The 9U Delta Dawgs baseball team outlasted seven other squads to win the TPR American Diamond Classic in Tracy last weekend. It was the 9U Dawgs’ fifth championship of the season.

Despite a record of 1-1 and defeating the Ripon Cyclones 21-5 on Saturday, the Dawgs were the fifth seed entering Sunday’s single-elimination stage of the tournament.

In their first game, the Dawgs defeated the Ceres Blaze 11-3. A fourth-inning triple by Adam Smith broke the game open, Jared deFremery scoring the go-ahead run. Kobe Megenhauser and Cameron Brossard followed with timely RBIs, and the Dawgs’ hitting attack ensued. Casey Turturici pitched four innings, limiting the Blaze to only three hits and three runs.

Next, the Dawgs defeated one of California’s top 9U teams, the Tracy Rangers, 5-3. Ryan Jackson, who threw his best game of the year, allowed two hits and struck out nine in six innings. A huge sixth-inning rally featuring base hits by Jackson, Ryan Pierce, Turturici and Adam Smith allowed the Dawgs to score four runs to put the game out of reach.

In the championship game, the 9U Dawgs defeated another top team, the Headfirst Gamers of Livermore, 10-6. A barrage of hits from Mateo Humphreys, Ryan Pierce and Bradley Sides propelled the Dawgs to an early 7-1 lead. Alex Merchant pitched five innings, holding the Gamers to only three hits. Catcher Justin Lund’s tag-out at home prevented additional Gamers from crossing the plate.

Merchant was supported by outstanding defensive plays from Humphreys, Cameron Brossard and Ryan Jackson.

– Contributed by Galen Smith