By Mike Cohen
Former Culver City Little League All-Stars are applying their experiences from practices and games the last decade at Culver City Park to reach for the pinnacle of the Babe Ruth championship series, which starts Aug. 17.
Second baseman Christian Amador and pitcher Jason Zeidman, both of Culver City, are playing in back-to-back Babe Ruth World Series, leaving next week for Loudoun County, Virginia, to compete for the Westchester Babe Ruth 15-year olds.
Their 15U team defeated Northern California’s Tri-Valley, 8-7, July 31, to win the Pacific Southwest Regional Championship in Surprise, AZ.
Culver City’s Nolan Martinez was named Most Valuable Player, and Culver City resident Kevin Murillo was voted to the All-Tournament team for the championship Westchester 14U squad, which advances to the Babe Ruth World Series at Moses Lake, Washington. Pitcher Eli Saucedo of Culver City also plays for the 14’s.
The 14U team defeated Hawaii, 7-2, Aug. 1, to win the Regional championship, marking the first time in its 57 year history Westchester Babe Ruth is sending two teams to the Babe Ruth World Series. These two teams outlasted hundreds of teams from California, Nevada, Arizona, Hawaii, Utah and Guam to represent the Pacific Southwest in the Babe Ruth World Series.
Hawaii had shut out Westchester, 6-0, in the 14U tournament’s first game.
This will be the second straight appearance in the World Series for Westchester 14’s coach Hector Zamora, a former All-CIF player at Culver City High School before he played in the Yankee organization.
Prior to this season, Westchester had sent a total of two teams to the World Series in the last 56 years.
The 15U players must raise $15,000 before they leave for Virginia on August 15, according to Scott Zeidman, father of Jason.
“This short time frame is not the fault of the 15U team or of Westchester Babe Ruth. The bombshell of needing to raise these funds was unexpected and unwanted,” said Scott Zeidman, who traveled with the team for the Pacific Southwest Regional Championship
The host city typically provides host families for visiting teams, but the 15U team learned a day after it won the tournament that the players would be responsible for paying for transportation, housing, food and other expenses, according to Zeidman.
“The players seek the community’s support in raising the funds now necessary to represent the Pacific Southwest Region in the World Series,” said Zeidman. Anyone interested in assisting is asked to contact 15U manager John Lopatto at Jlopatto@gmail.com
Westchester sent Saul Martinez, who tossed a no hitter against Torrance in the District championship, to the mound for the 14U championship game against Hawaii.
Hawaii held a 1-0 first inning lead to the top of the third when the Westchester bats caught fire. Dailin Lee led the inning off with a bunt single. Justin Morris singled to left, sending Hawaii starting pitcher Logan Saucedo to the showers. Hawaii turned to ace Koa Eastlock to try to get out of the jam.
Murillo greeted Eastlock with a bunt single, loading the bases. Aaron Greenfield singled to left, scoring Lee and Morris for a 2-1 lead. Nolan Martinez singled in Murillo. Saul Martinez walked, loading the bases again. The rattled Eastlock balked, plating Greenfield. Derek Marshall singled in Nolan Martinez giving Westchester a 5-1 lead. Kane Kutler executed a squeeze bunt, beating the throw to first and giving Westchester a 6-1 advantage.
Martinez garnered MVP attention from his pitching performance Aug. 1 against previously unbeaten Tri-Valley, 11-1, in the Pacific Southwest Region championship semifinal game.
“Nolan was stellar on the mound, shutting down the high powered Tri Valley offense,” said Scott Zeidman.
Martinez allowed six hits, a walk and fanned two batters. Morris led the offense with four hits, with Lee and Culver City’s Murillo contributing three each.
Culver City High School pitcher Saucedo helped Westchester Babe Ruth 14 U team defeat La Crescenta 10-5 to earn a berth in the semifinals of the Pacific Southwest Regional Championship.
Westchester entered the game needing not only a win, but also to hold La Crescenta to six runs or less, otherwise Westchester would have been eliminated in pool play.
“I knew that if I threw my game, we’d get it done. The team is great and our defense is fantastic,” said Saucedo, who was pitching his first game in the series.”
“Eli was predictably confident,” said Scott Zeidman.
The 15 members of the Westchester 14U team are Brandon Brown, Greenfield, Dominic Johnson, Kutler, Lee, Marshall, Nolan Martinez, Saul Martinez, Morris, Murillo, Jonathan Phelps, Dylan Sledge, Eli Saucedo, Kailin Woodard and Zeidman. Zamora’s assistant coaches are Chris Lynch and Josh Fernandez.
Culver City’s Jay Sterner earned the tournament Most Valuable Player award, as he and the Westchester Babe Ruth 15U All-Star team punched their tickets to the Babe Ruth 13-15 Year Old World Series by defeating the Northern California champions from Tri-Valley Babe Ruth, 8-7, in the Pacific Southwest Regional Tournament.
Sterner came in relief to get Westchester out of the sixth trailing by three runs against Tri-Valley.
Amador of Culver City slid into home plate in the top of the eighth inning of the extra-inning affair to win the game.
Westchester and Tri-Valley are familiar opponents. As 13 year olds in 2011, Tri-Valley beat Westchester in the Pacific Southwest Regional on their way to winning the Babe Ruth World Series. Last year as 14 year olds, Westchester bested Tri-Valley during its World Series run which resulted in a third place finish.
The roster for the 15U tournament team includes Amador, Reggie Castro, Isaiah Cepeda, Anthony Chavez, Grant Craddolph, Lawrence Gilliam, Nick Goff, AJ Inatsugu, Carlos Jacobo, Matthew Kanfer, Cameren Landreth, Mario Morales, Uly Perez, Sterner, and Jeremiah Thomure. The team is managed by John Lopatto and coached by Alex Galaviz and Barry Craddolph.
WORLD SERIES BOUND: The Westchester 14 and Under team poses in Surprise, Arizona, Aug. 1, after winning the the Pacific Southwest Regional. The team heads to Moses Lake, Washington next week for the Babe Ruth World Series. Players are Brandon Brown, Aaron Greenfield, Dominic Johnson, Kane Kutler, Dailin Lee, Derek Marshall, Nolan Martinez, Saul Martinez, Justin Morris, Kevin Murillo, Jonathan Phelps, Dylan Sledge, Eli Saucedo, Kailin Woodard and Jason Zeidman. Zamora’s assistant coaches are Chris Lynch and Josh Fernandez.
