Travel baseball team runs the table in Manteca, finishes season
with impressive 36-3-1 record
MANTECA
The San Benito Smashers 10U travel baseball team wrapped up their season Thanksgiving weekend with an impressive 4-0 sweep in their largest tournament of the year, the Toys for Tots charity tournament in Manteca.
The Smashers finished tops out of 12 teams to claim their seventh tournament victory of the year. Along with their two second-place finishes in the nine tournaments they played in, the Smashers finished the season with a 36-3-1 record and a 17-game winning streak.
The Smashers began their championship run Friday with a convincing 11-3 victory over the Tri City Terrors of Fremont. Tim Manderson and Davonte` Butler held the Terrors to just two hits. The affair lasted only four innings powered by a seven-run third in which Smasher Alex Ruiz started the rally with a lead-off single and shortstop Drew Williams blasted a three-run homer.
On Saturday the Smashers faced the Natomas Sluggers of Folsom. Izzak Olejnik and Williams combined for four strong innings on the mound as the Smashers rolled to an easy 14-4 victory. Second baseman Matt Hill provided two critical hits in the game to plate runners in the second and fourth.
On Sunday the Smashers faced their toughest competition of the tournament when they met the Central Coast Whitecaps of Santa Cruz. Having beaten the Whitecaps 4-3 only four weeks prior, the Smashers knew they were in for a battle. Manderson took the hill again and pitched a complete game, recording nine strikeouts and allowing just three hits in six innings, as the Smashers won 4-2 and secured a berth in their ninth consecutive championship game.
The South Bay Diamondbacks were the Smashers opponents in the championship game. The D-Backs had fought their way up through the elimination bracket however, and were no match for the Smashers as they were playing their ninth game in three days.
Butler closed out the D-Backs in four innings on just 54 pitches, as the Smashers put on their best offensive performance of the tournament, knocking out 11 hits with multi-hit games by Sammy Vicencio, Josh Zanger, Izzak Olejnik and Drew Williams. The Smashers also dominated the game by playing error-free defensive baseball, highlighted by a spectacular second inning catch by left fielder Mason Marquez, which killed a D-Back rally. Butler cruised after that, allowing just one hit in an 11-1 victory.
The team finished with a .392 team batting average, led by Hill (.667), Olejnik (.500), Williams (.455) and Manderson (.444).
With the win, the Smashers finish their season as the No. 1 Power Rated team in the nation by USSSA in the 10 AAA age class. The team will resume play next spring.
