Fontana American LL Senior baseball all-stars achieve District 71 title - Herald News
Battling their way all the way up through the loser’s bracket, the Fontana American Little League Senior Division baseball all-stars turned in a spectacular performance and captured the District 71 championship.
The Fontana American squad conquered Rancho Cucamonga twice on June 26 to obtain the tournament title at Coyote Canyon Park in Fontana.
It was a remarkable turnaround from the opening round of the double-elimination tournament on June 17, when American lost to Rancho, 10-1.
After that, however, the Americans won five straight games. They surged past Deer Canyon (17-3), Fontana Community (15-6), and Fontana Elks (8-5) to reach the finals and get another opportunity to play Rancho.
American edged Rancho in a thriller, 5-4, by pushing across the winning run in the top of the eighth inning.
Derrick Young went 3-for-4 and scored a run to help spark the locals, while Andrew Guzman went 3-for-4. Jonathan Leyva singled and drove in three runs, Adrian Quintana doubled and scored a run, Jordan Yepez doubled, Michael Castillo singled twice, and Angel Lopez had a single and a run.
That victory set up the climactic title-deciding contest, which American won handily, 11-3.
Castillo slugged a double and a single, scored a run, and drove in two runs. Derrick Young singled twice, scored a run, and knocked in two runs. Nathan Steinert went 2-for-2 with a double, single, run, and RBI.
Lopez doubled, scored a run, and drove in two runs. Quintana and Presten Young each blasted a double and scored a run. Guzman singled, scored a run, and drove in two runs. Jordan Contreras had a single, run, and RBI. Beckmond Kraynak had a single and a run and Leyva had a single and an RBI.
Tyler Vasquez earned the pitching victory, striking out nine batters in five innings, and Guzman finished the game in relief.
Also contributing for American during the tournament were Phillip Mastas, Dominic Curayag, Giovani Villegas, and Josef Durrett.
The team’s manager is Trevor Young and the coaches are Samuel Goldstein and Tim Durrett.
The Americans will advance into the Section 8 Tournament on June 30 at Blair Park in San Bernardino.