Playing in their first competitive baseball tournament, the 9U Delta Dawgs defeated the NorCal Devil Dawgs 12-7 to capture the All World Sports Baseball President’s Day baseball tournament championship.

Competing against more experienced teams after only six weeks of practice, the tenacious Dawgs won three straight games on Monday at the Sacramento Sports Complex to bring home their first championship trophy.

The 9U Dawgs went undefeated in five games, racking up 62 total runs. In the final three elimination games, the Dawgs outscored teams from Brentwood, Citrus Heights and Suisun City 39-10.

“I am so proud of each one of the boys,” said Manager Matt Turturici. “Once they worked through their first-game jitters, they played like a veteran team. We were very aggressive at the plate – every player had a multiple-hit weekend. This was an outstanding team effort and a great first tournament experience.”

In the first elimination game on Monday, the Dawgs defeated Brentwood Rampage 17-2. Alex Merchant pitched a strong complete game for the win. Jared deFremery, Cameron Brossard, Casey Turturici and Kobe Mengenhauser combined for nine hits and 10 runs.

In the semifinals, the Dawgs dominated MVP Baseball 10-1, featuring shut-down pitching from Mateo Humphreys and Cameron Brossard. Ryan Jackson and Ryan Pierce led the Dawgs scoring attack with timely doubles. Outstanding defensive plays by Bradley Sides and Adam Smith prevented MVP from scoring any additional runs. Justin Lund, Jackson and Pierce led the Dawgs hitting attack.

In the final game, the Dawgs scored six runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to defeat the NorCal Devil Dawgs 12-7. Pierce and Jackson’s strong pitching effort frustrated Devil Dawgs’ batters all game long. Cheered on by their parents, the upstart Dawgs celebrated their first tournament experience with a championship trophy.

– Contributed by Galen Smith