Wintermania

With strong Santa Ana wins and temperatures in the high 70s, Wintermania turned out to be a bit of a misnomer for the tournament.  In a small tournament after the long MLK weekend, teams were treated to warm January weather, reminding us how lucky we are to be able to play baseball year round in Southern California.

9-Under:
Some teams rely on defense to stifle their opponents at the plate to low scoring victories.  The Cali Young Guns did just the opposite.  They entered Sunday's playoffs as the 3rd Seed.  Despite being 0-1-1, they scored 18 runs on Saturday, and exceeded that dominance at the plate on Sunday.  Scoring a whopping 36 runs in two playoff games, they upset the 1st and 2nd Seeds to take the 1st Place prize.

10-Under:
The Corona Reds had a good Saturday, going 2-0 and moving on as the 1st Seed of their pool, but had an even better Sunday.  Having a 1st Round by, they put up 13 runs in the Semifinal game to moved them on to the Championship.

Despite facing another undefeated team, the Reds kept the pressure up, and scored 15 runs to complete their undefeated weekend, and take home 1st Place.

11-Under:
A 12-1 loss is not how any team wants to start their tournament.  The PR Hitmen found themselves in that situation however.  Rather than putting their tail between their legs, they secured themselves a place in the Gold Bracket with a shutout victory in their second game.

Moving on as the 4th Seed, the Hitmen would have to win three straight games to take home the Championship.  A close 7-6 Quarterfinal victory took it's toll on both their bodies and minds.  Rebounding from that close game, the Hitmen put together a much need 8-0 mercy victory against the 1st Seed, saving their pitching and giving them a much needed rest before the Championship game.

Now up against the 2nd Seed Corona Angels, the Hitmen weren't going to back down.  The Angels had beaten the Hitmen on Saturday, but the Hitmen weren't interested in a repeat performance.  With their fresh arm, they held the hard hitting Angels to just 3 runs, giving the Hitmen the opportunity they needed.  With 7 runs scored, the Hitmen not only upset the 1st and 2nd Seeds in back to back games, they go the ultimate payback, and took home the 1st Place trophy.

12-Under:
The IHN Warriors started off their weekend as strong as anyone.  Outscoring opponents 24-6 in Pool Play, they easily advanced to the Playoffs as the 1st Seed.

Come playoffs however, the Warriors would be tested.  Though they may not have had their best stuff on Sunday, the IHN Warriors showed what a good 1st Seed is made of.  No matter what happened, on the mound or at the plate, the Warriors found a way to win.

Taking a 8-7 Semifinal win to the Championship game, the Warriors didn't alter their game plan much, and though it was possibly closer than they wanted, they scored another eight runs in the finals to take an 8-5 victory to an undefeated weekend.

Thank you to all the teams that played in the 2015 Wintermania.  Here are your Champions and Runner Ups.

See you on the fields

-AC

Find us on Facebook