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14-U All-Star team wins sectional tournament

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By Eddie Brisendine

Ramona’s 14-U All-Star Pony League team swept through the East Section Tournament last week and will now move on to the Regional Tournament starting Saturday morning.

The East Section consisted of teams from Emerald Pony League, Alpine, El Cajon and Chula Vista South.

In the championship game on Saturday, Ramona beat Chula Vista South by a score of 5-0. After a scoreless 1½ innings by both teams, Dylan Spacke led off the bottom of the second and quickly put Ramona on top with a home run. In the third inning Tyler Vargas led off the inning with a single. He then stole second base and took third on a passed ball. With two outs, Todd Roberts drove Vargas in with a single to put Ramona up 2-0.

Chandler Mackenzie led off the fourth inning with a double and scored on a dropped third strike and throwing error by the Chula Vista catcher that allowed Mackenzie to score from second base.

With a 3-0 lead going into the bottom of the fifth, John Mackay started Ramona off with his third walk of the game. Blake Workman then hit a deep fly to centerfield that was misjudged by the centerfielder and Ramona had runners on first and second bases with no outs.

Another passed ball by Chula Vista’s catcher allowed Mackay and Workman to move up to second and third before Roberts knocked them both in with his second hit and second and third runs batted in of the game.

“It really shows you how important it is to get your lead hitter on base. Every inning that we led off with a hit or a walk, we ended up scoring a run,” noted Ramona coach Chris Bertolero.

On the mound, Roberts had a great day. He pitched all seven innings, allowing no runs and three hits, while striking out five batters.

“Todd got elbowed by a runner while covering first base in the second inning and wasn’t feeling very good after that. But he kept asking to go back out to the mound and pitched one heck of a game for us,” said Bertolero.

Next week’s Regional Tournament will be held in Lakeside. It will be an eight-team double elimination tournament, with teams from Ramona, Lakeside, Escondido, Vista, Chula Vista, Tecolote, Chula Vista North and La Jolla competing.

The top three teams from that tournament will then move on to the Super Regionals in Whittier, July 24-30.

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