Morada 16U's rout Los Banos

Morada's 16-and-Under All-Star baseball pounded Los Banos into submission last weekend, winning a three-game series that propelled them to the Section 6 Little League Seniors Championship title.

With the victory, Morada advances to Division 2 play at American River College in Sacramento on Saturday at 5 p.m.

Morada won the first contest 11-1 before sweeping the series with a 12-5 victory in the second game.

After allowing Los Banos to take an early lead in the second tilt, Morada quickly answered with three runs in the bottom half of the inning on a two-run double by Ryan Heinle. Heinle than crossed the plate following a groundball out to put Morada back ahead 3-1.

Los Banos remained quiet offensively until the fourth when it scored four runs to take the lead back. But, Jake Costa relieved Heinle at that point and then Morada's bats took over the game by knocking in seven runs in the fifth and adding two insurance runs in the sixth.

Costa threw three innings of no-hit ball, faced the minimum number of hitters and struck out three while picking up the victory.

B.J. Bailon went 2-for-3 with three RBIs, Matt Vera was 3-for-4 with one RBI and James Shropshire hit a three-run homer in the fifth.

Shropshire was masterful in the opener that lasted only five innings due to a ten-run mercy rule.

He allowed just one run on three hits while striking out two.

Corey Pack led the offense with a 2-for-2 clip, Matt Vera went 2-for-3, Heinle added a hit and two RBIs, Bailon had two RBIs and a hit and Steven Martin smashed a hit and two RBIs.