Reds open elimination with win

The Lodi Reds 12 and under baseball team advanced in the Cooperstown All-Star Village tournament in Cooperstown, N.Y. on Wednesday.

Taking on Queensland, Australia, Lodi posted a 10-0 win in a game called after five innings because of the mercy rule. The Reds was led defensively by pitcher Josh Anderson, who pitched a complete game shut out that included four strikeouts and allowed two hits. Part of the Reds’ defensive efforts was from Zachary Stephens, who made a tremendous play up the middle trapping a ball and completing an unassisted double-play to save a run.

On offense, Lodi was fueled by Dante Cecchini added a 3-run home run in the first inning, and his second of the tournament. Jaron Diaz had a home run to secure the mercy rule, launching a two-run shot over the center field wall.

Stephens had two hits and scored a run. Anderson also had two hits including a double and a run. Jake Lopez added a double and Gage Jimenez single and scored a run.

Lodi, which went 3-2 in pool play games, was scheduled to play late Wednesday night. Results of the game were not available at press time. If the Reds won their second game of elimination action, they will advance to the sweet 16 bracket and is scheduled to play again this morning.

Prior to Wednesday’s game, Lodi played its final pool play game in which Jet Box Baseball posted a 4-2 win. Caleb Hendricks pitched a complete game for the Reds, as he allowed three hits and one earned run. Offensively, Cecchini smacked his first home run. Hendricks, plus Dylan Evans and Hugo Balderrama, had singles.

Softball

The USA Elite 16U softball team went 2-2 at the USSSA Double Double over the weekend, winning twice on Saturday and dropping two games on Sunday.

First the Elite had 14 hits in a 14-2 victory over the Sonoma Stack 18U, with Alyssa Oliver and Dessa Zavala

each going 3-for-3 with two double and four RBIs apiece. Haley Price had two doubles and Payton Pinkela had one. Next came a 5-2 win over the NorCal Maverickswith Price going 2-for-2 to lead the Lodi squad. Merissa Olmos pitched the full game, allowing five hits in four innings, while Katie Blankenheim won the first game.

Sunday started with a 7-3 loss to West Coast Premier, with nobody on the Elite gathering more than one hit, though Pinkela led with a pair of RBIs. That was followed by an 8-6 loss to the Foothill Gold 18U, with 10 hits going for nought. Pinkela, Gianna Guidi and Olmos each went 2-for-3.