Was it 27-0 or 28-0? There is some minor disagreement on the final score of Sweetwater Valley’s shell-lacking of Chula Vista American in the teams’ opening game of the District 42 Little League All-Star tournament last Thursday at the CVALL fields at Hilltop Middle School.
Suffice it to say, it was a lot to a little and many at that point picked Sweetwater Valley as the next behemoth to emerge from South County to challenge for a berth in the Little League World Series.
That’s still a long way down the road to Williamsport. But many are still picking this year’s 12U SVLL team to make some noise before all is said and done.
Sweetwater Valley improved to 2-0 in all-star play after thumping Park View, 19-1, in Monday’s second-round match-up, also played at CVALL.
Dante Schmid started the opening game against Chula Vista American and also hit one home run. Nathan Nankil, who hit one of his team’s seven home runs in the win over CVA, homered twice in Monday’s game against Park View.
In two games thus far, Sweetwater Valley has outscored its opponents 47-1 with pitchers Dante Schmid, Antonio Andrade and Levi Mendez having combined to allow four hits.
By contrast, SVLL has rapped out 44 hits in the two games.
Manager Ward Lannom pointed out that 12 of those hits have been home runs from seven different players. Seven four-baggers came in the opening win over Chula Vista American and five more against Park View.
Andrade hit one home run against CV American and two against Park View, Mendez hit one home run against Park View, Nankil hit one home run against CVA and two against Park View, Walker Lannom hit one home run against CVA, Schmid hit one home run against CVA, Ari Armas hit two home runs against CVA and Cameron Barbabosa hit one home run against CVA.
Sweetwater Valley advances to Thursday’s winners bracket final against Imperial Beach (7-5 winners over Luckie Waller on Monday). Game time is 7 p.m. at Imperial Beach Little League.
Thursday’s Sweetwater Valley-Imperial Beach winner reserves a berth in Saturday’s district championship game at the Sweetwater Valley Little League complex. The banner game is slated for an 11 a.m. start.
Both Park View and Luckie Waller remain in contention in the challenger bracket along with Southwest and Chula Vista American following Tiesday’s elimination games.
The challenger bracket final is Friday at 5:30 p.m. at SVLL to determine the final participant in Saturday’s championship game.
“Hopefully, there’s lots of baseball left,” the elder Lannom said. “The numbers above are impressive, but mean nothing as we are now focused on our next opponent. Like I told our parents at the beginning of All-Stars, ‘one game at a time … next stop, Imperial Beach.'”
10 and Oh!
Sweetwater Valley’s 10U all-star squad improved to 2-0 in district tournament play after defeating Eastlake, 6-0, in Monday’s second-round game at CVALL. Sweetwater Valley had previously topped Chula Vista American, 14-8, in last Thursday’s tournament opener.
Sweetwater Valley might not have known quite what to expect after Eastlake had ransacked Park View. 18-2, in its opener. But Glen Huggins pitched a gem of a game against Eastlake to quell doubts. He went five innings, giving up a dribbler in front of third base in the first inning and a liner that just evaded the glove of the third baseman later in the game. Huggins was in a nice groove and handed over the shutout to Nico Libed, who got the final three outs to end the game.
Sweetwater Valley advances to play Imperial Beach in the winners bracket final Thursday at 6 p.m. at IBLL.
Note: Rodney Regala contributed to this story
California District 42 Little League All-Star tournaments
12U Division
Thursday, July 2
Sweetwater Valley 28, Chula Vista American 0 Chula Vista American Little League
Park View 16, Chula Vista National 0 at Eastlake Little League
Friday, July 3
Luckie Waller 7, Eastlake 5 at Eastlake Little League
Imperial Beach 10, Southwest 2 at Imperial Beach Little League
Monday, July 6
Sweetwater Valley 19, Park View 1 at Chula Vista American Little League
Imperial Beach 7, Luckie Waller 5 at Imperial Beach Little League, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, July 7
Southwest 4, Eastlake 3 at Imperial Beach Little League
Chula Vista American 12, Chula Vista National 1 at Chula Vista American Little League
Wednesday, July 8
Challenger bracket game at Chula Vista American Little League, Chula Vista American 5, Luckie Waller 3
Challenger bracket game at Eastlake Little League, Park View 14,. Southwest, 1
Thursday, July 9
Challenger bracket game at Eastlake Little League, Park View 8, Chula Vista American 7
Winner bracket final at Imperial Beach Little League, Sweetwater Valley 18, Imperial Beach 0
Friday, July 10
Challenger bracket final at Sweetwater Valley Little League, Park View vs. Imperial Beach, 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 11
Championship game at Sweetwater Valley Little League, Sweetwater Valley vs. Park View-Imperial Beach winner, 11 a.m.
11U Division
Friday, July 3
Chula Vista American 12, Sweetwater Valley 2 at Chula Vista American Little League
Park View 15, Eastlake 10 at Eastlake Little League
Monday, July 6
Chula Vista American 9, Park View 8 at Chula Vista Ameican Little League
Wednesday, July 7
Sweetwater Valley 8, Eastlake 7 at Chula Vista American Little League (completion of suspended game from Tuesday)
Thursday, July 9
Challenger bracket final at Imperial Beach Little Leauge, Park View 4, Sweetwater Valley 3
Saturday, July 11
Championship game at Sweetwater Valley Little League, Chula Vista American vs. Park View, 10:30 a.m.
10U Division
Thursday, July 2
Eastlake 18, Park View 2 at Eastlake Little League
Sweetwater Valley 14, Chula Vista American 8 at Chula Vista American Little League
Friday, July 3
Southwest 14, Chula Vista National 6 at Chula Vista American Little League
Imperial Beach 15, Luckie Waller 0 at Imperial Beach Little League, 6 p.m.
Monday, July 5
Sweetwater Valley 6, Eastlake 0 at Imperial Beach Little League, 5 p.m.
Imperial Beach 8, Luckie Waller 3 at Imperial Beach Little League, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, July 7
Chula Vista National 5, Luckie Waller 4 at Imperial Beach Little League
Park View 10, Chula Vista American 1 at Imperial Beach Little League
Wednesday, July 8
Challenger bracket game at Chula Vista American Little League, Southwest 8, Park View, 5
Challenger bracket game at Eastlake Little League, Eastlake 15, Chula Vista National 0
Thursday, July 9
Winners bracket final at Imperial Beach Little League, Imperial Beach 6, Sweetwater Valley 3 (7 innings)
Challenger bracket game at Eastlake Little League, Eastlake 16, Southwest 6
Friday, July 10
Challenger bracket final at Sweetwater ValleyLittle League, Eastlake vs. Sweetwater Valley, 5 p.m.
Saturday, July 11
Championship game at Sweetwater Valley Little League, Imperial Beach vs. Eastlake-Sweetwater Valley winner, 10 a.m.
Junior Division
Championship series
Monday, July 6
Eastlake 3, Luckie Waller 2 at Eastlake Little League
Tuesday, July 7
Luckie Waller 6, Eastlake 5 at Eastlake Little League
Wednesday, July 8
Championship game: Eastlake 6, Luckie Waller 3 at Eastlake Little League
Senior Division
Championship series
Monday, June 22
Southwest 7, Luckie Waller 4
Wednesday, June 24
Luckie Waller 9, Southwest 6
Thursday, June 25
Southwest 7, Luckie Waller 0
Note: Southwest wins District 42 championship, advances to the Section 7 tournament on Saturday, June 27, at noon at Spring Valley Little League.
California District 66 champions
Big League: Spring Valley Little League
Senior Division: Spring Valley Little League
Intermediate Division: Las Palmas Little League
PONY BASEBALL ALL-STAR TOURNAMENTS
Pony Section Tournament
June 21 to July 1 in Ramona
Nine teams entered (double-elimination): Emerald, La Jolla, Escondido, Tecolote, Ramona, Kimball Park (National City), Carlsbad, San Marcos, Chula Vista North
Sunday, June 21
La Jolla 10, Emerald 5
Thursday, June 25
Tecolote 21, Escondido 6
Ramona 6, La Jolla 2
Kimball Park (National City) 24, Carlsbad 9
Friday, June 26
Carlsbad 9, San Marcos 0
Chula Vista North 19, San Marcos 0
Saturday, June 27
Emerald 10, San Marcos 2
Emerald 3, Escondido 2
La Jolla 6, Carlsbad 3
Ramona 14, Tecolote 4
Sunday, June 28
Kimball Park (National City) 12, Chula Vista North 0
La Jolla 6, Chula Vista North 4
Tecolote 11, Emerald 1
Monday, June 29
Ramona 8, Kimball Park (National City) 1
Tecolote 16, La Jolla 7
Wednesday, July 1
Challenger bracket final
Kimball Park (National City) 11, Tecolote 4
Championship game
Ramona 4, Kimball Park (National City) 3
Pony-13 Section Tournament
June 19-24 in Ramona
Eight teams entered (double-elimination): Chula Vista South Royal, Kimball Park (National City), Lakeside Gray, Emerald Black, Chula Vista North, Chula Vista South Navy, Emerald Green, Ramona
Friday, June 19
Kimball Park (National City) 7, Chula Vista South Royal 2
Emerald Black 25, Lakeside Gray 2
Saturday, June 20
Chula Vista South Navy 11, Chula Vista North 1
Ramona 9, Emerald Green 4
Chula Vista South Royal 18, Lakeside Gray 4
Emerald Black 7, Kimball Park (National City) 5
Sunday, June 21
Chula Vista North 7, Emerald Green 6
Chula Vista South Navy 16, Ramona 4
Kimball Park (National City) 11, Chula Vista North 4
Monday, June 22
Ramona 15, Chula Vista South Royal 7
Kimball Park (National City) 9, Ramona 0
Tuesday, June 23
Winners bracket final
Chula Vista South Navy 15, Emerald Black 4
Challenger bracket final
Emerald Black 8, Kimball Park (National City) 3
Wednesday, June 24
Championship game
Chula Vista South Navy 14, Emerald Black 9
Note: top four teams advance to region tournament in Lakeside (Chula Vista South Navy, Emerald Black, Kimball Park, Ramona)
Pony Region Tournament
July 11-14 in Lakeside
Five teams entered (double-elimination): Lakeside (host), National City, Tecolote, La Jolla, Ramona
Saturday, July 11
Lakeside vs. National City, 4 p.m.
Tecolote vs. La Jolla, 7 p.m.
Sunday, July 12
Ramona vs. Lakeside-National City winner, 11 a.m.
Lakeside-National City loser vs. Tecolote-La Jolla loser, 2 p.m.
Challenger bracket game, 5 p.m.
Monday, July 13
Winners bracket final, 4:30 p.m.
Challenger bracket final, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, July 14
Championship game, 5 p.m.
Pony-13 Region Tournament
July 6-11 in Lakeside
Five teams entered (double-elimination): Lakeside, Emerald, National City, Ramona, Chula Vista South
Monday, July 6
Emerald 15, Lakeside 4
National City 6, Ramona 4
Tuesday, July 7
Chula Vista South 14, National City 4
Lakeside 14, Ramona 4
Wednesday, July 8
National City vs. Lakeside, 4:30 p.m.
Winners bracket final
Emerald vs. Chula Vista South, 7 p.m.
Thursday, July 9
Challenger bracket final, 6 p.m.
Saturday, July 11
Championship game, 10 a.m.
