CARY, N.C. – The first day of the 15U/16U NTIS Champions Cup is in the books, and was jam-packed with top individual performances and big wins. Read up on the top moments from the opening day in Cary.
KENDALL, BRUCE TURN IN MULTI-HIT PERFORMANCES
Austin Kendall and Will Bruce both turned in multi-hit performances, combining for four the six hits tallied by the 15U Northeast Stripes in its opening-round win over the Northwest Stars. Kendall went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, and Bruce went 2-for-2 with a triple and three RBIs.
MARTINEZ CLUTCH IN RELIEF FOR SOUTH STARS
Max Martinez put together a dominant performance in relief for the 15U South Stars, tossing three hitless innings while fanning six batters and walking one. Of the 36 pitches he threw, 24 were for strikes (67 percent).
NORTHWEST STRIPES MOUNT LATE COMEBACK WIN
The 15U Northwest Stripes put together the first comeback win of the 2026 NTIS Champions Cup, defeating the Southwest Stripes 4-3. Down 3-2 in the top of the seventh, the NW Stripes used a wild pitch and an RBI groundout to bring the game-tying and game-winning runs across. Johnny Lee closed out the game on the mound by tossing a scoreless bottom of the seventh, fanning a pair of batters in the process of picking up the save.
GOCKENBACH, CRAWFORD LEAD SOUTHEAST STARS TO OPENING-ROUND VICTORY
The 16U Southeast Stars opened up the NTIS Champions Cup with a 7-2 victory over the Northwest Stars. Chase Gockenbach and Chyles Crawford led the way offensively for their team. They both went 2-for-4, combining for four of the team’s eight hits, and collectively tallied three RBIs and three runs scored.
SOUTH STRIPES NO HITS NORTHEAST STRIPES
The 16U South Stripes dominated in its opening-round game, securing a 14-0 win and no hitting the Northeast Stripes. Keona Barrazza, Mateo Rodriguez, and Grayson Thomas combined on the mound for the no-hitter, issuing just one walk while recording nine total strikeouts.
LOFTUS, MCGEE RACK UP 13 K’S IN SHUTOUT WIN
The 16U Midwest Stripes shut out the South Stars 6-0 thanks to the efforts of pitchers Macklin Loftus and Gavin McGee. The duo combined for the Midwest Stripes’ shutout and held the South Stars to two hits. McGee racked up seven strikeouts in four innings of work, and Loftus fanned six batters across the final three innings.
