Local teams wrap up Section 7 tourney
Tuesday and Wednesday marked the final days of Section 7 Little League action with the Imperial Valley’s three teams putting in a solid effort in their respective divisions.
In the 9-10 division, the Valley or District 22 was represented by the Calexico All-Stars, while the 10-11 and 11-12-year-old divisions were both represented by teams from Brawley Little League.
Calexico saw its team advanced the farthest in the Section 7 tourney as the local 9-10-year-old squad made it to the championship game Tuesday.
The team did not have an easy road to the final as the players had to overcome an eight-run deficit in the first game against Eastlake and a six-run deficit in an extra-inning thriller against Rancho San Diego.
Calexico came back to defeat Eastlake 14-13 on Saturday and Rancho San Diego 15-14 in seven innings on Sunday to advance to the championship game.
On Monday, Eastlake defeated Rancho San Diego 14-3 in the semifinal to snag the second championship spot.
As Calexico advanced to the final without a loss, Eastlake would need to defeat Calexico twice to capture the Section 7 title.
On Tuesday, Eastlake defeated Calexico 8-3 forcing a winner-take-all game Wednesday, which unfortunately for the local team, was also won by Eastlake, 8-3.
“It was a very good game,” said Calexico coach Alex Velarde. “Both teams competed well. All the boys gave it their best effort, but we ended up falling short.”
Despite the loss, Velarde said he was extremely proud of the team for having made it to the championship game and facing a powerhouse program like Eastlake Little League, which swept Section 7 as the league’s 10-11 and 11-12-year-old teams also won their divisions.
“We were actually the youngest team out there,” Velarde explained. “A lot of teams tend to stack with the oldest players allowed, but all of our boys are 9 and in fact two of them just turned 9.”
The losses were the first for Calexico as the team finished District 22 action undefeated going a perfect 3-0.
“I think I’d have to say the sectional tournament is when we realized we had something special,” Velarde said. “We started that first game down and came back in the bottom of the sixth and walked-off. It was great to see these kids not give up against these huge city teams. They stared down the barrel of the gun and never folded.”
Velarde acknowledged not only the commitment of his players, but the parents and overall community as well throughout the district and section tournaments.
“More than anything I definitely want to thank our parents for what they did for our kids,” he said. “Some stayed out here throughout the tourney, which is costly and some parents commuted every single game, which is time consuming and tiring, so we thank them, the community and our sponsors for all their support.”
Additionally, Velarde thanked the Calexico Little League board for its support of the city’s young ball players and coaches.
Similar to the 9-10 team, Brawley’s 11-12-yearold team also had a lengthy Section 7 run advancing to the semis of the tourney.
Brawley opened with a solid 12-1 victory over District 66 champ Spring Valley and faced eventual champion Eastlake on Sunday, falling 12-0.
The loss dropped Brawley to a decisive semifinal game against Cajon De Oro on Tuesday with the local team falling just short of the title game after a 7-6 loss.
In the 10-11-year-old tourney, Brawley Little League played host allowing the local champ to face competitors on its home field.
Brawley’s 10-11 team also faced tough competition in its sectional tourney and suffered losses to eventual champ Eastlake and Section 7 runner-up Cajon de Oro.