Singing Hills: 2009 All Stars Recap

Congratulations to the following players for being selected to this year's All Star squads. All Stars are chosen by a combined vote of the Majors players and managers. Good luck to this year's teams - make Singing Hills proud!

Singing Hills' 9-10 All Stars started off the 2009 tournament season with a rousing 14-8 victory over West Hills tonight. Never trailing in the game, SHLL put on a hitting clinic with 14 hits in the game, many coming with 2 strikes on the batter. Ryan Sidlo's leadoff triple in the first inning set the tone for the night as nearly every SHLL batter was swinging hot lumber including Sean Ross (2 hits), Nick Matthews (3 hits), Joel Morgan and Diego Vasquez (2 hits each), and Matthew Gansmann (triple). Jerrod Weishan and Adam Brown each added a hit to contribute to the effort. West Hills closed the game to 9-8 in the fifth inning, but the SHLL offense exploded for 5 runs in the top of the sixth to put the game away.

The defense made key plays throughout the night including solid work behind the plate by Nick Matthews and an over the shoulder catch by Adam Brown in right field in the first inning. Sean Ross pitched a solid four innings giving up just two hits. He was spelled in relief by Jarrod Weishan, Diego Vasquez, and David Setterberg who closed out the game to preserve the win.

The 9-10's next play Mountain Empire on Wednesday, July 1 at 6:30 p.m. at West Hills. A victory on Wednesday will earn SHLL the number one seed in their pool as they advance to double-elimination play. Go Singing Hills!

Back to Back HR's by Shrum and Roy Secure Victory

Singing Hills' 11-12 All Stars earned their first tournament victory tonight with a dramatic 6th inning rally to overtake Lakeside National by a score of 5-2. SHLL jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Tyler Roy's groundout to short drove in Jake Morgan who had reached base on an error. Lakeside quickly tied the game in the first frame on a solo homerun and then took the lead in the bottom of the 3rd when they pushed another run across the plate to make the score 2-1. Erick Lopez ended the inning with a double-play when he made a running catch of a line drive in right field and quickly threw to second base to double off the base runner.

The score remained at 2-1 heading into the top of the 6th when the visiting SHLL All Stars had their last chance at bat. The fireworks started when Jake Morgan led off the inning with a scorching double to left-center. Dillan Shrum stepped to the plate and launched a first pitch fastball over the fence in right center to put SHLL ahead 3-2. Tyler Roy made it back-to-back HR's by stroking an opposite-field hit over the "green monster" fence in right field, reportedly the first homerun hit over that fence this year. Kyle Sidlo nearly made it an HR-trifecta when he hit a booming double off the fence in left-center field. Matt Hopkins finished off the rally with an RBI single in the inning.

Trevor Howell turned in a strong pitching performance, giving up only 2 runs on 5 hits, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts over 4 & 1/3 innings. Jake Morgan closed the door in relief by pitching 1 & 2/3 innings, striking out 3 and walking only 1. Singing Hills takes on El Cajon Western on Friday, July 3rd, 6:30 p.m. at Lakeside National in the final game of pool play. Go Singing Hills!

Offense in high gear as SHLL defeats Mountain Empire

Singing Hills' 9-10 All Stars finished pool play with a perfect 2-0 record as they defeated Mountain Empire last night 19-2 in a four-inning shortened game. They advance to the double-elimination round as the top seed from Pool D.

Nick Matthews, George Sinclair, and Matthew Gansmann combined for a stellar pitching performance, receiving plenty of run support from the SHLL offense. Ryan Sidlo and Diego Vasquez led the hit parade with three hits each, including two triples by Vasquez. George Sinclair, Sean Ross, and Tanner Thoren also had multiple hits in the game while Adam Brown, Ryan Spencer, Gansmann, and Matthews all had hits as well. Joel Morgan padded his on-base percentage with two walks in the game.

The 9-10's next game will be July 8th, 6:00 p.m. at El Cajon Western where they will face the second seed from Pool A (either Santee Pioneer or Fletcher Hills).

Team to Face Rios Canyon in Double-Elimination Play

The 11-12 All Stars finished pool play with an ublemished 2-0 record last night as they defeated El Cajon Western 12-1 in four innings. Kyle Sidlo had an exceptional performance on the mound, allowing just one run on two hits while striking out five and walking one.

The visiting Singing Hills All Stars led off the game with three straight hits, including a leadoff double by Trevor Howell. A Jake Morgan single advanced Howell to third base where a Dillan Shrum single knocked in the first run of the game. The SHLL offense exploded for 6 runs in the second inning, aided by several walks and errors by ECW. The 11-12's secured the victory in the top of the fourth inning with a 5 run burst. With one out, Shrum was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game. A Tyler Roy single put runners at first and second with one out. After a Kyle Sidlo liner to left produced the second out, Allen Medina worked the pitcher for a 6-pitch walk. Rico Madrigal followed with another base on balls to force in a run which stretched the score to 9-1. Sensing the opportunity to win by the 10 run rule, the SHLL offense continued the two out rally when Austin O'Neal delivered the decisive blow with a single to right field that got by the fielder, allowing two runs to score and O'Neal to advance to third base. Seth Collins topped off the rally with a bunt single that plated O'Neal as the final run.

The 11-12's move on to the double-elimination round as the top seed from Pool D. They will play Rios Canyon, the #2 seed from Pool A, on Thursday, July 9th, 6:30 p.m. at West Hills. Come cheer them on to victory!

Camden Bessone's 2 HR's Key Victory

Singing Hills' 10-11 All Stars celebrated the July 4th holiday with an early fireworks show on Friday night as they finished pool play by defeating El Cajon Western 17-9. Camden Bessone clubbed two round-trippers in the game, the first marking his inaugural homerun in Little League. Izzy Gomez ignited the offense from the top of the order where he reached base and scored on nearly every plate appearance and Daniel Moreno added to the hit parade with a homerun of his own. Bessone pitched four solid innings to keep ECW in check.

The 10-11's finish pool play with a record of 1-1 and advance to the double-elimination tournament as the #2 seed from Pool D. They face Lakeside American on Wednesday, July 8th, 6:30 p.m. at Fletcher Hills.

Solid pitching and timely hitting result in 7-1 win

Looking sharp in their first game of double-elimination play, the SHLL 10-11 All Stars rolled to a convincing 7-1 win over Lakeside American tonight at Fletcher Hills. The offensive attack was lead by Steven Marcy's 2-run dinger in the first inning, the first of his Little League career. Marcy's shot was a no-doubter as he lined it over the left centerfield fence to stake SHLL to an early lead. Daniel Moreno pitched four innings, giving up just one run. He worked out of a bases loaded jam in the second inning when Lakeside mounted a brief rally. Izzy Gomez padded the lead with a 2-run double in the fourth inning, and then pitched scoreless relief in the 5th and 6th innings to cap the tremendous effort by SHLL.

The 10-11's will play on Friday, July 10th, 5:00 p.m. at Alpine where they will face the winner of tonight's game between Cajon de Oro and Rios Canyon. Go 10-11's!

Lose to Santee Pioneer 24-12

The SHLL 9-10 All Stars ran into an offensive juggernaut last night as they recorded their first loss in 2009 tournament play. Singing Hills jumped out to a quick 4-1 lead in the first inning on a 2-run dinger by Sean Ross, but were forced to play catch-up most of the night. Sean Ross, Matthew Gansmann, and David Setterberg manned the hill but couldn't contain the potent Santee Pioneer attack.

Hope is still alive for the 9-10's as they move into the Challenger bracket of the double-elimination tournament. Tonight they will face Lakeside American, 6:00 p.m. at El Cajon Western. The loser goes home...the winner survives to play another day. Come and cheer them on to victory!

Sidlo and Vasquez Power Offense

The 9-10 All Stars live to play another day as they defeated Lakeside American 10-3 last night at El Cajon Western. The win improves the 9-10's tournament record to 1-1 in double-elimination play and 3-1 overall.

Nick Matthews pitched 3 & 2/3 innings, allowing only 3 hits and striking out 6. George Sinclair pitched in relief to secure the win. SHLL jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead when a Nick Matthews single drove in Ryan Sidlo who had reached on a single and advanced to second on a passed ball. Sidlo finished the night with 3 hits and 3 runs scored. Lakeside answered with a run in their half of the inning to tie the game but Singing Hills put the game away with 3 runs in each of the second and third innings. Diego Vasquez knocked a 2-run jack to right-center field that proved to be the big blow in the game. Sean Ross contributed to the offensive surge with 2 hits and 2 runs scored.

The 9-10's next game will be Saturday, July 11th, 6:00 p.m. at El Cajon Western where they will take on the loser of tonight's game between Rancho San Diego and Rios Canyon.

Tyler Roy Celebrates Birthday with HR & 4 RBI's

Some kids celebrate their birthday by inviting their friends over, eating birthday cake, and opening presents. Tyler Roy celebrated his 13th birthday with a three-run homerun and an RBI double as the SHLL 11-12 All Stars improved their tournament record to 3-0 (2-0 in pool play; 1-0 in double-elimination).

SHLL took a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning as Trevor Howell led off the game with a double and was driven home by a Jake Morgan fielder's choice. After Dillan Shrum walked, Tyler Roy drove him home with a scorching double to left field. Rios Canyon answered with a four spot in the bottom of the frame that included a 3-run homer. Down 4-2 heading into the third, the SHLL offense responded to the challenge by pushing across four runs. The top half of the lineup responded with singles by Howell and Morgan, a base-on-balls by Shrum, and Roy's 3-run dinger. SHLL never relinquished the lead from that point. Allen Medina sparked a two-out rally in the fifth with a solo HR. Followed by Erick Lopez and Rico Madrigal walks and a Seth Collins bunt, Howell, Morgan, and Shrum all drove in runs to cap SHLL's scoring barrage. Rios Canyon mounted a 3 run comeback in the bottom of the sixth, but Allen Medina pitched in relief to squelch their attack.

The 11-12's take on Rancho San Diego on Saturday, July 11, 6:30 p.m. at West Hills in the quarter-final matchup of the winner's bracket. Come and cheer them on to victory!

HR's by Halsema and Moreno Not Enough - SHLL Loses 7-4

The SHLL 10-11 All Stars suffered their first lost in the double-elimination tournament today, falling 7-4 to Cajon de Oro. Twin 2-run homeruns by CDO accounted for the majority of their offense and Singing Hills wasn't quite able to string together enough hits to mount a comeback rally. Trevor Halsema's solo HR and Daniel Moreno's 2-run dinger accounted for most of the SHLL offense. Camden Bessone and Chase Walters pitched admirably but the Singing Hills crew fell a bit short.

The loss drops the 10-11 All Stars to the Challenger's Bracket where they will face Fletcher Hills on Saturday, July 11th, 6:30 p.m. at Fletcher Hills. One more loss eliminates SHLL so they need your support. Come out and cheer them on to victory!

SHLL loses first game of tournament 19-6

The 11-12 All Stars dropped their first game of the 2009 tournament on July 11 as Rancho San Diego showed up with their hitting shoes on. The visiting RSD All Stars jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead in the first inning. SHLL came battling back by scoring 3 runs on a Dillan Shrum homer, driving in Trevor Howell (reached on a double) and Jake Morgan (single). RSD answered in the second inning with four more runs to stretch the score to 8-3. Once again, SHLL came back by posting 3 runs of their own, courtesy of a Seth Collins single, Trevor Howell's double, a 2-RBI single by Morgan, and an RBI single by Tyler Roy. Unfortunately for SHLL, RSD pushed across 5 more runs in the third inning, 2 in the fourth, and 4 more in the fifth to end the game by the 10 run rule.

Fall to Rios Canyon 9-4

The 9-10 All Stars finished their 2009 tournament run on July 11th with a tough 9-4 loss to Rios Canyon. Although SHLL out-hit their opponents, the ball didn't bounce the right way for the youngest SHLL All Stars. SHLL sluggers to get in the hit column included George Sinclair, Diego Vasquez, Ryan Spencer, Tanner Thoren, David Setterberg, and Sean Ross. Ross and Matthew Gansmann combined in a solid pitching performance. Congrats to the 9-10's for a great run in 2009!

14-11 Loss Ends 2009 Tournament for SHLL

Singing Hill's 10-11 All Stars finished an excellent 2009 tournament by falling to Lakeside American on July 12th by a score of 14-11. SHLL held the lead for a good portion of the game but couldn't close it out in the final innings. Congrats to the 10-11's for treating us to some exciting baseball. You did great!

11-12 All Stars Defeat West Hills 7-3

The 11-12 All Stars, SHLL's lone remaining team in the All Star tournament, used a 5th & 6th inning comeback to defeat West Hills on July 12th. West Hills maintained a 3-0 lead heading into the top of the 5th inning, with all three runs coming via solo HR's. The SHLL nine started a two out rally in the top of the 5th with a Trevor Howell double. Jake Morgan followed with a 2-run dinger to centerfield to draw SHLL within one run of the lead. Dillan Shrum stepped to the plate and proceeded to launch a solo HR to tie the score at 3-3. It was the second time in the tournament that SHLL swatted back-to-back round-trippers. SHLL closed out the game with a 4 run 6th inning as Matt Hopkins, Seth Collins, Howell, and Morgan all crossed the plate. The win sets up a rematch between SHLL and Rios Canyon as both teams strive to make it out of the challenger's bracket.

9-4 loss ousts SHLL from tournament

The SHLL 11-12 All Stars ended their 2009 tournament with a 9-4 loss to Rios Canyon on July 13th. SHLL's pitching had a tough night as Rios capitalized on 9 walked batters, four of which crossed the plate for runs. At the end of two innings Rios had pushed across 9 runs. Matt Hopkins and Matthew Conley pitched in relief to hold Rios scoreless over the remaining four innings. Singing Hills battled back to close the score at 9-4 in the fifth inning but couldn't pull out another come from behind effort. Congrats to the 11-12's for a great tournament run. You were one of the last four 11-12 year old All Star teams remaining in all of East County!