CARY, N.C. – The gold medal game is set at the 2022 10U Futures Invitational.

Looking to defend their 2021 title, ZT Prospects National (CA) will battle Banditos DeLeon (TX) on Sunday in the title game at Thomas Brooks Park in Cary, North Carolina.

The matchup comes after ZT Prospects National and Banditos DeLeon both earned semifinal round victories on Saturday.

ZT Prospects National 6, WFBA Hammerheads 1

After ZT Prospects National opened the scoring on an RBI groundout by Steven Holguin in the bottom of the third, the team broke the game open with a huge hit in the bottom of the fourth. With two runners on and no outs in the frame, Salvador Garcia cranked an inside-the-park homer to deep right field to plate three runs and give ZT Prospects National a four-run edge.

The WFBA Hammerheads chipped away and cut the lead to 4-1 in the fifth, but ZT Prospects National added a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning to secure the semifinal win. Garcia had a game-high four RBIs, going 1-for-3 in the win. Bryant Ju (2-for-2) and Gavin Sumter (2-for-2) both added a pair of hits for ZT Prospects National, while Carson Behr (1-for-2) tallied the only hit for the WFBA Hammerheads.

Jacob Miller got the start on the mound for ZT Prospects National and twirled a gem, throwing a complete game and allowing just one run and one hit with five strikeouts. Hampton Maddox suffered the loss for the WFBA Hammerheads, allowing four runs over four innings.

Game Highlights

• Miller got ZT Prospects National off to a strong start on the mound, striking out the side in the top of the first.
• After Ju singled for the game’s first hit in the bottom of the first, Maddox escaped trouble with a pick off and a fly out to keep the game scoreless.
• Miller and Maddox exchanged scoreless frames again in the second inning before the WFBA Hammerheads put a runner on base with two outs in the third. Ju erased the runner with a caught stealing to retire the side.
• Sumter singled and was sacrificed over on a bunt by Amari Kirschner before eventually scoring on an RBI groundout by Holguin to open the scoring and give ZT Prospects National a 1-0 lead.
• ZT Prospects National kept the foot on the gas in the fourth, hitting back-to-back singles before Garcia’s three-run homer broke the game open. The homer came on a deep fly ball to right field, and Garcia was able to score standing up.
• The WFBA Hammerheads battled back in the top of the fifth, scoring on an RBI groundout by Michael Wedgeworth to trim the deficit to 4-1.
• Garcia drove in another run in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI fielder’s choice and ZT Prospects National capped off the scoring with another run to give them a 6-1 lead that they would go on to win by.

Notable Information

• Miller threw just 50 pitches in the complete-game win, tossing 45 strikes. He faced 19 batters and threw first-pitch strikes to 18 of them.
• Zachary Humphris scored a pair of runs for ZT Prospects National, touching home plate each time he reached base.
• ZT Prospects National put together nine hits in the win.
• With the win, ZT Prospects National clinched their spot in the 2022 10U Futures Invitational Gold Medal Game.

Banditos DeLeon 8, San Diego Show 2

Although the game was a pitchers’ duel entering the third, Banditos DeLeon put up four runs in the third and another four in the sixth to knock off the San Diego Show (CA)

in the 2022 10U Futures Invitational semifinals.

Banditos opened the scoring with an offensive explosion in the top of the third, scoring four times over a four-batter span to take control of the game. San Diego Show responded with two runs over their own over the next two frames, but Banditos answered back with another four-run inning in the top of the sixth to put the game out of reach.

Banditos got six hits in the game, all coming from different players. Tanner Oberholter drove in two runs to lead the offensive attack, while Brayden Worthen and Case Miller chipped in a pair. Silas Entrekin had a game-high two hits, pacing the offense for San Diego.

Boston Targac turned in five innings of two-run ball to earn the win for Banditos, scattering six hits while striking out two. Entrekin surrendered the loss for San Diego, allowing four runs on three hits.

Game Highlights

• Targac and Entrekin exchanged zeroes in the first two innings, with Targac escaping a jam in the first.
• Mason Salinas was hit by a pitch to lead off Banditos’ half of the third, and Ian Yarbrough followed that with a single and the runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt to put two into scoring position. Brayden Worthen followed with a base-hit through the left side to plate the game’s first run and give Banditos a 1-0 edge.
• The score quickly became 2-0 in favor of Banditos when Yarbrough was plated on an error in the third.
• Banditos scored two more in the third, as Worthen and Miller touched home on wild pitches to extend the lead to four.
• After winning the home run derby on Friday night, Carson Reis got San Diego Show on the board in the bottom of the third with an RBI single to right field to trim the deficit to 4-1.

• San Diego Show continued battling in the bottom of the fourth, making it a 4-2 game on an RBI single by John Kauffman.
• Looking to add insurance runs in the top of the sixth, Banditos put four runs on the board to give them an 8-2 lead. Yarbough opened the scoring on a wild pitch before Salinas and Oberholter smoked doubles to make it a six-run game.
• Reese Pogue fired a perfect inning in the bottom of the sixth to secure the win and a spot in the title game on Sunday.

Notable Information

• Salinas scored a game-high two runs in the win.
• Targac threw 10 first-pitch strikes to the 13 batters he faced.
• San Diego Show put at least one runner on base in each of the first four innings, but Targac was able to evade trouble and keep Banditos in front.
• With the win, Banditos clinched their spot in the 2022 10U Futures Invitational Gold Medal Game.

The 2022 10U Futures Invitational title game will take place on Sunday morning at 10:45 am ET from Thomas Brooks Park. Follow along with all of the action on Twitter!