SWEETWATER VALLEY LITTLE LEAGUE FROM BONITA, CALIFORNIA WINS WEST REGION, ADVANCES TO LITTLE LEAGUE® WORLD SERIES

The bats were busy at Houghton Stadium on Saturday, and when the dust cleared S. California had a 12-10 win over Hawaii in six exciting innings.

There were 29 hits, including 12 extra base hits in the game.

S. California’s Sweetwater Valley LL came out swinging, scoring five runs in the first inning to jump ahead of Hawaii’s Waipio LL early. California scored in the first on an RBI single by Levi Mendez, an RBI single by Walker Lannom, a groundout by Jacob Baptista, and a two-run error.

Hawaii bounced back in the bottom of the first, but S. California kept scoring runs and was able to to stave off Hawaii. S. California piled on two more runs in the top of the fourth. Lannom’s solo blast got things going. That was followed up by Ariel Armas’s double, plating Baptista. The team from Bonita, Calif., added three more runs in the top of the fifth. Nate Nankil started the inning with a double. That was followed up by Baptista’s two-run home run, bringing home Nankil.

But, Hawaii showed heart, and scored six runs in the sixth on three doubles and two singles. Despite its efforts, Hawaii couldn’t get over the hump, with the game ending on an exciting rundown for the final out.

Baptista racked up three RBIs on three hits for S. California.

Antonio Andrade got the win for Sweetwater Valley LL. He allowed four runs over four innings. He struck out four, walked two and surrendered six hits.

Sweetwater Valley Little League finished the 2015 Little League Baseball West Region Tournament with a 4-0 record. Throughout the tournament, the team outscored opponents 50-22. Click here to learn more about the West Region Tournament. And watch video highlights from all of the action in San Bernardino.

The West Region Champion will face off against the Great Lakes Champion in the first round of the Little League Baseball World Series on Thursday, Aug. 20, at 7 p.m., at Lamade Stadium. The Great Lakes Region Championship was won by Bowling Green Eastern Little League, from Bowling Green, Kentucky. For more information on the Great Lakes Region Tournament, click here. Over the course of 10 days, 32 games will be played in the Little League Baseball World Series, concluding with the Little League Baseball World Series Championship Game, which is scheduled for 3 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 30.