The Orchard Valley Red Devils, part of Orchard Valley Youth Soccer League made up of Gilroy and Morgan Hill players, finished second during the past weekend’s 2012 Medina Fall Classic in Sunnyvale.
The under-11 boys team lost in the finals to San Ramon Soccer Barcelona 3-2 on Sunday. The tournament, though, was a huge success for the team. Despite playing in the 11-under division, the Red Devils are made of 10-year-olds. The Red Devils opened the tournament on Saturday with three dominant wins. The Red Devils won 5-1, 3-2 and 9-0 to enter the championship game on Sunday.
Baseball
The Morgan Hill Mustangs, a 9-and-under youth baseball team, played up an age bracket at the Santa Cruz Shootout last weekend. And led by a defensive effort, which ended up being the difference between first and second place, the Mustangs won the championship.
The one-day tournament featured six teams. The Mustangs and another team, the Vipers, both finished with 3-0 records. However, the tiebreaker was decided by the least amount of runs allowed. The Mustangs surrendered just four, two less than the Vipers.
Defensive highlights were scattered throughout all three games. In Game 1, a 13-0 win, third baseman Nathan Renggli and catcher Dante Bellistri combined for an out at home plate. Right fielder Jake Randol threw out a runner at second base – the tag applied by Shane Callison. Bellistri, in the field later in the game, has a diving catch to end a threat.In Game 2, a 15-2 win, Bellistri, Renggli and Will Gnibus turned a double play.
Bellistri also had turned an unassisted double play.Game 3, also a 15-2 victory, had a sliding one-handed grab in right field by William Nikitas and a Callison put out from shortstop.
The runs were aplenty as well. Joshua Elam and Bellistri had three hits apiece in the first outing. Elam also drove in three Mustangs runs.
Renggli, who was awarded the tourney MVP, delivered four RBIs, and Bellistri went 3-for-3 in the second game.
Zach McMahon doubled and had three RBIs, and Nikitas, Renggli and Gnibus had two RBIs each in the third victory.
