The Alameda Blaze 12U Tournament Team visited Hayward the weekend of June 23-24 for this critical tournament to qualify teams for the Regional or National tournaments to be held in July.

The Blaze opened the double elimination play with a thrilling come-from-behind 4-2 victory against the San Ramon Valley Stompers. The Blaze wasted a first inning leadoff double by Michelle Popelka and trailed 2-0 entering the 7th and final frame. Erika Boeckling started a rally with a one-out single, and a Hannah Johnson pinch single kept hopes alive. Gia Morten loaded the bases with her second hit of the game, and then with two outs and the game on the line, Mia Musso cleared the bases with a double to right field. Kayla Simonson added an insurance run, driving home Musso with an RBI single to center. Simonson also earned the complete game victory on the mound, striking out four while scattering 6 hits. Only one of the Stomper runs was earned.

In the second game, the Blaze dropped into the losers bracket, falling to the highly rated Castro Valley Synergy 14-3. The game was tight going into the top of the fifth, with the Blaze trailing only 3-0. However, the Synergy bats came alive, belting out one hard hit after another and pushing 11 runs across the plate in the inning. The Blaze put together another last gasp rally, keyed by a Kelly Hosokawa single and a bases loaded Gianna Ratto double that knocked in three runs. However, the deficit proved to be too much to overcome.

The Blaze weekend ended up shorter than hoped for on Saturday with an elimination 4-0 loss to the Albany Berkeley Sting. The Blaze seriously threatened only twice, in the third on Jessica Ravetti and Erika Boeckling singles, and in the fifth, on a Drew Jones double. There was no magic left in the bag that could help the Blaze cut into the Sting lead.

In spite of the early exit, the overall record did result in an invitation to the Regional Qualifying tournament, to be held July 6-8, in Roseville, California.