Little League rampage continues with two California Section 7 banners

SWEETWATER VALLEY 10S AND 12S EMERGE ON TOP, MOVE TO STATE FINALS

Sweetwater Valley Little League’s summer of fun – and achievement – continued with California Section 7 championships for the league’s 10U and 12U all-star teams.

The SVLL 10s qualify for the last stop on their journey by earning a berth in the upcoming Southern California state tournament at Homer Briggs Park in Ontario. The opening game against Temecula Little League is Friday at 4 p.m.

The Sweetwater Valley-Temecula winner advances to Saturday’s second-round game against the to-be-determined Section 5 champion (either Villa Park or Golden Hill). Game time is 6 p.m. Friday’s opening-round loser drops to Sunday’s elimination game against Saturday’s Ventura-Palos Verdes loser.

The 10-team tournament continues through next weekend with a scheduled championship game on July 25 and a potential double-elimination game on July 26.

The SVLL 12s open play in the SoCal state tournament Saturday at 3 p.m. at Fountain Valley Sports Park against Section 5 champion Golden Hill (District 56). The winner advances to Tuesday’s winners bracket game while the loser drops to Sunday’s consolation bracket game against Saturday’s Huntington West-Section 8 loser.

San Diego County has two entrants in the 10-team tournament as California Section 6 champion 4S Ranch will take on Upland Foothill in another game scheduled on Saturday at 3 p.m. The winner also advances to Tuesday’s winners bracket game while the loser drops to Sunday’s consolation bracket game between Saturday’s Goleta Valley South-Encino loser.
The tournament continues through July 27 with double-elimination play.

Two San Diego County teams are included in the 11U SoCal state bracket: Point Loma (District 32/Section 6 champion) and Fletcher Hills (District 41/Section 7 champion). Games are being played in Oxnard and nearby Port Hueneme.

Fletcher Hills prevented a District 42 section sweep by shading Eastlake Little League, 1-0, in Tuesday’s championship game. Carrying a loss into the final, Eastlake needed two wins to advance to the state tournament while District 41 champion Fletcher Hills only needed one win, and got it.

Fletcher Hills faces off the state tournament Sunday at 3 p.m. against Saturday’s Encino-Section 5 winner. Sunday’s loser drops to Monday’s elimination round.
The 11s state tournament continues through July 27 with double-elimination play.

Batter up
Standout pitchers on the SVLL 12s in the section tournament included Liam Alto, Trey Doman and Steven Carlos while standout hitters included Adrian Arguijo, Ezekiel Winnick, Cruz Dickinson and Doman.

Ruben Huerta, Andrew Iniguez and Giancarlo Perez all turned in great defense and timely hitting, according to league president Joe Griffin, while Ben Brown contributed a “big home run,” Griffin said.

Also contributing key hits were Isaac Selga, Hedley Ludlow and Adrien Rios.

Sweetwater Valley won all three of its section games: 8-7 over District 66 champion Encanto in the opening round, 10-0 over District 41 champion Rios Canyon in the winners bracket semifinal and 16-6 over Rios Canyon again in the championship game.

Rios Canyon defeated District 66 champion Encanto, 8-1, on Sunday to earn the rematch with Sweetwater Valley in the final.

Photos by Jon Bigornia

Griffin called Tuesday’s 10s section championship game at Sweetwater Valley Little League “one for the history books.”

“The game was a nail-biter until the top of the fourth inning when Sweetwater Valley Little League scored four runs,” Griffin said. “Jacob Jay Rodriguez made a Fernando Tatis-like leap to save runs at shortstop in the bottom of the fourth.”

Sweetwater Valley used that momentum to engineer a final 8-0 win over District 41 champion Fletcher Hills.

Sweetwater Valley Little League tacked on another four runs in the final inning.
“Landon Camacho pitched an amazing complete game shutout,” Griffin noted.

The District 42 champions went 3-0 in the four-team field: 14-1 over District 66 champion Spring Valley in the opening round, 14-0 over Fletcher Hills in the winners bracket semifinal and 8-0 over Fletcher Hills in the championship game.

Fletcher Hills fought back from the semifinal loss with an 8-4 win over District 22 champion Calexico in Monday’s losers bracket semifinal.

Calexico eliminated Spring Valley, 11-4, on Sunday.

California Section 7 Tournament Scoreboard

12U Division
Opening Round
Friday, July 11
Rios Canyon (District 41) 11, Calexico (District 22) 4
Sweetwater Valley (District 42) 8, Encanto (District 66) 7

Second Round
Saturday, July 12
Winners Bracket Semifinal
Sweetwater Valley (District 42) 10, Rios Canyon (District 41) 0
Note: Sweetwater Valley advances to championship game.
Losers Bracket
Encanto (District 66) 7, Calexico (District 22) 6

Third Round
Losers Bracket Semifinal
Rios Canyon (District 41) 8, Encanto (District 66) 7
Note: Rios Canyon advances to championship game.

Championship Game
Monday, July 14
Sweetwater Valley (District 42) 16, Rios Canyon (District 41) 6
Note: Sweetwater Valley wins championship, advances to Southern California state tournament.

11U Division
Opening Round
Saturday, July 12
Eastlake 20, Spring Valley 0
Fletcher Hills 3, Eastlake 0

Second Round
Sunday, July 13
Winners Bracket Semifinal
Fletcher Hills 8, Eastlake 1
Note: Fletcher Hills advances to championship game

Losers Bracket
Imperial 5, Spring Valley 1

Third Round
Monday, July 14
Losers Bracket Semifinal
Eastlake 12, Imperial 5
Note: Eastlake advances to championship game

Championship Game
Tuesday, July 15
Fletcher Hills (District 41) 1, Eastlake (District 42) 0
Note: Fletcher Hills wins championship game, advances to Southern California state tournament

10U Division
Opening Round
Saturday, July 12
Sweetwater Valley (District 42) 14, Spring Valley (District 66) 1
Fletcher Hills (District 41) 16, Calexico (District 22) 4

Second Round
Sunday, July 13
Winners Bracket Semifinal
Sweetwater Valley (District 42) 14, Fletcher Hills (District 41) 0
Note: Sweetwater Valley advances to championship game.

Losers Bracket
Calexico (District 22) 11, Spring Valley (District 66) 4

Third Round
Monday, July 14
Losers Bracket Semifinal
Fletcher Hills (District 41) 8, Calexico (District 22) 4
Note: Fletcher Hills advances to championship game.

Championship Game
Tuesday, July 15
Sweetwater Valley (District 42) 8, Fletcher Hills (District 41) 0
Note: Sweetwater Valley wins championship game, advances to Southern California state tournament.

California Little League Champions

10U Division
District 66: Spring Valley
District 42: Sweetwater Valley
District 41: Fletcher Hills
District 22: Calexico

11U Division
District 66: Spring Valley
District 42: Eastlake
District 41: Fletcher Hills
District 22: Imperial

12U Division
District 66: Encanto
District 42: Sweetwater Valley
District 41: Rios Canyon
District 22: Calexico

Intermediate Division
District 66: Not fielded
District 42: Eastlake
District 41: Rancho De Oro
District 22: Not fielded

Junior Division
District 66: Lemon Grove
District 42: Park View
District 41: Alpine American
District 22: Yuma

Senior Division
District 66: Spring Valley
District 42: Eastlake
District 41: Mountain Empire
District 22: Not fielded