For the first time this postseason, Sweetwater Valley’s 12U all-star team saw a game extend beyond four innings. Saturday’s Southern California-South Sub-Division III tournament opener against Section 9 champion Orangecrest went the full six innings, but it ended with the same result for the reigning California District 42 and Section 7 champions – a lopsided victory.
Sweetwater Valley won 12-5 to advance to Monday’s winners bracket game against Section 6 champion Encinitas in the five-team double-elimination tournament.
Dante Schmid started for Sweetwater Valley and put down the first five batters he faced without allowing a run or hit before being replaced by Levi Mendez with two gone in the bottom of the second inning. Mendez pitched the bulk of the game thereafter until Antonio Andrade came on in relief in the fifth inning and Walker Lannom closed out the game in the sixth inning.
Sweetwater Valley, known for scoring runs in bunches, scored seven runs in the top of the second inning to take command of the game.
Schmid doubled to open the inning, then was replaced by a pinch runner, Cameron Barbabosa, who advanced to third base on an ensuing wild pitch. Ari Armas walked and later advanced to second base on another wild pitch. Preston Fleming singled to score Brababosa while Armas advanced to third base.
Andrade then hit a three-run home run to up the Sweetwater Valley lead to 4-0.
Mendez followed with a double and Nate Nakil reached base on an error, with Mendez advancing to third base. Lannom singled to score both Mendez and Nankil to make the score 6-0.
Jake Baptista singled to push Lannom to second base. After a change of pitchers, Schmid singled to score Lannom.
Orangecrest scored twice in the bottom of the second inning after Schmid issued successive walks. A single a two ensuing misplays allowed two Orangecrest runners to score to trim Sweetwater Valley lead to 7-2 after two full innings of play.
The teams failed to score in the third inning and Sweetwater Valley also failed to score in the top of the fourth inning despite Nankil opening the frame with a double.
Orangecrest made it a game in the bottom of the fourth inning by pushing across two more runs to cut the Section 7 champion’s lead to 7-4.
But Sweetwater Valley promptly made amends by scoring four runs in the top of the fifth inning to regain a seven-run lead.
Isaac Artalejo opened the inning with a home run, which necessitated a pitching change on the part of Orangecrest. Barbabosa struck out for the second out of the inning but reached base on a catcher’s error. Fleming followed with a single to advance Barbabosa to second base.
Andrade then strode to the plate with two runners on base and unleashed his second three-run home run of the game to make the score 11-4.
Andrade, now on the mound, got out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the fifth inning with a strikeout.
Schmid homered in the top of the sixth inning for Sweetwater Valley’s final run to push the District 42 champions to a 12-4 advantage.
Orangecrest loaded the bases again in the bottom of the sixth inning and scored on a hit batter before a groundout ended the game.
Sweetwater Valley hit four home runs in the game, including two by Andrade (six RBI) and one each b y Artalejo and Schmid.
Sweetwater Valley improved to 8-0 in all-star tournament play, meeting Section 6 champion Encinitas in Monday’s winners bracket contest.
Sweetwater Valley won its opening game in last year’s sub-division tournament before being eliminated with subsequent losses to Encinitas and Oceanview.
The Section 7 champions are hoping for a better ending this year.
Steve Wood helped in the preparation of this story.
Sweetwater Valley advances to sub-division championship game
Sweetwater Valley improved to 2-0 in sub-division play by defeating Section 6 champion Encinitas, 6-2, in Monday’s winners bracket game to advance to Wednesday’s championship game. Monday’s encounter between two San Diego County teams at the Orange County venue pitted undefeated teams.
Sweetwater Valley improved to 9-0 in all-star tournament play with the win.
Levi Mendez got the Section 7 champions rolling with a home run and later contributed two doubles that were instrumental in scoring additional runs later in the game.
Sweetwater Valley built a 4-0 lead. Encinitas halved the District 41 champions’ lead to 4-2 but Sweetwater Valley added two more runs to win by a final margin of four runs.
Sweetwater Valley pushed across two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Following Mendez’ home run, Nate Nankil and Walker Lannom both singled and moved up a base on a wild pitch. Nankil scored on another wild pitch.
Sweetwater Valley doubled its lead in the bottom of the second inning as Ari Arms singled, Preston Fleming later reached base on an error and Mendez doubled to score both runners.
Encinitas scored twice in the top of the third inning and the score remained 4-2 in Sweetwater Valley’s favor until the bottom of the fourth inning when Barbabosa singled and scored on a booming double by Mendez, Nankil singled Mendez to third base and Mendez scored on an ensuing error.
Nankil called the SVLL victory a “team effort.”
Encinitas defeated Sweetwater Valley at his level last season, so the win over their San Diego County rival was sweet.
“We’re rivals,” Mendez told a KUSI-TV news crew on site after the game in reference to the big win over Encinitas. “We lost to them last year; we are back on top this year.”
Update: Sweetwater Valley will play Section 10 champion Oceanview in Wednesday’s championship game. Sweetwater Valley needs one victory to advance to the Division III finals while Oceanview must defeat Sweetwater Valley twice on Wednesday to advance.
Oceanview defeated Section 6 champion Encinitas, 10-3, in Tuesday’s challenger bracket final.
Southern California-South Sub-Division III Tournament
12U Division
Ladera Ranch Little League
Saturday, July 25
Sweetwater Valley (Section 7) 12, Orangecrest (Section 9) 5
Encinitas (Section 6) 12, Fontana (Section 8) 8
Sunday, July 26
Encinitas (Section 6) 5, Oceanview (Section 10) 2
Orangecrest (Section 9) 16, Fontana (Section 8) 4
Monday, July 27
Oceanview (Section 10), 11, Orangecrest (Section 9) 2
Sweetwater Valley (Section 7) 6, Encinitas (Section 6) 2
Tuesday, July 28
Challenger bracket final, Oceanview (Section 10) 10, Encinitas (Section 6), 3
Wednesday, July 29
Championship game, Sweetwater Valley 7, Oceanview 4 (7 innings)
Note: Sweetwater Valley advances to meet Manhattan in Southern California Division III championship series
Southern California-South Sub-Division III Tournament
Chula Vista American sweeps to 11U all-star sub-division title
Chula Vista American Little League’s 11U all-star team now has three championship banners to parade around its Hilltop Middle School athletic complex adjecent to Hilltop Middle School after capturing Monday’s Southern California-South Sub-Division III championship title at Newmark Little League in San Bernardino.
Chula Vista American swept through the five-team double-elimination tournament with a 3-0 record.
Chula Vista American previously captured California District 41 and Section 7 titles.
Chula Vista American won 8-0 on Friday, July 24, agaisnt Section 10 champion Aliso Viejo and added a 6-2 victory on Saturday in another winners bracket contest against Section 8 champion Newmark to advance to Monday’s championship game at Newmark Little League (7 p.m. start).
Newmark won a championship rematch on Monday with Chula Vista American after emerging victorious in the challenger bracket. The game was close, with Chula Vista American prevailing by a score of 9-7 in eight innings on a two-run walk-off home run by Bret Leonhardt.
Chula Vista American now advances to the Southern California Division III best-of-three championship series against the Southern California-North Sub-Division III champion.All games will be played at Newmark Little League. Playoff dates are Saturday, Aug. 1, Sunday, Aug. 2, and, if necessary, on Monday, Aug. 3.
This is the farthest this age group goes and is equivalent to a regional state championship.
More details to follow
Southern California-South Sub-Division III Tournament
11U Division
Newmark Little League, San Bernardino
Thursday, July 23
Aliso Viejo (Section 10) 5, Encinitas (Section 6) 3
Reid Park (Section 9) vs. Newmark (Section 8), no report
Friday, July 24
Chula Vista American (Section 7) 8, Aliso Viejo (Section 10) 0
Saturday, July 25
Encinitas (Section 6) 14, Aliso Viejo (Section 10) 8
Chula Vista American (Section 7) 6, Newmark (Section 8) 2
Sunday, July 26
Newmark (Section 8) defeated Encinitas (Section 6) to win challenger bracket final
Monday, July 27
Championship game: Chula Vista American (Section 7) 9, Newmark (Section 8) 7, 8 innings
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA-SOUTH SUB-DIVISION III TOURNAMENT
10U DIVISION
Sweetwater Valley 10U all-stars drop 6-0 contest to Highland in Wednesday’s sub-division championship game
Despite a good day at the dish from Elijah Cook, who finished 2-for2, Sweetwater Valley Little League lost, 6-0, to Highland Little League at El Cerrito Sports Park on Wednesday in the championship game of this year’s Southern California-South Sub-Division III championship game.
Ty Besker was the game’s losing pitcher. He allowed six runs (four earned) in four innings, walked two and struck out four.
The lead stayed with Highland after the first inning when the Section 8 champions scored two runs on a two-run home run. Section 7 champion Sweetwater Valley couldn’t push any of their runners on base across home plate for runs.
The loss ended Sweetwater Valley’s post season championship run. “The boys played hard in every game and fought their way through to the championship game via the losers bracket,” SVLL manager Kelly Besker explained. “The boys showed a lot of heart and resilience to keep coming back in games when they got down. They had a ‘never give up’ attitude and a ‘win one inning at a time’ mentality.
“I’m proud to have been able the share a small part of their lives with the hem as their team manager. I’m looking forward to see what this group of kids does in the next couple years for our league!”
Sweetwater Valley 10U all-stars outlast Oceanview in high-scoring affair, 21-11, continue title quest
The bats were busy at El Cerrito Sports Park on Tuesday and, when the dust cleared, Sweetwater Valley Little League had a 21-11 win over Oceanview Little League in five innings.
The teams totaled 26 hits, including 10 extra base hits in the challenger bracket final.
Sweetwater Valley advances to Wednesday’s championship game at Corona National Little League, needing to win to force a bonus championship game on Thursday to claim this year’s Southern California-South Sub-Division III championship banner.
Section 7 champion Sweetwater Valley beat Section 10 champion Oceanview thanks to 15 hits, including five extra base hits. Sweetwater Valley scored seven runs in the second inning on a two-run double by Nico Libed, a two-run single by Diego Magallon, an error, an RBI single by Jayson Smith and a passed ball.
The game was back-and-forth heading into the fourth inning, with five lead changes.
In the top of the first inning, Oceanview grabbed an early 4-0 lead on the strength of a pair of two-run home runs.
Oceanview got three-run rallies in the second and the fourth innings. In the second inning, Oceanview added another two-run home run. A solo home run helped ignite Oceanview in the fourth inning.
Sweetwater Valley pulled out the win thanks to a strong fourth inning. A timely bunt by Glen Huggins scored Ty Besker and gave Sweetwater Valley the lead for good.
Kasey Regala got the win in relief for Sweetwater Valley. Regala faced four batters in the top of the fifth inning. He got a fly-out from the lead off batter. Oceanview then got the next three batters on base via two singles and a walk, loading them up. This knocked Regala from the mound and allowed Besker to come in to try to close out Oceanview. Besker struck out the first batter, then induced a fly ball to right field to end the bases loaded threat.
Sweetwater Valley increased its lead with five runs in the fifth inning. A double by Troy Fleming ignited the offenses. A single by Regala scored Fleming. Sweetwater Valley scored five runs in their half of the inning to put the game to rest by the 10-run rule.
Sweetwater Valley all-stars jump on Yucaipa early and coast to 19-6 win
Sweetwater Valley jumped out to an early lead on Yucaipa and captured an 19-6 victory on Monday at El Cerrito Sports Park in the 10U Southern California-South Sub-Division III tournament.
Thirteen runs in the first three innings allowed Sweetwater Valley to put the game away early.
A hit by pitch, a fielder’s choice and a three-run triple by Elijah Cook during the first inning and an RBI double by Diego Magallon in the second inning fueled Sweetwater Valley’s offense early.
Dominic Nankil racked up five RBI on two hits for Sweetwater Valley, including four on his grand glam in the third inning.
Nicolas Fahme got it done on the hill on the way to a win. He allowed three runs over two innings. He struck out two, walked two and surrendered four hits.
Sweetwater Valley easily handled Yucaipa pitching as six hitters combined for eight hits, 15 RBI and 14 runs scored.
After posting three runs in the first inning, Yucaipa again scored three in the fourth. In the first inning, Yucaipa scored on a three-run home run.
Sweetwater Valley piled on six more runs in the top of the third. A bases loaded walk scored Cook to get Sweetwater Valley on the scoreboard in the inning.
Sweetwater Valley built upon its lead with five runs in the fifth inning. A bases loaded walk scored Ty Besker for the inning’s first run. That was followed up by Nico Libed’s double, bringing home Kasey Regala, Jeremiah Cook and Fahme.
Sweetwater Valley plays Oceanview in Corona on Tuesday at 7 p.m. for the rights to play in the championship game on Wednesday.
Sweetwater Valley shuts out Section 6 champions Encinitas, 5-0, remains alive in sub-diviision playoffs
California Section 7 champion Sweetwater Valley staved off elimination by defeating Section 6 champion Encinitas, 5-0, on Saturday, July 25, behind a 2-for-3 hitting effort by Hunter Stencil, who singled in the first and sixth innings.
Nico Lobed struck out eight Encinitas hitters, paving the way for a Sweetwater Valley win. Libed gave up just three hits and no runs over four-and-two-thirds innings.
Encinitas’ starting pitcher ended up on the wrong side of the pitching decision, charged with the loss. He lasted just four innings, walked none, struck out none, and allowed three runs.
Sweetwater Valley never trailed after scoring one run in the first inning on a groundout by Diego Magallon.
Sweetwater Valley built upon its lead with a run in the second inning after Ty Besker led off with a line drive double down the left field line. Kasey Regala laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Besker to third base and Glen Huggins hit a grounder to the right side for an out to score Besker.
Sweetwater Valley got another run in the fourth inning and two runs in the sixth inning.
A ground out by Besker scored Magallon to increase Sweetwater Valley’s lead to 4-0. That was followed up by Jeremiah Cook’s single to bring home Stencil.
Section 7 champion Sweetwater Valley falls in sub-division tournament opener, 16-7, to Section 8 champion Highland
Ty Besker both hit and pitched well for Section 7 champion Sweetwater Valley, but it wasn’t enough as Sweetwater Valley fell to Section 8 champion Highland Little League, 16-7, in the opener of the Southern California-South Sub-Division tournament July 23 at Corona National Little League at El Cerrito Sports Park on Thursday.
Besker racked up two RBI on one hit for District 42 champion Sweetwater Valley. He tripled in the second inning.
He held Highland hitless over two-thirds of an inning, allowed no earned runs, walked none and struck out none.
Highland’s starter allowed four runs over three innings, struck out one, walked five and gave up four hits.
Highland’s top four hitters combined for six hits and nine RBI.
Glenn Huggins ended up on the wrong side of the pitching decision, charged with the loss. He allowed six runs in one-and-one-third innings, walked four and struck out one.
Sweetwater Valley pushed across two runs in both the second and third innings. In the second inning, Sweetwater Valley scored on an RBI triple by Besker, scoring Dominic Nankil.
Highland never surrendered the lead after the second inning, scoring eight runs on three singles.
After pushing across two runs in the top of the third, Sweetwater Valley faced a 9-4 deficit. A fielder’s choice and an RBI single by Jayson Smith set off Sweetwater Valley’s rally. However, Highland stopped the rally after Troy Fleming recorded an out.
A three-run fourth inning helped bring Sweetwater Valley within two runs of the leaders. A passed ball and a two-run double by Chance Krueger triggered Sweetwater Valley’s comeback.
But Highland tacked on another seven runs in the fifth inning. It started with a single to bring home a run, followed up by a double, scoring two more runs.
A slow start and inopportune defensive mistakes helped conspire to end Sweetwater Valley’s six-game winning streak.
The team will need to play much better if it is to advance much deeper in the five-team double-elimination tournament. Sweetwater Valley next plays Saturday, July 25, at noon against the loser of Friday’s contest between the Section 10 and Section 6 champions.
The challenger bracket final is scheduled Tuesday, July 28, at 7 p.m.
The sub-division championship game is scheduled Wednesday, July 29, at 7 p.m.
Southern California-South Sub-Division III Tournament
10U Division
Thursday, July 23
Highland (Section 8) 16, Sweetwater Valley (Section 7) 7
Friday, July 24
Oceanview (Section 10) 1, Encinitas (Section 6) 0
Saturday, July 25
Highland (Section 8) 13, Section 9 2
Sweetwater Valley (Section 7) 5, Encinitas (Section 6) 0
Monday, July 27
Challenger bracket game
Sweetewater Valley (Section 7) 19, Yucaipa (Section 9) 6
Tuesday, July 28
Challenger bracket final
Sweetewater Valley (Section 7) 21, Oceanview (Section 10) 11
Wednesday, July 29
Championship game: Highland (Section 8) 6, Sweetwater Valley (Section 7) 0
