic, they got outs when they needed to, and they ended up taking advantage when they had an opening—and that was the difference.

Here’s a clip of when LTG outfielder Aubrey Davis bunted in the 7^th inning to pressure the defense and push across two key runs:

They also had Klomp on the mound, a difference-maker in her own right, working the ball around the zone and changing speeds. Multiple Division I coaches had told me Klomp was going to be a tough matchup.

They were right – she ended up being named the Tournament MVP for 14U Premier by Line Drive and it felt like the two best teams were matched up.

LTG had received solid production from its deep lineup throughout the week, outscoring opponents 43-6. Meanwhile, the Hotshots scored 75 runs during the tournament and outscored their opponents by 48 runs (a 75 to 27 difference). 

The Hotshots had trouble getting the bats going and stranded runners in scoring position in the second and fourth innings.

Klomp made big pitches when she had to and pitched well throughout, throwing 6.2 innings, allowing four hits and one walk while striking out 10. Dunlap was impressive as usual, as she has been all summer, throwing 4.2 innings and striking out six. 

It’s a tough loss for the Hotshots, especially considering the way the game ended.

I expected them to win the tournament when we arrived. I expected them to win when bracket play started, and I expected them to win that championship game all the way up to the 7^th inning.

The Hotshots had been rolling and with Dunlap on the mound late in a 0-0 game, you really like your chances. They had always been able to push across a run or two to win big games this summer.  

This Hotshots squad didn’t really endure much in the way of team struggles this season.

Sure, they lost a few games—mostly to quality 16U teams—but I never saw an extended stretch of mediocre play. They had too many good players and coaches for that to happen. 

Every player on this team went through a tough stretch at some point, but each fought through it and contributed in meaningful ways—all of them—and it was fun to watch the progression of skill and confidence as the summer progressed. 

Off the field, the team had a beach outing where the players shared their personal thoughts around the bonfire.

I found it interesting that multiple girls voiced, in front of teammates, coaches, and parents, that they felt like they could or should be playing better. It was notable to me that a team playing that well and winning that much still was not satisfied.

It was a testament to the expectations they had for themselves and the standard that had been established by the players, the entire coaching staff, and the Hotshots organization as a whole. 

I would imagine the LTG crew could share similar stories, as could many of the teams and players who have devoted so much time, work and resources to chasing individual dreams, team goals and a PGF championship. 

It was a long week in Southern California, but everyone who was there—players, coaches, parents, extended family and friends—came away impressed with the tournament, and especially the championship setup. 

It was a great experience for the girls to play on that stage, in that stadium and on a live broadcast.

I hope they felt special—they should. It’s very difficult to get to that point and they earned that opportunity.

Regardless of the outcome for the Hotshots family and all those who participated, there is a lot to take away from an experience like that and the players will only be better as a result.

I look forward to seeing what’s next for all of them.  

— Ryan Wardinsky/Line Drive Media Correspondent