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Sweetwater Valley continued its rampage through the Little League World Series West Region winners bracket thanks to a one-hit shutout by Isaac Ramirez in Tuesday’s 6-0 semifinal win over Hawaii state champion Kawaihau Community Little League.
The next step is Friday’s regional championship game at Al Houghton Stadium in San Bernardino. It’s a one and done deal: the winner earns a posh berth in the iconic Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pa. For the loser, it’s the end of the season.
It’s make it or break it time.
For Sweetwater Valley, the recently minted Southern California state champions, it’s been mostly breaking other teams’ hearts of late.
Tuesday’s win was Sweetwater Valley’s 11th consecutive in all-star play and raised the Californria District 42 Little League champions’ postseason record to 14-1.
They will face a rematch with Hawaii in Friday’s regional championship tilt, scheduled for a 6 p.m. start on ESPN, following Hawaii’s 5-2 win over Arizona in Wednesday’s elimination game.
A national television audience was able to tune into Tuesday’s game on ESPN’s flagship channel.
Viewers across the country saw a masterpiece of winning baseball.
Sweetwater Valley scored one run in the bottom of the second inning, added three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and tacked on two more in the fifth inning.
Ramirez faced 21 batters, issued two walks and struck out five batters. He helped his own cause by rapping out two hits and scoring two runs.
SoCal generated eight hits and took advantage of Hawaii miscues on the mound.
Ramirez got Sweetwater Valley rolling in the bottom of the second by singling, advancing to second base on a passed ball. He eventually scored on a bases-loaded walk to Asher Giglio. Tempe Tran and Sebastian Pino collected back-to-back walks following Ramirez’s basehit.
SVLL protected its 1-0 lead for another inning before moving ahead 4-0 with three runs in the fourth. Ramirez once again was the catalyst with a single. Tran reached base on an error and Pino singled to load the bases. Ramirez scored on a passed ball for a 2-0 lead. Then Tran scored on a wild pitch or a 3-0 advantage. Pino later scored on a sacrifice fly by Giglio.
Like clockwork. 4-0 Sweetwater Valley.
The California District 42 champions tacked on two more runs in the next frame. Noah Kirk, the winning pitcher in Sunday’s 16-4 opening win over Northern California champion San Ramon Valley, doubled. Leo Gonzales brought him home with a RBI-single. Grant Mielke singled to score Gonzales.
Ramirez was still on the mound in the top of the sixth inning and put down the Hawaii lineup in order on two pop outs and a called third strike.
Ramirez logged 52 strikes on 82 pitches. For Hawaii, Rush Pegeder pitched one inning with three walks, two strikeouts, one hit and one run while Kholten Panul pitched four innings with seven hits allowed, five runs, two walks and five strikeouts.
Kirk (two hits, one run scored) finished with three total bases in the game while Mielke (one hit, one RBI) and Ramirez (two hits, two runs scored) each had two total bases.
Giglio also had two RBI in the victory. Pino had one hit and scored one run.
Daeshaan Kuhaulua got Hawaii’s only hit in the game.
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Arizona took an early 2-0 lead in Wednesday’s elimination game before Hawaii scratch back with one run in the top of the third inning and pushed across four runs in the next inning to take a 5-2 lead.
Arizona ran into pitching problems by walking in two runs and plating another on a hit batsman in the four-run fourth.
Cheering section
Sweetwater Valley Little League president Joe Griffin spoke for the team following Tuesday’s victory. The SVLL enterourage in San Bernardino includes more than just trhe team.
“Manager Steve Winnick reiterated to the boys that if we continue to play baseball the right way, we can beat anyone,” Griffin said. “He encouraged the boys to remember that everything they do, whether it be an at bat or a play in the field, needs to be for the team. He said that the team with the most energy throughout the game is going to win. SVLL definitely showed up and did all of these things to help secure the victory.”
Coach Zach Patterson, who calls the pitches for the team, was hyped from the first inning with Isaac Ramirez’s incredible command of both the fast ball and curve ball, Griffin noted..”Aside from one miscue in the field, Isaac pitched a near perfect game, and we couldn’t be more proud of him<” Griffin said.
Some other highlights that should be mentioned besides the obvious hits, the CVLL president mentioned, were the great defensive plays by Asher Giglio in the first inning and Tempe Tran at third base.
“The boys are doing a great job not just representing themselves and their families, but District 42, Section 7 and now all of California,” the elder Griffin said..” We received an incredible compliment today when we were out and about with the boys that they are all very well behaved and respective. At the end of the day, we aren’t just coaching baseball, we are trying to raise good young men that will be leaders in the future.”
Sweetwater Valley Watch Party
Sweetwater Valley Little League hosted a watch party for Tuesday’s West Region game in San Bernardino at Buffalo Wild Wings in Otay Ranch. Fans were happy with 6-0 win.
Photos by Jon Bigornia
Sweetwater Valley Little League hosted a watch party for Tuesday’s West Region game in San Bernardino at Buffalo Wild Wings in Otay Ranch. Fans were happy with 6-0 win. Photos by Jon Bigornia
