ROSEVILLE — Weeks after finishing third in the state championship tournament and falling to Santee along the way, Carlsbad Softball Association’s 10U Gold Diggers redeemed themselves on July 27, beating Santee 2-1 in a rematch to win the 2025 USA Softball Western National Championship.
The team played an exhausting nine games over seven days at the national tournament, going a perfect 9-0 to capture the championship.
“I won’t say I can’t believe it — because I can. They’ve been working for this moment all year,” head coach Haylee De Jong said. “What’s special about this group is win or lose, they’re always learning. Every game, they took something from it and made them better.”
Left-handed pitcher Mackenzie Taylor, who goes by “Crush,” threw a perfect game that same morning in the semifinals — a 7-0 win over Aliso Viejo — before returning to the circle to deliver another dominant performance in the championship victory over Santee.
“[Taylor] is a lefty, she’s fast — like 58 [mph] — and she’s got some crazy spin,” De Jong said. “She’s going to be a force.”
The rematch against Santee was tight from the start, with the teams locked in a scoreless tie through four innings. In the fifth, Carlsbad broke through by putting pressure on the defense — Alexa Valdovinos reached on an error, followed by another misplayed pop-up that put two runners on. With two outs, Mighty Taylor ripped a hard-hit ball to shortstop, and aggressive base running helped Carlsbad push across the game’s first run.
Santee answered with a run of their own, but Carlsbad held on behind strong pitching, clean defense and team-wide composure to close out the seven-inning game.
“To be honest, that’s the team I wanted to play,” De Jong said. “They’re really good — great pitching, great hitters, great on defense. I knew going into that game it was going to be a battle. They’re a hard-to-kill team. They fight to the last pitch.”
The Carlsbad championship roster included Alexa Valdovinos, Aria Murphy, Mackenzie Taylor, Daylin LaRosa, Kenna Martinez, KK Bolanos, Mia Schaeffer, Mighty Taylor, Mila De Jong, Taegan Egan and Taty Corcuera.
“What made this team really special — it wasn’t really one player that got us here,” De Jong said. “ ‘Crush’ is an awesome pitcher and she’s really hard to hit, but our catchers did an amazing job, our defense had her back, and our hitters went up there and battled.
“Even the kids who just came in to run — they all knew their roles, and they just celebrated each other and played for each other. That game was super special.”
After the final out, the team erupted in celebration.
“That dogpile at the end — it was so genuine,” De Jong said. “They didn’t even know what to do. They were just hopping around, so happy. At the beginning of the year, we kept talking about Roseville, and they didn’t really believe it. But with each step — districts, states, then nationals — they grew more confident. By the time we got there, they believed they could win. It was cool. I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.”
Behind the scenes, the Carlsbad Softball Association and the community of parents played a crucial role in the team’s success, according to De Jong.
“It takes a village,” she said. “Our parents were all in — from hotel stays to bingo nights and fundraisers. Without their support, none of this would have been possible.”
