La Jolla Pony All Star clear Section, Region tournaments
Using strong offense and hard hitting, La Jolla Mustang (ages 10 and under) baseball team advanced to the 2015 Mustang Regionals, July 3-8 in Carlsbad.
During the qualifying Section tournament games, the boys won six of eight games. The La Jolla team was unable to overcome a hot hitting North City squad in the Championship game and settled for second place, but secured a berth in the next round, which opened July 3.
In the Section tournament, Jacob Campagna continued his hot hitting by pounding out 12 hits in the tournament including a long home run in the championship game. Binks Deatherage contributed 14 hits and anchored a strong pitching staff. Landyn McKeown was masterful behind the plate catching all but five innings of the tournament and providing several outstanding plays on defense. Coach Mike Campagna congratulated the boys on a great team effort and said he is looking for an even stronger showing in Carlsbad.
Meanwhile, La Jolla Youth Baseball Pony All Stars (ages 14 and under) team blasted their way through the 2015 Pony All Star Tournament All Sections and Region tournaments. After a doubleheader victory July 12, the Pony All Stars make their way to the Super Region near Los Angeles, which begins July 23.
In the All Sections division, La Jolla played against teams Emerald, Ramona, Carlsbad and Chula Vista North.
Solid pitching led to an opening-game victory on June 21 against Emerald 10-5, with strong arms by Austin Schroeder and Alex Monell. Michael Campagna and Trevor Ace led the offense.
On June 25, La Jolla lost its match against Ramona, dropping them into the elimination bracket, challenging them to win every game or be eliminated from the series.
But they rallied back. In their third game, June 27, Ace had two extra-base hits, and doubled in the fourth and seventh innings, to help lead La Jolla Pony to a victory over Carlsbad.
Pitcher Marcus Scott had an impressive outing against Carlsbad’s lineup, holding them hitless over the three innings he pitched; allowed no earned runs, walked two and struck out four.
Offensively, Ace and Dusty Schraeder teamed up for five hits and three Runs Batted In (RBIs). La Jolla was able to score two runs in each the first, fourth and seventh (the last of which marked with a double by Ace). A RBI single set off a rally for Carlsbad, and gave them three in the seventh. But the game was La Jolla’s 6-3.
Still facing elimination in game four on June 28, La Jolla Pony made the most of eight hits in a victory over Chula Vista North.
La Jolla Pony and Chula Vista North both had chances to score, but it was La Jolla Pony that was able to capitalize on them. Chula Vista North got nine hits compared with just eight for La Jolla Pony, but Chula Vista North left five on base.
Ace racked up two RBIs on two hits for La Jolla Pony. He tripled in the third inning and singled in the fifth. The lead stayed with La Jolla Pony after the third, when they scored five runs on a groundout by Cooper McNally, two singles and a two-run triple by Ace. On defense, La Jolla was led by gutsy pitching by Scott and Scheoeder and backed by nice glove play by the middle infielders. La Jolla Pony took the game 6-4.
La Jolla All Stars kicked off July with the Region Tournament, which ran the first week of the month.