RBI Diamondbacks win regional championship

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - The RBI Diamondbacks are heading to the national championship tournament in Florida following their 7-3 win over the RBI Seattle Mariners in Seattle.

After dominant performances in their last several games, the D-backs faced adversity early on in the game by falling behind on the scoreboard.

The situation is not something the team is used to and a slow start may have had something to do with it.

"We kind of let our guard down a little bit, and they came out hyped up," assistant coach James Kuzniak said. "Their pitcher was throwing well. They had a couple breaks that went their way, so it was good for our team to have to come together and go through some adversity."

Despite the slower than usual start, the team rallied around their motto, "We over me," in the truest form to change the outlook of the game.

"Coming together as a team is what [turned] our bats on, and we just kept on going from there," RBI Diamondbacks player Carlos Gonzales said.

The diamondbacks offense erupted following the early inning blunder and did not look back until they recorded the final out and got to celebrate on the field.

Now the team has their sights set on the national tournament in Florida.

They travel back to Yuma Monday, and between the start of school and daily practices in Scottsdale, the road ahead is going to be rigorous.

Even with a long week of work, Kuzniak believes the sacrifice is worth it.

"[We are] preparing for something big - for the World Series," he said. "So, you can kind of sacrifice some sleep for a few nights to get ready to go to something as cool as the World Series."

The team hops on their plane on August 3 and starts the three game tournament the following day.