Diablos 18U earn top spot in San Diego tournament
Diablos outscore opponents 21-3 en route to San Diego tournament championship
SAN DIEGO (KYMA, KECY) - The Yuma Diablos 18U baseball team followed up their Baseball Showcase World Series championship win in Phoenix earlier this month with another tournament championship in San Diego. The Diablos finished the two day tournament 4-0 and outscored their opponents 21-3.
In the championship game played at Ernie Beck Field at Clairemont High School, the Diablos entered as the three seed against top seed Fellowship of Christian Athletes based out of Oceanside.
Calexico's David Lara pitched a complete game shutout, allowing three hits while striking out eight.
"I thought I was going to go four, five innings maybe," Lara said. "Once I got to the sixth, I didn't even realize. It came out of nowhere."
Lara received some help in the third inning as the Diablos produced a run playing small ball in the third inning. Calexico's Randy Baez drew a walk, Cibola's J.J. Robles hit a ball to short but Baez beat out the force out attempt. San Luis' Rigo Hernandez then bunted the runners over to second and third. Calexico's Andres Ontiveros then delivered a deep fly to left field which scored Baez from third.
The Diablo's add another run in the top of the fourth. With Kofa's Fabian Burgos on second with two outs, fellow Kofa King, Daniel Zazueta, hitting in the number nine slot, crushed a two strike pitch over the left fielder to score Burgos from second.
"Two strike approach, he left a slider over the plate, I put my best swing on it and drove in a run," Zazueta said. "It was a sigh of relief, I was struggling all weekend and to deliver in a spot like that, I mean, it was huge to come up for my team like that."
That's all Lara and the Diablos would need as they hung on to win 2-0.
"It was a tough tournament but the good thing about it, the guys accepted that challenge very well and the other aspect about it," Head coach Faron Owl said. "Fundamentally wise our pitching was good, our defense was good and our hitting was excellent throughout the weekend."
