Another week of Little League baseball action is in the books, and with that, another pair of championship banners being hoisted by the Turlock American Little League All-Stars. On Tuesday, the TALL 10s and 11s each won their respective Section 6 brackets to secure a spot in this week’s NorCal State Tournaments, which kick off this morning.
10s recap
As 10s head coach Brian Fowkes joked, this team apparently likes doing things the hard way.
For the second consecutive tournament, the TALL 10s lost their opening game, forcing them to play through the loser’s bracket to make it back into title contention and into the championship game. Between the District and Section tournament, the team played the maximum number of games, something that Fowkes believes will benefit them in the long run.
The team’s experience was on full display as they handled top seeded Amador West by an 11-2 score. Statistics for this matchup were not available at the time of this publication.
“The boys are so happy to make state on their first try as All-Stars,” Fowkes said. “The boys are proud to be representing Turlock at the state level. They know they’re only one of seven teams left in the Northern California region.”
The 10s will travel to McKinleyville for their state tournament on Saturday.
11s recap
It was pure domination from the TALL 11s in their Section championship clincher on Tuesday against Ripon Little League, as they won by a 17-7 mercy rule in five innings.
The offensive explosion was highlighted by Luke Fitzgerald, Blaine Sliger and Marco Soria, who each drove in two runs. Benji Delgadillo, who hit a ground-rule double to push the lead to double-digits and end the game. He also earned the win as a relief pitcher, tossing a scoreless inning while surrendering zero hits, two walks and striking out a pair.
“I am extremely proud of the disciplined approach that the boys had at the plate. This is a very well-rounded team, and this tournament was an absolute team effort. I am excited to watch this team compete at the state level,” said head coach Tommy Waterson.
The 11s are in action for their state tournament Saturday in Napa.
