An opening-round loss to the Cactus Little League All-Stars in the District 12 9-11 tournament ignited the Rincon Little League All-Stars to go on a dominant run in five consecutive elimination games to achieve the championship.
The team capped that remarkable streak in which it outscored the five opponents by a combined margin of 57-1 with a 12-0 five-inning win over Cactus on Tuesday night at Field of Dreams Park.
Rincon moves on to the state tournament that begins July 14 at Horseshoe Trail Elementary School in Phoenix. Canyon View (District 5 champ) and Nogales (District 8) will also take part in the tournanment.
Rincon LL 9-11 All-Stars manager Gene Ramirez’s team lost to Cactus to begin the District 12 tournament. It went on to win five straight elimination games for the title, outscoring opponents pic.twitter.com/KxDMKP19cp
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) July 6, 2022
“We made it tough on ourselves; we lost our first game … so we had to battle back and play a bunch of games and these kids worked hard all summer long and it showed,” Rincon manager Gene Ramirez said. “They fought and battled and came back through adversity and pulled it out.
“Our pitchers pitched great. Our defense played outstanding defense. We hit the ball. We were able to come back and win a bunch of ball games.”
The 4-3 loss to Cactus on June 25 to open the District 12 tournament included Cactus rallying for four runs in the bottom of the fifth on four hits and two walks.
Since that inning, Rincon allowed only one run and eight hits over the next 23 innings.
Hudson Haner capped that shut-down performance on Tuesday night limiting Cactus to one hit — a single by Ian Perez to lead off the fifth inning — and not allowing a runner past first base.
The right-hander struck out nine and walked one, who eventually was forced out on a double play engineered by second baseman Mikey Ortiz in the third inning.
“I thought I did pretty good; I mean, probably the best game of my life so far,” Haner said. “I felt good. I felt loose. The offense was really good. It got me 12 runs out there. It was amazing.”
Rincon LL 9-11 All-Stars pitcher Hudson Haner pitched a one-hitter in five innings in his team’s 12-0 win over Cactus in the District 12 championship. He struck out nine batters and walked one. pic.twitter.com/XxF6Rw51eb
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) July 6, 2022
Nathan Ramirez, who comes from a strong baseball and softball lineage, was the catalyst at the leadoff spot for Rincon’s lineup that produced 11 hits. He went 2 for 3 with two doubles and three runs.
His father Gene Ramirez, the manager, played baseball at Tombstone High School, Cochise College and Benedictine College in Atchison, Kan. His mom Sara comes from the famed Moraga family.
Her parents Raul Sr. and Sara Moraga excelled in baseball and softball in high school. Raul Sr. coached at Sunnyside. Their children Raul Jr., Omar, Gabriel and Sara all became high-level players at Sunnyside. Omar went on to Arizona and then played professionally. Sara played for Pima College.
“Our coaches said as soon as we started the game to wait at bat and take a pitch,” Nathan said of his performance Tuesday. “I did that, waited for my pitch. Hit it over to center field (for a double to lead off the first) and then that just started our offense. We scored 12 runs and never took our foot off their throat.”
Rincon LL 9-11 All-Stars shortstop Nathan Ramirez talks about his team’s 5-0 run to the District 12 title after losing in the opening round against Cactus. Rincon beat Cactus 12-0 in five innings in the championship behind two doubles and three runs as the leadoff batter. pic.twitter.com/n8GbHuhkih
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) July 6, 2022
Rincon led 5-0 after two innings behind an RBI double by Brendan Byars, double by Colton Irby, RBI single by Gage Mayfield and RBI triple by Ortiz.
The team rallied for seven runs in the fourth and fifth inning taking advantage of three walks, a hit-by-pitch, three wild pitches and two errors.
Ramirez had his second double in the fourth that followed a single by pinch-hitter Eli Hernandez. The five-run fifth inning and RBI single by Justus Sipe and a single by pinch-hitter Walter Stange.
Rincon’s errorless defense behind Haner’s dominant performance on the mound contributed to the victory.
The team had only two errors in its six games (29 innings overall) in the district tournament. Two of the highlight plays against Cactus on Tuesday were Ortiz, a second baseman, turning the double play in the third inning by getting the runner out at second unassisted and throwing to first, and the snare of a scorching line drive by third baseman Kris Pedrique in the fourth inning.
“It’s the hard work we put in and all the coaches showing up every practice and working our butts off,” Haner said of Rincon’s impeccable pitching, hitting and defense during the five-game winning stretch of the elimination games.
Rincon LL 9-11 All-Stars beat Cactus 12-0 in five innings for the District 12 title. Now play in the state tournament in Phoenix starting July 14. pic.twitter.com/Y2iKBNppyB
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) July 6, 2022
The lineup recorded double-digit hit production in each of the five games with 54 overall, 18 for extra bases.
Haner took a no-decision in the opening loss to Cactus after having to leave due to injury with two outs in the fourth inning. In his three starts in the tournament — including an 8-1 win over Sunnyside last week — he allowed only six hits and one run in 14 2/3 innings with 20 strikeouts and three walks. His ERA in the tourney: 0.41.
“He’s been throwing lights-out,” Gene Ramirez said. “He’s just been battling and doing a great job stepping up for us. Awesome job.”
DISTRICT CHAMPIONS
D-5 SOFTBALL 8-10: THORNYDALE
D-12 SOFTBALL 8-10: SUNNYSIDE
D-12 SOFTBALL 9-11: RINCON
D-5 SOFTBALL 10-12: THORNYDALE
D-8 SOFTBALL 10-12: SIERRA VISTA PONYTAIL
D-12 SOFTBALL 10-12: SUNNYSIDE
D-5 SOFTBALL JUNIORS: MARANA
D-8 SOFTBALL JUNIORS: BENSON SAN PEDRO
D-12 SOFTBALL JUNIORS: SUNNYSIDE
D-5 BASEBALL 8-10: CANYON VIEW
D-8 BASEBALL 8-10: NOGALES
D-5 BASEBALL 9-11: CANYON VIEW
D-8 BASEBALL 9-11: NOGALES
D-12 BASEBALL 9-11: RINCON
D-5 BASEBALL 10-12: MARANA
D-5 BASEBALL 50/70: WESTERN
D-8 BASEBALL 50/70: NOGALES
D-12 BASEBALL 50/70: SUNNYSIDE
D-5 BASEBALL JUNIORS: WESTERN
D-8 BASEBALL JUNIORS: NOGALES
D-12 BASEBALL JUNIORS: SUNNYSIDE
D-8 BASEBALL SENIORS: NOGALES
TUESDAY, JULY 5
D-12 BASEBALL 8-10: PURPLE HEART
Sunnyside 13, Empire 2
D-12 BASEBALL 9-11: FIELD OF DREAMS
Rincon 12, Cactus 0 (Championship)
D-12 BASEBALL 10-12: FIELD OF DREAMS
Copper Hills 6, Rincon 2
Sunnyside 7, Randolph 1
WEDNESDAY, JULY 6
D-12 BASEBALL 8-10: PURPLE HEART
Rincon vs. Sunnyside, 6:30 p.m. (Championship)
D-12 BASEBALL 10-12: FIELD OF DREAMS
Rincon vs. Sunnyside, 6:30 p.m. (Elimination)
THURSDAY, JULY 7
D-12 BASEBALL 10-12: FIELD OF DREAMS
Copper Hills vs. TBD, 6:30 p.m. (Championship)
Recommended for you
