The San Benito Babe Ruth 15-and-under All-Star team won the state tournament on July 14, defeating Lodi 13-1 in the winner-take-all championship game in Santa Maria.
San Benito advances to the Southwest Regional tournament in Arizona. It plays South Tahoe on July 27 in the double-elimination tourney. The winner of the regional advances to the Babe Ruth World Series.
San Benito went 4-1 in the state tournament, beating Lompoc 10-1, Tulare 11-6 and Lodi 9-2 in the all-important winners’ bracket semifinal. Lodi then went on to win an elimination game and needed to beat San Benito twice to win the title.
San Benito dropped a 4-2 decision to Lodi before crushing it in the winner-take-all championship game. Tournament MVP Tyler Triano was part of a pitching staff that was flat-out dominating.
Triano allowed just one run and went the distance in a final game that was shortened due to the 10-run mercy rule. Other standout pitchers included Nick Christian, Ryan Jameson, Jake Ito and Eugene McBride.
Christian, McBride, Triano and Nathan Marquez made the all-tournament team. Christian had nine hits in five games, finishing with a .500 average. Marquez and McBride (seven RBIs) finished with eight hits apiece, Ryan Quinby had seven and Triano six.
