Footage from the Napa American Little League 10-12 All-Stars' game against Tri-Valley in Benicia on June 29.
The Napa American and American Canyon 10-12 All-Star baseball teams both won their first two games of the Little League District 53 Tournament over the weekend in and will meet in the winners-bracket final at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Benicia Community Park.
Will Wittman (22) is greeted by Napa American teammates after hitting a three-run homer Saturday morning in Benicia.
Napa American won a thriller Saturday morning, erasing a 5-4 deficit with five unanswered runs in the top of the sixth and final inning for a 9-5 victory over Tri-Valley of Cordelia.
Napa American went on to beat Napa National in the second round to improve to 2-0.
Andrew Keller opened the game with a double and after two walks, Will Wittman hit a three-run double and scored on a sacrifice fly. Wittman went 3 for 3 with a three-run homer in the sixth.
American Canyon's Nate Palma rounds first base after hitting a home run against Fairfield Atlantic in Benicia on Saturday.
“Brix Leach came in and pitched a heck of a game and held them until they got up on us with a home run and we were down in the sixth,” Napa American manager Tanner Bushby said. “Going in there, we pumped the boys up and the bats caught fire. They just did an awesome job. We came to life and we took it from them. Will Wittman’s homer really lit up the bats, and then he came in and pitched really well and shut them down, and then Braden Bushby came in at the end to get the last out.”
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American Canyon also scored most of its runs in the last inning, six in the fourth, to cap a mercy rule-abbreviated 15-4 win over Fairfield Atlantic on Saturday afternoon. A win over Benicia on Sunday afternoon has American Canyon also one win from the final.
Footage from the American Canyon Little League 10-12 All-Stars' game against Fairfield Atlantic in Benicia on June 29.
Steven Velasco had as good a day as a hitter can have for American Canyon on Saturday, going 3 for 3 with all home runs — a two-run homer in the first inning, a solo shot in the third that sparked a five-run rally, and a three-run homer in the game-ending fourth.
“I wasn’t expecting all that, but he hit it pretty well,” American Canyon manager Erwin Lopez said. “(Starting pitcher Malaki Hatfield came out strong in the first inning and got us going, and then walked too many batters early. When he’s throwing strikes, he’s tough to hit.
“We’ve probably had two weeks of practice, three to four days a week. But it’s hard to get them all together, especially with the Tournament of Champions still going on and people going on vacation. We still got in a good amount of practice.”
Nate Palma followed Velasco’s second homer with his own solo shot. Luke Bibb, Bryson Tang and Dominic Serna were also among American Canyon’s hitters.
Dave Mosher contributed to this report.