Bat Rays win So Cal tourney

The Newport Beach Bat Rays 11U team won the Southern California AAU baseball tournament played at Steed Park in San Clemente on Oct. 18.

The team, coached by Charlie Gillum and Erik Vandenakker, put together a tremendous performance with great pitching, hitting and a strong defense winning the tournament that included teams from throughout Orange and San Diego County.

The Bat Rays entered the single-elimination tournament as the No. 2 seed after pool play.

The Bat Rays defeated the Aliso Viejo Samurai, 5-2 in the semifinal game behind the solid pitching of Kaulin Post and Spencer Webb. When the game got close in the final inning, hard-throwing Cooper Hoch came in to secure the victory by striking out the final two batters.

Jake Sommer and Spencer Webb led the way offensively with two hits each.

The Bat Rays faced MIT Baseball based out of San Diego in the championship game. Prior to the final game, MIT had gone undefeated in the tournament outscoring its opponents 41-9.

The Bat Rays got off to a strong start, scoring six runs in the first two innings and never looked back to win 11-1. Dustin Miller pitched a complete-game three-hitter.

Sommer, Post, Hoch, Joey Ricci and Eamon Rigdon led the hit parade.

Nate Chambliss, Brennan Seiber and Charlie Ransom all made outstanding defensive plays.

— Reader submission