PEORIA, Ariz - The Zoots Baseball Club noticed a spot in the 17U championship game with a two-run RBI triple from Davis Diaz in the top of the seventh. The game was knotted at five heading into the final outs of the game when Diaz stepped into the box on Thursday on Padres Four at the Peoria Sports Complex in Peoria, Arizona.
Playa Vista jumped out early, pushing two runs across in the bottom of the first. Alex Talamante and Brock Kleszcz both singled and were in scoring position when Mitchell Torres hit a two-run RBI single to Zoots right fielder, Nicholas Kresnak. 
Zoots responded in the third in nearly identical fashion. Nicholas Yorke singled and Gavin Napier followed with a double. The athletes were standing on third and second, respectively, when Diaz hit a ground ball to Kleszcz, the Orioles centerfielder, and scored the pair. 
The Orioles scored in the bottom frame to regain the lead when Caiden Huber's sac-fly scored Jeff Pierantoni who singled to lead off the inning. 
The back and forth scoring efforts continued in the fifth inning. Yorke cleared the bases for Zoots with a three-run, opposite field shot over the right-field wall. It was his first homer and 11th hit of the tournament. Keith Jones II and Wall also scored on the play. 
The bottom of the inning proved fruitful for the Orioles as they tied the score a five before a line out ended the effort. A hit by pitch and a walk but the tying run on first in the body of Pierantoni and a sac bunt moved him over the second. Marc Pallares would send runners home with a ground out to Orioles second baseman, Vincent Bianchina. 
An inning later, Diaz solidified the win for Zoots with his triple to left. 
Mitchell Torres, Drake Wertlieb, and Sebastian Diaz all saw time on the bump for the Orioles. The trio combined for eight hits, seven runs, and five strikeouts. Max Gonzales collected the win for Zoots and Tommy Splaine came in for the save, the tandem tossed two strikeouts and allowed 10 hits in the game. 
Zoots Baseball Club will take on CBA Marucci National for the 17U title on Friday morning at 10 a.m. (PT) at the Peoria Sports Complex.