Dateline Surprise, AZ – Westside Baseball's Westchester Babe Ruth 14-and-under team this morning blasted by Tri-Valley, 11-1, in the semifinal game of the Pacific Southwest Region championships.
Tri-Valley had not lost a game since last August. They had breezed through pool play with a 4-0 record, outscoring the opposition 66-7.
However, they had not seen the likes of a team as talented as Westchester’s.
Westchester turned to Nolan Martinez to start on the mound. Manager Hector Zamora had been saving Martinez, one of Westchester's top hurlers. Westchester jumped out to a 2-0 first inning lead on singles by Justin Morris, Kelvin Murillo, Saul Martinez and a double by Aaron Greenfield. Tri-Valley scored a single run in the third inning on three consecutive singles, narrowing Westchester's lead to 2-1.
Westchester reacted by scoring three times answered in the fourth inning on a ground rule double by catcher Jonathan Phelps, a bunt single by lightning quick Dailin Lee, another single by Morris, and a 375-foot sacrifice fly off the bat off of pitcher of Nolan Martinez.
Westchester continued the scoring with a run in the fifth on a bunt single by Kane Kutler and another double by Phelps. Westchester struck for three in the top of the sixth inning on a triple by Morris and singles by Murillo, Greenfield and Nolan Martinez. Westchester finished the scoring with two runs in the seventh on singles by Lee, Morris and Murilo.
Martinez was stellar on the mound, shutting down the high- powered Tri-Valley offense, giving up just six hits and a walk while striking out two.
Morris led the offense with four hits, with Lee and Murillo contributing three each.
Westchester faces Hawaii this evening with the winner advancing to the World Series.
