The Kokomo Post Sports - Game of the Week: Alliance All Star Game American vs National (Photo Gallery)
The fifth annual Alliance All-Star Game brought an energetic crowd to Kokomo High School’s softball stadium — one of the premier amateur softball venues in the country. The stage was set for 40 of the top softball players in the nation to showcase their skills in front of a lively atmosphere.
Players were split into American and National teams, with pitchers rotating throughout the first six innings before each team selected one arm to close out the seventh. In a game defined by strong pitching, the National team controlled the circle and claimed a 6-1 victory.
Hannah Wells set the tone early for the National team, allowing one hit and striking out a batter in a scoreless first. On the other side, the American team’s starter, Allysa Parker, struggled to settle in — giving up two runs in her lone inning of work. The National team capitalized on early defensive miscues, scoring twice in the first inning. Khamari Hall came home when Sarah Breaux reached on an error, and Elsa Morrison followed by scoring on another miscue after Taryn Ho reached base.
The National team kept rolling in the second. Makenna Sturgis scored on an RBI double by Zayda Rocke to stretch the lead. Both teams locked in during the third inning, with the National’s Avery Layton and the American’s Saylor Timmerman each recording a strikeout in a scoreless frame.
After a quiet fourth, Hannah Wells added to the National team’s lead by crossing home in the fifth. The American team answered in the sixth with their lone run — a towering home run to center field by Lexi McDaniel.
Lexie Hames entered in the sixth for the National team and became the game’s only multi-inning pitcher. Morrison added insurance runs with a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth. Hames worked out of a jam in the seventh after the American team loaded the bases, inducing a lineout and finishing the game with a strikeout.
The All-Star Game served as both a celebration of elite talent and a kickoff to the 14U, 16U, and 18U Alliance Fastpitch Championship Series — a fitting stage for some of the best players in the country to shine.
