The San Benito Babe Ruth 14-year-old All-Stars shut out Arroyo Grande 7-0 Thursday in the Central California State Championship title game in Orcutt, and will now advance to the Pacific Southwest Regional 14-year-old Tournament in Palo Alto.
They'll open the tournament against Guam, which is located in the western Pacific Ocean near the Philippines, next Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Manager Joe Ocampo admitted to being taken aback after reading who is next opponent was.
"Guam? Is that right?" Ocampo said. "It is a little bit different.
"It's gonna be a little bit different atmosphere, a little tougher, but I think we're up to the challenge."
San Benito dispatched their challenger in Arroyo Grande Thursday behind seven shutout innings from starting pitcher Anthony Ocampo, who allowed just four hits while striking out five.
"We weren't taking anyone lightly," Joe Ocampo said. "Everyone was ready to go. I don't think there was a doubt.
"It's a confident group of kids, which is good."
At the plate, San Benito pounded out 12 hits and capitalized on three Arroyo Grande errors.
They got things started in the second inning, when Emmett King's RBI double scored Anthony Ocampo from second base, and Dustin Rovella followed with a sacrifice fly that plated Mark Nakata.
In the third, Sergio Cosio reached second on an error and a stolen base, and Jacob Cabral knocked him in on an RBI single. Ocampo then connected on an RBI double to score Cabral, and run San Benito out to a 4-0 lead.
The local 14-year-olds scored three more runs in the following inning. Starting with a single by King, Rovella followed with a walk and Tyler Quinby knocked in King on a single. Cosio did the same, hitting an RBI single that plated Rovella, while Quinby scored off an Adrian Medina single that resulted in an error on the center fielder.
Arroyo Grande defeated Central in the consolation semifinals 15-4 Wednesday, setting up Thursday's championship round.
Arroyo Grande would have needed to defeat San Benito twice in the double-elimination tournament, after San Benito had previously supplied Arroyo Grande with their previous loss - a 6-1 win in the semifinals on Tuesday.
Cabral started on the mound for San Benito that game and held Arroyo Grande scoreless until the fifth inning, while his teammates provided three runs in the first inning alone.
After Cosio and Medina were both hit by a pitch to start the home half of the first, Steven Hernandez knocked them in on a two-RBI double. Tanner Carrillo-Zazueta then followed with an RBI single to give San Benito an early 3-0 lead.
The score stayed that way until the fifth when Arroyo Grande plated their lone run of the game. San Benito, though, responded with a pair of runs in the bottom half, as King and Rovella each scored on consecutive wild pitches.
San Benito then added another run in the sixth when Medina doubled, stole third, and Cabral connected on a sacrifice fly to make the score 6-1.
Championship
AG 000 000 0 - 0 4 3
SB 022 300 X - 7 12 0
All-Star Run
San Benito compiled a 4-0 record at the Central California State Championships in Orcutt this week, outscoring their opponents by a 34-7 margin.
San Benito 16, Wasco 3
San Benito 5, Central 3
San Benito 6, Arroyo Grande 1
San Benito 7, Arroyo Grande 0
Andrew Matheson Andrew Matheson is a sports writer for South Valley Newspapers. He can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 334 or at amatheson@svnewspapers.com.
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Best in the bus business, again
