Whatever the Athletics Mercado – TD coaches and players had for breakfast Sunday morning, I’d like to have some too please.

The Brian Tidd-coached 14U Premier team played about as close to a perfect game as possible in all areas to capture the PGF Nationals trophy Sunday at DeAnna Manning Stadium in Irvine, Calif. with a run-rule 10-0 victory over a talented Breakers – Labs team.

The offense scored five runs in each of the first two innings and, with the “eight after five” run-rule in effect, had 10 runs and 13 hits in just the five game-shortened innings.

The trio of pitchers—Daniella Boccanfuso, Ava Phillips and Gianna Torres—combined for a no-hitter and was just an error and a 5^th inning walk from a perfect game.

It’s not like the offensive outburst and the skillful pitching game was an anomaly for the week, either; counting pool games, the Athletics AM Tidd team went a perfect 10-0 during its time last week in Huntington Beach and Irvine with 51 runs scored against only six runs scored.

Of the 10 wins, seven were shutouts… let that sink in for a minute: of the 10 wins against elite 14U teams across the country in the PGF Premier Nationals, there were only three teams that scored against the A’s terrific threesome of pitchers and each of those were only able to muster two runs each.

And do the simple math and the A’s averaged 5.1 runs per game while giving up less than one run (.6) per game.

Those numbers will win you a lot of trophies.

Perhaps it helped in not having to play an “If” game on Saturday as the Breakers – Labs team did, losing its first of two against a strong Unity – Amsler/Johnson team from the Loser’s Bracket and then having to win the second game.

Or, as Coach Tidd said after the win,

“We’re proud of our Academy and the caliber of players we’re producing. We had several A’s teams make the PGF National finals and we have a lot of good things happening in our program.”

In the top of the first inning, the Athletics struck quickly with doubles by Hayden Huerta and Eva Bustamante, to score the first run, and a bloop single to left by Charlize Masingale then put runners on first and third.

A sac fly by Bree Carlson to left field pushed across Bustamante for the second run of the inning and, with one out, Macai Johnson singled to left leaving runners on first and second.

A walk to Jenna Caldera loaded the bases and another free pass, this one to Maya Matthies, pushed across the third run.

Addison Brown flied to center for out No. 2, but the sac fly allowed Johnson to cross the plate to extend the lead to 4-0. Elizabeth Brown, the eighth batter of the inning, laid down a perfect bunt and beat it out to plate the fifth run of the inning.

The second inning for the A’s was much as the first inning: a double by Eva Bustamante, a single by Charlize Masingale, a two-RBI double by Bree Carlson, a walk to Micai Johnson, a two-RBI single by Maya Matthies, an error and, suddenly, it  10-0.

Just two innings in and the game was all but decided if only because the A’s pitching was so stingy in giving up hits and allowing baserunners.

On the offensive side, the A’s spread out its 13 hits among nine different batters and the defense also drew praise as excellent plays were made to support the pitching corps.

Check out our Line Drive interview post-game with Coach Tidd and his trio of standout pitchers:

— Brentt Eads/Line Drive Softball