Team Utah Takes 15u West Title over CCB, 6-2
SURPRISE, Ariz. – Team Utah scored six unanswered runs from the fourth inning on to claim the 15u title at the WWBA West National Championship over CCB by a final score of 6-2.
After a pair of walks from Cooper Lee and Tristan Kim to start the bottom of the third inning and a ground ball to move them up to second and third for CCB, William Kinney started to scoring with a two-RBI double to left field.
It was all Team Utah after that, however. Brody Duvall doubled to lead off the top of the fourth, and after a hit-by-pitch and single by tournament MVP Luke Anderson to load the bases, Rylan Evans singled to tie the game and Payton Gubler doubled to score Anderson, the winning run.
Anderson added an RBI double in the top of the sixth to top off his two-hit day and push the score to 4-2 in favor of Team Utah.
The big blow came in the top of the seventh from the bat of Ashton Johnson, whose two-RBI double busted the game wide open. When all was said and done, Team Utah got a hit from eight different players in the lineup.
Gubler had an impressive performance on the mound for Team Utah as well, going 4 2/3 innings on three-hit, no-run ball, topping out at 87 with the fastball and striking out seven.
On the CCB side, Ritvik Sajja had a day at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a walk.
2019 WWBA 15u West National Champions: Team Utah
2019 WWBA 15u West National Championship runner-up: CCB
2019 WWBA 15u West National Championship MVP: Luke Anderson
2019 WWBA 15u West National Championship MV-Pitcher: Zac Dart
Co-Champs Crowned at 17u West
SURPRISE, Ariz. – With all four remaining teams in the 17u WWBA West National Championships set to compete in the Perfect Game 17u World Series this week in Scottsdale, Ariz., the two semifinal matchups served as co-championship games in Surprise, Ariz.
NorCal Baseball Prime took the first of the two co-championship games over Royals Scout Team 17u, 10-0.
The final score didn’t end up reflecting how closely the two teams played each for most of the contest. Through five innings, NorCal Baseball Prime held onto a 1-0 lead. Five runs in the sixth and four more in the seventh put the game out of reach.
Extra hitter Tino Bethancourt did a chunk of the damage for NorCal Baseball Prime, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBI. Shortstop Ryan Jackson went 2-for-2 with a pair of walks and runs scored, as well as two RBI out of the leadoff spot.
Chase Minor and Adam (Aj) O'Neal split the pitching duties, matching each other’s production. Minor went four innings, allowing two hits and striking out two. O’Neal went three innings, allowing two hits and striking out four.
The second pseudo-championship game of the game was a thrilling, high-scoring affair. CBA Marucci National squeezed out a 11-9 win over AZ T-Rex Easton to claim its co-title.
Brett Wozniak was strong on the mound for CBA Marucci National, tossing three innings of one-run ball, striking out three.
The bats won the game for CBA Marucci National, however. Poncho Ruiz, Tank Espalin, and Jag Burden all had multi-RBI games. Ruiz and Espalin also scored twice each.
AZ T-Rex Easton hung close thanks to big days at the plate from Tyler Stone and Bitner Workman, who both tallied three RBI. Workman also scored twice.
Jacob Berry, who was named the MVP of the event, went 2-for-4 with three runs scored in the contest.
Drew Bond was excellent on the mound for AZ T-Rex Easton, throwing 4 1/3 innings, giving up three runs, although none were earned.
2019 WWBA 17u West National co-Champions: CBA Marucci National
2019 WWBA 17u West National co-Champions: NorCal Baseball Prime
2019 WWBA 17u West National Championship MVP: Jacob Berry
2019 WWBA 17u West National Championship MV-Pitcher: Cameron Walty
