Easton Elite wins 10u SoCal Regional

Matt Rodriguez

CARTERSVILLE, Ga. - While the 35-7 run differential for Easton Elite's 10u team may suggest otherwise, the scrappy youngsters from Southern California had to string together a couple of come-from-behind wins on their way to becoming PG Super25 10u SoCal Regional champions in the tournament series' first ever SoCal Regional, played February 15th-17th in Baldwin Park, Calif.

After coasting to wins of 8-0 and 16-1 in the first two games, it took some perseverance out of the young Easton Elite team to overcome deficits in the semi-final and championship games.

"At the end of the day, it was just a matter of execution, both on offense and defense," said coach Daniel Ramirez. "The kids went out there and they played hard over the weekend and they had a blast doing it. I think this weekend was a perfect example of good coaching and great execution by these kids."

OF/3B Joey Godoy was the engine behind many key two-out rallies for Easton Elite in the semi-final and championship games. As important as his bat was, his defense stood out to the coaches as well.

"He threw out a kid at third on a no-hop throw and he threw another kid out at home plate on a line drive base hit," mentioned Ramirez on Godoy's outfield play.

Easton Elite was able to get by Diamond MVP in the semi-finals by a 5-4 score and come from behind to defeat Team Rawlings in the championship game, 6-2, thanks in large part to Godoy's clutch performance.

RHP/SS Luke Mistone's pitching performance also came to mind when asked what it took for Easton Elite to come out on top in the PG Super25 10u SoCal Regional. "He kept one of the best teams in Southern California down to one run the entire game," said Ramirez.

It was RHP/3B Jesse Villalobos, however, whom Ramirez named MVP of the tournament for his 10u Easton Elite team. "He had the keys hits -- making solid contact and driving kids in," Ramirez said. "He’s another one who started off a lot of our rallies and defensively he’s a stud on the mound."

While Ramirez contributes a lot of Easton Elite's tournament success to these three young players, he emphasized the fact that his team played together and executed when they needed to, displaying a perfect example of playing as a team.

"We make sure that the kids we have on this team have that dedication and passion for the game," said Ramirez. "What we teach them is you respect the game, you respect your opponent, and you respect your teammates.”

Easton Elite became the first ever PG Super25 10u SoCal Regional champions in the tournament series' inaugural event, one Ramirez said was very enjoyable for the players and the parents in attendance.

"You couldn’t ask for better weather than what we had over the weekend, and the competition was great," said Ramirez.

The Super25 tournament series will continue for the 10u Easton Elite team, who earned a spot in the PG Super25 10u National Championship, July 11th-15th in Charleston, S.C.

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