Fourth of July weekend festivities rolled on in the desert as a full day of fireworks took place in 14U bracket play. Let’s take a look at all the action from each elimination game on Saturday.
Click here to view scores from every game throughout the tournament.
Round of 32
San Diego SHOW 2, ZT Texas 0
Top-seeded San Diego Show looked the part by downing ZT Texas in a low-scoring affair to continue its quest for gold. San Diego plated both of its runs in the first two innings as Alex Kolk and Eddie Acosta collected the lone RBIs in this one. Pitcher Kash Calderon dazzled on the mound, tossing all seven innings to record a complete-game shutout while striking out four in the rock-solid outing.
Canes West 13, BPA Gold 14U 2
A 16-hit onslaught from Canes West powered a 13-2 victory over BPA Gold 14U. Lucas Ota-Salas and Dylan Hicks each recorded three hits and combined to go 6-for-8 with 4 RBIs and 5 runs scored. Ota-Salas was especially impressive, recording two doubles and a triple. Three different Canes pitchers racked up nine strikeouts over five innings of work to keep BPA from recording any serious damage.
Total Baseball Vipers 5, Prime 2
A solid combination of hitting and pitching pushed the Total Baseball Vipers to a 5-2 win over Prime. Total Baseball first baseman Jasiah Muse turned in a 2-for-2, three RBI day at the plate which included a two-run double to put things out of reach for Prime.
Stacked AZ 4, Peninsula Mets Blue 3
Stacked AZ used four early runs to hold the line in a 4-3 win over Peninsula Mets Blue. The early offense for Stacked proved crucial, as Peninsula mounted a rally but fell just short. With two outs and the tying run just 90 feet away for Peninsula, Stacked pitcher Kayden Chavez was able to get Oliver Coupe to fly out to right field to escape the bases-loaded jam to seal the dramatic win.
GBG Inland Empire 11, GBG Blue 2
A first-inning inside-the-park grand slam off the bat of Jah Lovinus proved monumental in GBG Inland Empire’s 11-2 win over GBG Blue. In addition to Lovinus’ slam, Samuel Venegas III went 3-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs scored to headline the Inland Empire statement win in the round of 32.
TB SoCal 6, GBG Navy 4
A five-run first inning wound up being the deciding factor in TB SoCal’s narrow 6-4 win over GBG Navy. The opening-frame eruption featured five runs on five hits, with three of which going for extra bases. TB SoCal added a massive insurance run in the top of the fifth right before GBG Navy plated four of its own in the bottom of the fifth. Two shutout innings on the mound from Grady Klovstad held GBG Navy scoreless to cap off the win.
Saddleback Cowboys Cardinal 10, Banditos 2029 Black 0
Ten runs in four innings put a quick end to the Saddleback Cowboys Central round of 32 matchup with Banditos 2029 Black. The Saddleback offense saw eight of 10 batters record a hit, with Johnny Shin leading the way with three RBIs. Pitcher Landon Stepanoff did his part on the mound, keeping Banditos from sending any runners around third in a run-rule shortened shutout effort.
MVP Hustle 8, Top Tier Dudes 2029 0
MVP Hustle scored a run in five of six innings to outmatch the Top Tier Dudes in its 8-0 win. Eight runs on 12 hits was more than enough run support for starting pitcher Tyler Rodriguez, who completed all six-innings without yielding a run to send his team into the round of 16.
Texas Twelve Red Sox 2029 6, Legacy Baseball Group 14U National 4
The Texas Twelve Red Sox did just enough to stave off a Legacy Baseball Group late-game rally to advance one step further to gold. Texas Twelve held a 6-2 lead heading into the top of the seventh, where Legacy scored two runs with two outs and brought the tying run to the plate. With the bases loaded, Texas Twelve turned to pitcher Cole Carrejo, who delivered a four-pitch strikeout to walk away with a win.
ZT Prospects 14U American 14, AZBC 2029 Pruitt 2
ZT Prospects 14U American needed just four innings to cruise past AZBC 2029 Pruitt in a 14-2 run-rule win. The Prospects tallied up a whopping 14 runs on 12 hits in just three offensive innings. Leadoff man Anthony Adame went 2-for-3 with a double and a triple to set the tone early, while pitcher Luke Goldburg allowed only two earned runs to cement the blowout victory.
ZT Prospects 14U 12, BPA Black 4
The ZT Prospects ran up a 12 spot on its way to defeating BPA Black. Left fielder Kyrran Reed had himself a day, going a perfect 4-for-4 offensively with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored. RJ Bahena and Dylan Lindenberg were impressive in relief by posting two shutout innings despite issuing four walks. Regardless, the offensive surge was more than enough to take care of business for ZT.
Grind National 3, CBA Victus 2
An error-free game across the board saw Grind National edge out CBA Victus in arguably the cleanest game of the tournament to date. Grind’s 3-2 victory was driven by the middle of the order stepping up when they needed to The 3-4-5 batters – Roberto Reyna, Cody Lashlze and Isaac Enriquez – each drove in a run apiece to complement some stellar defense and a strong outing from Lashlze on the mound.
5 STAR MAFIA WEST 2029 8, NorCal 2029 U 5
A back-and-forth battle between 5 Star Mafia West and NorCal 2029 U ended with 5 Star picking up an 8-5 win. The offensive production was about as spread out as possible, seeing nine players each record one hit – but none recording a multi-hit effort. Nathan Quijas and Bryce Hallock knocked in back-to-back runs in the bottom of fifth to put things out of reach for NorCal and put a stamp on a well-rounded win for 5 Star.
Diablo Valley Oaks 11, LA Rockstars 0
The Diablo Valley Oaks needed just four innings to punch a ticket into the round of 16 after an 11-0 win over the LA Rockstars. The middle infield duo of Christian Greer and Cooper Oliva paired up to go 5-for-6 at the plate, recording eight total bases, four RBIs and three runs scored in the run-rule win.
Scottsdale Dirtbags 9, Team Kado Hawaii White 8
The Scottsdale Dirtbags and Team Kado Hawaii White delivered a back-and-forth thriller that ended in late-game chaos, with the Dirtbags coming out on top. Trailing 9-7 in the bottom of the fifth, Team Kado got runners aboard in various ways and attempted some daring baserunning to even the score. With two outs and runners at the corners, Chase Hertzog successfully stole home to make it 9-8. In that same sequence, runner Kaiko’o Gossert was thrown out at second base, ending the game on the basepaths and signaling a nail-biting win for the Dirtbags.
CBA Victus San Diego 12, GBG Vegas 9
CBA Victus San Diego used a flurry of extra-base hits to power its way to a 12-9 win over GBG Vegas. Five of CBA’s 12 hits went for extra bases, including two doubles from Jaden Macias and a triple from Evan Saipe, sending their team to the Sweet 16.
Round of 16
Canes West 6, San Diego SHOW 1
Stellar pitching from Canes West stole the show and San Diego’s hopes of making a deep run to kick off the round of 16. Canes pitchers Darren Luber, Ashton Rigg and Xavier Doughty scattered just four hits over the course of the ballgame to keep San Diego guessing from first-pitch onward. Lucas Ota-Salas was locked in all day on Saturday. After a 3-for-3 performance in the first game, Ota-Salas’ encore performance saw another three-hit game, this time going 3-for-4 with three RBIs. His day rounded up with an eye-popping 6-for-7 on the day with four extra-base hits and eight RBIs across the two-game span.
Total Baseball Vipers 13, Stacked AZ 2
A fifth-inning masterclass from Total Baseball Vipers blew open what had been a tightly contested game against Stacked AZ. Total Baseball sent 13 batters to the plate in the inning, scoring nine runs on six hits. The offensive outburst sealed a run-rule victory and an emphatic statement win for the Vipers.
TB SoCal 6, GBG Inland Empire 2
Some late-inning life from TB SoCal proved to be the difference in a 6-2 win over GBG Inland Empire. Tied 2-2 heading into the fifth, TB SoCal capitalized on a string of defensive miscues — including three walks and two errors — to manufacture three runs. An insurance run in the sixth put the finishing touch on a decisive win and a trip to the elite eight.
MVP Hustle 9, Saddleback Cowboys Cardinal 3
Triples galore was the theme of the game for MVP Hustle, as the offense rode a trio of three-baggers to push past the Saddleback Cowboys Cardinal 9-3. Jimmy Quintero, Rhett Lopez and Seth Young each recorded a triple and knocked in at least one RBI each. Quintero landed the knockout blow with a bases-clearing three-run triple to give MVP Hustle a lead it wouldn’t look back upon.
Texas Twelve Red Sox 2029 7, ZT Prospects 14U American 6
The first walk-off of the day belonged to the Texas Twelve Red Sox after a three-run bottom of the seventh inning to secure a spot for Sunday. Bryce Haydock sparked the offense with a leadoff double, where he later came around to score on an RBI single from Jayke Pineda. A walk and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases with two-outs and Texas Twelve in search of two runs to win. Kipton Chesshir then took one for the team, getting plunked and advancing each runner up a base to now tie it at 6-6. On a 1-0 count, Colt Benson played hero and roped a line drive single to walk things off and move Texas Twelve one step closer to the ultimate goal.
Grind National 2029 9, ZT Prospects 14U 6
Grind National pieced together a solid 9-6 win over ZT Prospects 14U, fueled by contributions across the lineup. Seven of 10 starters recorded a hit, including a two-double performance from Nick Nava. But it was Nava’s work on the mound that provided the exclamation point, as he tossed three scoreless innings to shut down any chance of a ZT rally.
5 Star Mafia West 2029 7, Diablo Valley Oaks 3
5 Star Mafia West came out guns a blazin’, plating seven runs in the first two frames in what would be all they needed. The huge sequence resided in the second inning, as Noah Morales and Maceo Mayer notched a pair of back-to-back RBI triples to run up the score early. Nathan Quijas came in middle relief and dominated over four innings, setting the table for Landon Hodges to close things out with a comfortable 7-2 lead that remained unchanged.
Scottsdale Dirtbags 10, CBA Victus San Diego 9
A comeback that seemed insurmountable for the Scottsdale Dirtbags was quickly rewritten into a comeback that was monumental. CBA Victus San Diego held a 9-4 lead going into the bottom of the fifth, but as they say, “it ain’t over til’ it’s over.” Scottsdale completed perhaps the most otherworldly two-out rally in the history of Champs Arizona, as the hometown kids managed to score six runs all with two outs. Preston Brush started, and ended the incredible comeback for his team. Brush led off the inning with a single, and later wound up getting cut-down at home trying to score on a fielder's choice. Scottsdale would put together five runs on two-hits and a slew of walks to tie the game at 9-9 all with two down. That’s when Brush – the leader of the rally – came back up with a chance to complete the unthinkable. On a 2-0 pitch, Brush laced a line drive to left field, plating the winning run and jumping over what seemed to be an impossible hurdle to send Scottsdale to the quarterfinals and wrap Saturday’s action in historic fashion.
On Deck
The 14U quarterfinals and semifinals in addition to various consolation games will take place on Sunday, with things set to begin at 7:00 a.m. MST throughout Surprise and Peoria.
Fans and players alike are encouraged to follow the action through social media on @USABaseEvents or with pitch-by-pitch updates on GameChanger
