The Sunnyside Little League Majors All-Stars team was deadlocked with the Randolph Little League Majors All-Stars team through two innings on Thursday night with a combined eight runs mostly produced by 11 walks between the two teams.
Sunnyside’s calming force from that point was pitcher Eliana Ramirez, who pitched four hitless innings while striking out nine and walking two in her team’s 12-4 win over Randolph in the District 12 tournament at Field of Dreams.
Sunnyside advances to the winner’s bracket semfinals, where it will face Copper Hills on Friday at 5:15 p.m. The loser of that game plays Randolph in an elimination game at 7:45 p.m.
“I feel like I did really good; I made my team proud,” Ramirez said. “I just needed to focus and stop getting things in my head and not overthink and find my release point.”
Eliana Ramirez’s line after entering the circle at the top of the third for Sunnyside LL Majors All-Stars against Randolph:
4IP 0H 0R 2BB 9Ks
Sunnyside won 12-4 in the opening round of the District 12 tournament. pic.twitter.com/ECNpPuEfWE— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) June 24, 2022
Ramirez worked out of a bases-loaded jam with one out in the fourth inning that was caused by a walk and two fielding errors. She struck out the last two batters to preserve Sunnyside’s 10-4 lead.
“She came in strong. She’s been working on her mechanics. She’s doing a good job,” Sunnyside manager Shana Fajardo said of Ramirez. “She’s got a pitching coach outside of this, which has been working on small things and all the small things add up.
“I’m able to keep her mental right. As long as the mental’s right, she’s all there and she’s doing what she needs to do.”
Sunnyside LL Major All-Stars manager Shana Fajardo’s team defeated Randolph 12-4 in the opening round of the District 12 tournament. Her team plays Copper Hills in the winner’s bracket semifinals tomorrow at 5:15 pm. pic.twitter.com/0mOc7qDqE1
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) June 24, 2022
Sunnyside’s six-run third inning in which the entire lineup went to the plate was the difference, giving it a 10-4 lead at that point.
Fajardo’s team took advantage of six straight walks, errors, stolen bases and wild pitches to pull away.
Sunnyside is comprised mostly of players from the ages 9 to 11 team last year that advanced to the state tournament.
“It feels really good,” Rivera said about advancing in the winner’s bracket. “But we can’t get too cocky or else who knows what will happen.”
If Sunnyside beats Copper Hills on Friday, it will advance to the championship game on Monday at 5:15 p.m. with the opportunity to play for a spot in the state tournament at Verde Valley that starts July 8.
“With the new players (not on the 9 to 11 team last year), I like it,” Fajardo said. “Everybody’s finally becoming a team. It took a lot of hard work talking to and getting on them. We had some problems in the beginning.
“I let them know, ‘You win as a team, you lose a team. One person’s not better than the other.'”
Sunnyside was led at the plate by Gracely Soto (double, run and stolen base), Sulema Llanes (single, run and stolen base), Ruby Luevanos (two stolen bases and a run) and Alexa Gandarela (single, two runs, stolen base and two RBIs).
Randolph’s Analiyah Salazar and Leandra Tolano each had two runs and a stolen base. Estrella Martinez, the third baseman, had four defensive assists without an error.
FRIDAY, JUNE 24
D-5 SOFTBALL 10-12: ARTHUR PACK
Marana vs. Thornydale, 6:30 p.m.
D-5 BASEBALL 8-10: MEHL
Continental Ranch vs. Tucson Mountain, 5 p.m. (Elimination)
Western vs. Flowing Wells, 6:30 p.m. (Consolation)
Thornydale vs. Oro Valley, 7:30 p.m. (Elimination)
D-5 BASEBALL 9-11: CURTIS
Marana vs. Tucson Mountain, 5 p.m. (Consolation)
Canyon View vs. Thornydale, 7:30 p.m.
D-5 BASEBALL 10-12: ORA MAE
Oro Valley vs. Continental Ranch, 5 p.m. (Elimination)
Thornydale vs. Flowing Wells, 5 p.m. (Consolation)
Western vs. Canyon View, 7:30 p.m. (Elimination)
D-5 BASEBALL 50/70: ARTHUR PACK
Tanque Verde vs. Thornydale, 6:30 p.m.
D-12 BASEBALL 9-11: FIELD OF DREAMS
Cactus vs. Copper Hills, 5:15 p.m.
Los Ninos vs. Sunnyside, 7:45 p.m.
D-12 JUNIOR BASEBALL: JESSE OWENS
Cactus vs. Sunnyside, 5 p.m.
Southwestern vs. Randolph, 7:45 p.m.
D-12 SOFTBALL 10-12: FIELD OF DREAMS
Copper Hills vs. Sunnyside, 5:15 p.m.
SATURDAY, JUNE 25
D-5 SOFTBALL 10-12: ARTHUR PACK
Marana vs. Thornydale, 6:30 p.m.
D-5 BASEBALL 8-10: MEHL
Canyon View vs. Tanque Verde, 7:30 p.m.
D-5 BASEBALL 9-11: CURTIS
Oro Valley vs. TBD, 5 p.m. (Consolation)
CDO vs. Western, 7:30 p.m. (Elimination)
D-5 BASEBALL 10-12: ORA MAE
CDO vs. Marana, 5 p.m.
Tucson Mountain vs. TBD, 5 p.m. (Consolation)
D-5 BASEBALL 50/70: ARTHUR PACK
Western vs. TBD, 6:30 p.m.
D-12 BASEBALL 8-10: PURPLE HEART
Cactus vs. Copper Hills, 5:15 p.m.
Southwestern vs. Rincon, 7:45 p.m.
D-12 BASEBALL 9-11: FIELD OF DREAMS
Rincon vs. TBD, 5:15 p.m.
Randolph vs. TBD, 7:45 p.m.
D-12 JUNIOR BASEBALL: JESSE OWENS
Copper Hills vs. TBD, 5 p.m. (Elimination)
Empire vs. TBD, 7:45 p.m. (Elimination)
D-12 SOFTBALL 8-10: FIELD OF DREAMS
Southwestern vs. Sunnyside, 5:15 p.m.
D-12 SOFTBALL 10-12: FIELD OF DREAMS
Randolph vs. TBD, 7:45 p.m.
MONDAY, JUNE 27
D-5 SOFTBALL JUNIORS: ARTHUR PACK 4
Marana vs. Thornydale, 6:30 p.m.
D-12 BASEBALL 10-12: FIELD OF DREAMS 1
Randolph vs. Copper Hills, 6:30 p.m.
D-12 SOFTBALL 8-10: FIELD OF DREAMS 3
Copper Hills vs. TBD, 7:45 p.m.
TUESDAY, JUNE 28
D-5 SOFTBALL JUNIORS: ARTHUR PACK 4
Marana vs. Thornydale, 6:30 p.m.
D-12 BASEBALL 8-10: PURPLE HEART 4
Empire vs. TBD, 5:15 p.m.
Sunnyside vs. TBD, 7:45 p.m.
D-12 BASEBALL 10-12: FIELD OF DREAMS 1
Rincon vs. Sunnyside, 5:15 p.m.
Empire vs. Cactus, 7:45 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29
D-12 BASEBALL 10-12: FIELD OF DREAMS 1
Southwestern vs. TBD, 5:15 p.m.
D-12 SOFTBALL 9-11: DREAMS FIELDS 3
Randolph vs. Rincon, 5:15 p.m.
FOLLOW @JAVIERJMORALES ON TWITTER!
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.
Recommended for you
