Little League Baseball

Dominant Oro Valley outlasts gritty Marana for District 5 Majors title


Oro Valley is the District 5 Majors champions (Javier Morales/AllSportsTucson.com)

Marana was the epitome of the scrappy underdog ready for the challenge, but Oro Valley’s Majors (10-12) team was literally too powerful in the Little League District 5 championship at Arthur Pack Regional Park on Tuesday night.

Cleanup hitter Evan Wheeler blasted two home runs, including a grand slam in the top of the sixth, to propel Oro Valley to the district title with the 10-7 victory. He also pitched three scoreless innings in relief allowing one hit with six strikeouts and three walks to earn the win on the mound.

Oro Valley advances to the state tournament that begins July 16 in Tempe.

“I think we have a good chance; I think we’ll do good,” said Wheeler, whose team went unbeaten in four games in the district tournament. “It feels good because I was able to win it for us because we were down and I put us up and I closed it out pitching.”

Through the first three innings, it appeared Marana’s Cinderella story would continue. It led 7-3 after a five-run third inning highlighted by a bases-loaded walk by Sophie Silverstein and a three-run double by Emmitt Lee, who scored on the play because of a throwing error.

Only three of Marana’s players are 12-years-old — the maximum age for the Majors division — and two of the players that took the mound in Tuesday’s game never pitched in an all-star district tournament because of the bullpen wearing thin from Marana’s four previous games in the tournament.

Marana lost the first round game against Canyon View but then won three straight games in the elimination bracket, including a win over Canyon View in a rematch.

“Very proud of these kids,” said Marana coach Nate Chanek, who called playing Oro Valley a “David and Goliath” matchup. “We weren’t supposed to go this far, but they believed in themselves and showed a lot of heart.”

Oro Valley’s Nick Aronson put his team ahead 2-0 in the top of the second on a two-run home run with two outs that plated Daniel Armenta, who earlier singled.

Oro Valley, which averaged 10.3 runs in the four games of the district tournament, appeared to be ready to pull away.

Oro Valley’s Evan Wheeler got the job done on the mound and at the plate (Photos by Javier Morales/AllSportsTucson.com)

“I was so excited,” Aronson said of his home run with a smile. “I stomped on (home plate) and I kind of messed up my knees.”

Marana immediately answered in the bottom of the second with two RBI singles by Lee and Ryan Heimpel with two outs. Lee finished with 2 for 3 with four RBIs.

The five runs mounted by Marana in the third inning equaled what Oro Valley allowed in its previous three wins combined. It outscored opponents 31-5 to reach the championship.

Marana should be formidable next summer with all but three of its players returning for next years Majors team (Javier Morales/AllSportsTucson.com)

“We told our team that Marana is an amazing team,” Oro Valley coach Ena Madrid said. “They’ve been fighting this whole time through the loser’s bracket, and we knew it wasn’t going to be easy.”

An RBI single by Aaron White in the fourth inning cut Marana’s lead to 7-4. Wheeler took the mound in the bottom of that inning and worked out of a bases-loaded jam to keep the deficit at three runs.

Marana could not muster a rally in the fifth and sixth innings against Wheeler.

Meanwhile, Oro Valley cut the lead to 7-5 in the fifth on Wheeler’s solo home run and then sent 11 batters to the plate in their five-run sixth inning buoyed by Wheeler’s grand slam.

“The last one (homer) wasn’t that good, but it it got out, so it counts,” Wheeler said. “I didn’t think it was going out, but it did. So we went ahead and I just had to pitch and we were done.”

Sito Graves and Fabian Acuna walked and Izzy Delgado singled to load the bases before Wheeler’s home run.

An insurance run was tacked on when Armenta, who singled, scored with two outs on Graves’ RBI single.

Oro Valley coach Ena Madrid talks things over with Nick Aronson (Javier Morales/AllSportsTucson.com)

“The biggest thing we kept telling them is to have heart and they proved that all the way through,” Madrid said of her team. “I couldn’t be more proud of them.

“We haven’t had days off. I think Sundays are the only days we’ve had off. They’ve proved what hard work is. We were tired but it’s worth it. I think that’s what separates us from everybody else.”

The District 12 Majors baseball tournament gets underway at Field of Dreams on Wednesday. The District 8 tournament that includes Nogales, Douglas, Sierra Vista, Willcox and Santa Cruz also starts Wednesday.

This is the age group that advances to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa., in August.

Oro Valley with a small meeting on the mound (Javier Morales/AllSportsTucson.com)

District 5 & 12 LITTLE LEAGUE RESULTS THROUGH TUESDAY’S GAMES

Note: * denotes elimination bracket game

Little League Softball

District 12

9-10-11

Sunnyside is the district champion heading to the state tournament at Payson on July 15.

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Sunnyside 9-10-11 District 12 champions (Sunnyside LL photo)

Majors

Tuesday, June 29

Championship — Sunnyside 15, San Xavier 2.

Sunnyside is the district champion heading to the state tournament at Queen Creek on July 6.

Sunnyside Majors District 12 champions (Sunnyside LL photo)

District 5

8-9-10

Continental Ranch is the district champion advancing to the state tournament at Cottonwood beginning July 9.

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Continental Ranch 8-9-10 District 5 champions (Continental Ranch photo)

Majors

Monday, June 28

Game One (Best of 3): Marana 11, Thornydale 1

Tuesday, June 29

Game Two (Best of 3): Marana 14, Thornydale 1

Marana is the district champion heading to the state tournament at Queen Creek on July 6.

Marana Majors District 5 champions (Marana photo)

Juniors

Monday, June 28

Game One (Best of 3): Thornydale 11, Flowing Wells 1

Tuesday, June 29

Game Two (Best of 3): Thornydale 28, Flowing Wells 18

Thornydale is the district champion heading to the state tournament that will be held at Arthur Pack starting July 5.

Thornydale Juniors District 5 champions (Marana photo)

Little League Baseball

District 12

Intermediate 50/70

Copper Hills is the district champion heading to the state tournament at Nogales on July 16.

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Copper Hills District 12 Intermediate 50/70 champions (Javier Morales/AllSportsTucson.com)

8-9-10 (Jesse Owens)

Tuesday, June 29

Game Five: Rincon 15, Copper Hills 0

*Game Six: Cactus 29, Sunnyside 3

Thursday, July 1

*Game Seven: Cactus vs. Copper Hills, 6:30 p.m.

Friday, July 2

Game Eight: Championship (Rincon vs. Winner Game Seven), 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, July 3

Game Nine: Championship (if necessary, if Game Seven winner wins Game Eight), 6:30 p.m.

9-10-11 (Field of Dreams)

Tuesday, June 29

*Game Five: Sunnyside 16, Southwestern 0

*Game Six: Los Niños 25, Randolph 3

Thursday, July 1

Game Seven: Copper Hills vs. Rincon, 5:15 p.m.

*Game Eight: Sunnyside vs. Los Niños, 7:45 p.m.

Saturday, July 3

*Game Nine: Loser Game Seven vs. Winner Game Eight, 6:30 p.m.

Monday, July 5

Game Ten: Championship (Winner Game Seven vs. Loser Game Nine), 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, July 6

Game Eleven: Championship (if necessary, if Loser Game Nine wins Game Ten), 6:30 p.m. 

Majors (Field of Dreams)

Wednesday, June 30

Game One (Field 1): Copper Hills vs. Sunnyside, 5:15 p.m.

Game Two (Field 2): Cactus vs. Empire, 5:15 p.m.

Game Three (Field 1): San Xavier vs. Southwestern, 7:45 p.m.

Game Four (Field 2): Rincon vs. Randolph, 7:45 p.m.

Thursday, July 1

*Game Five (Field 1): Loser Game One vs. Loser Game Two, 5:15 p.m.

*Game Six (Field 1): Loser Game Three vs. Loser Game Four, 7:45 p.m.

Saturday, July 3

Game Seven (Field 1): Game One Winner vs. Game Two Winner, 5:15 p.m.

Game Eight (Field 1): Game Three Winner vs. Game Four Winner, 7:45 p.m.

Monday, July 5

*Game Nine (Field 1): Winner Game Five vs. Loser Game Eight, 5:15 p.m.

*Game Ten (Field 1): Winner Game Six vs. Loser Game Seven, 7:45 p.m.

Tuesday, July 6

Game Eleven (Field 1): Winner Game Seven vs. Winner Game Eight, 5:15 p.m.

*Game Twelve (Field 1): Winner Game Nine vs. Winner Game Ten, 7:45 p.m.

Wednesday, July 7

*Game Thirteen (Field 1): Winner Game Twelve vs. Loser Game Eleven, 6:30 p.m.

Friday, July 9

Game Fourteen (Field 1): Championship (Winner Game Eleven vs. Winner Game Thirteen), 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, July 10

Game Fifteen (Field 1): Championship (if necessary, if Winner Game Thirteen wins Game Fourteen), 6:30 p.m.

Juniors (Jesse Owens)

Tuesday, June 29

*Game Five: San Xavier 18, Southwestern 14

Thursday, July 1

Game Six: Championship — Sunnyside vs. San Xavier, 6:30 p.m.

Friday, July 2

Game Seven: Championship (if necessary, if San Xavier beats Sunnyside in Game Six), 6:30 p.m.

District 5

8-9-10

Tuesday, June 29

Championship — Canyon View 20, Tanque Verde 4

Canyon View is the district champion heading to the state tournament at Silver Lake Park starting July 17.

Canyon View District 5 8-10 champions (Canyon View photo)

9-10-11

Tuesday, June 29

Championship — Canyon View 7, CDO 0

Canyon View is the district champion heading to the state tournament at Litchfield Park starting July 16.

Canyon View District 5 9-11 champions (Canyon View photo)

ALLSPORTSTUCSON.COM LATEST POSTS

Majors

Tuesday, June 29

Championship — Oro Valley 10, Marana 7

Oro Valley is the district champion heading to the state tournament at Tempe starting July 16.

Oro Valley District 5 Majors champions (Canyon View photo)

Intermediate 50/70

Monday, June 28

Game One (Best of 3): Continental Ranch 16, Western 1

Tuesday, June 29

Game Two (Best of 3): Continental Ranch 14, Western 7

Continental Ranch is the district champion heading to the state tournament at Nogales starting July 16.

Continental Ranch District 5 Intermediate 50/70 champions (Continental Ranch photo)

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ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com publisher, writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner. He is a former Arizona Daily Star beat reporter for the Arizona basketball team, including when the Wildcats won the 1996-97 NCAA title. He has also written articles for CollegeAD.com, Bleacher Report, Lindy’s Sports, TucsonCitizen.com, The Arizona Republic, Sporting News and Baseball America, among many other publications. He has also authored the book “The Highest Form of Living”, which is available at Amazon. He became an educator five years ago and is presently a special education teacher at Gallego Fine Arts Intermediate in the Sunnyside Unified School District.

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