The Los Banos Little League 12-year-old All-stars playoff run came to an end with losses to De La Sunrise of Stockton and the all-star team from Manteca in the section tournament.                                                     

After losing their first tournament game on Sunday, July 17, to the De La Sunrise All-star team from Stockton by a score of 2-0, the Los Banos team was matched up against the Manteca All-star team in an elimination game on Monday July 18.

The Los Banos team spotted the Manteca all-star squad an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.  Los Banos came right back to tie the score at 2-2, in the top of the second inning, when Tevin Clay slammed a triple and scored on an error at home plate, closing the score to 2-1 in favor of Manteca. 

Los Banos knotted the score at 2-apiece as Fernando Cornejo singled and Danny Romero drove him home with a double to tie the score.                              

Zayden Affonso-Stiers replaced Jaxon Mancebo on the mound for Los Banos and held the Manteca all-stars scoreless in the third and fourth innings, but an infield error plated the go-ahead run in the bottom of the fifth inning. 

Los Banos came right to tie the score at 3-3 with a run in the top of sixth inning, when Colton Kocher and Reed Theircof opened the frame with base hits and Kocher scored on an infield out off the bat of Affonso-Stiers.         

The Los Banos All-star teams’ run in the Little League All-star tournament came to an end when Manteca’s Bobby Jackson hit a walk-off two-run home run off Isaac Garza giving the Manteca All-stars a 5-3 victory and a finish to an exciting and successful 2022 Los Banos little league season.

Michael Martin