Announcement
Alameda 12 y/o All Stars WIN Lafayette Buckeye Classic
After four hot and dusty afternoons in Lafayette, Alameda's 12's emerged as champions once again, this time capturing 1st place in the 12U division of the second annual all-wood-bat Buckeye Classic.
In the first of two on Saturday 7/26, Ari Chertock tossed a complete game 6-0 shutout against a revamped Pinole Hercules squad. In the second game, Alameda missed opportunities early on vs. Walnut Creek, falling behind 5-2, but rallied in the final innings and secured a 5-5 tie as Jeriah Lewis stole home with two outs in the sixth.
On Sunday, Joe Boyden went five strong innings as Alameda bested Continental 3-0. Faced with runners on 1st and 3rd and nobody out in the sixth, Alameda wrapped up the victory on three subsequent pitches - Sophie Nilsson gunning a runner trying to steal second, Nilsson then teaming with Jackson Rodriguez to nail a runner at the plate on a wild pitch, followed by a comebacker to Rodriguez for the last out. Alameda earned the top seed heading into the semifinals.
Reinforcements arrived on Tuesday, as Joe Gibbons twirled a complete-game 6-3 victory over gutsy Pinole. In the championship game Wednesday, Alameda went up 3-0 early against rival Lafayette only to see the game tied on a 3-run bomb by Lafayette's Nick Kresnak. Alameda stemmed the tide and came through with some clutch hits and baserunning to extend the lead to 7-3, which is how it ended on a sparkling 1-6-3 double play turned by former A's Joe Depinna, Rodriguez, and Seamus McGuinness.
Rodriguez was named tournament MVP for his steady play at shortstop, constant havoc at the plate, and four scoreless innings of relief. Dallas Rider, Ronald Robertson, and Joe Boyden crushed the ball all weekend, right fielder Aeneas Pardo made a diving catch to remember, Jake Avellar did a great job on the bump against Walnut Creek, and KW Quilici saw his first action in over a month, playing a flawless first base on Sunday. Fellow injured reservists Max Nyrop and Tristan Good manned the ice chest and spray bottles for their weary comrades.
