As the Red Sox claimed their second straight Little League City Championship at the majors level, Turlock American Little League also had a champion crowned in the minors as the Tin Caps defeated the Turlock National’s Hot Rods by a 9-3 score at Soderquist Park on May 23. The win capped off a 15-0 season.

After winning 10 of their 12 TALL matchups by five or more runs, the Grasshoppers gave them a run for their money in their first playoff matchup, with the Tin Caps escaping with a 3-1 win. From there, it was business as usual, defeating the Red Wings in the TALL Championship game.

Though the City Championship ended a bit lopsided in favor of the ‘Caps, TNLL’s Hot Rods also put up a tough fight. In fact, they held a slim 3-2 lead heading into the sixth inning.

The rally began with back-to-back triples from Emmitt Fetter and Brixton Aubertin. Aubertin then gave his team the lead with a steal of home. Another run was scored on a single by Krew Von Aspern before Marcus Ibanez blew the game open with a two-run double. Pierce Campbell added an RBI single before Cameron Nunes scored the final run in a steal of home. 

“This was an amazing group of boys that worked hard all season long,” said head coach Rick Fetter. “They practiced hard all year and it was amazing to see their hard work pay off. People can see the games they won, but not everybody saw behind the scenes, all of the energy they put in at practices to become a great team.”

As for Turlock National’s Hot Rods, they finish their season with a 15-6 record. Prior to the loss in the City Championship, they had been riding a four-game winning streak, including a 7-0 win against the Rivercats in the TNLL title game.