NewsYouth baseball championships under way
Eight teams in the U-12 Division battled on Saturday
By Jason Grodsky / MLB.com
08/29/09 11:34 PM ET
The Puerto Rico Vaqueros came ready to play on Saturday. The Vaqueros put on a hitting clinic and improved to 2-1 in pool play with a 10-0 win over Simi Bronco (CA) at the U-12 Division of the National Youth Baseball Championships in Cordova, Tenn. Shortstop Kenniel Rivera did it all for the Vaqueros, going 3-for-4 with six RBIs and three runs scored to lead Puerto Rico. Ahead 4-0, the Vaqueros' leadoff hitter broke things open with a three-run homer in the bottom of the fourth inning. For an encore in the fifth, Rivera blasted his second three-run homer of the game, putting the exclamation point on the victory. Staked to an early lead, Puerto Rico pitcher Javier Torres cruised through five innings, allowing just a single in the first inning. Torres put only three batters on base after the first, all on walks, and struck out four. Bullets Gold (FL) 6, Miss. Lumberjacks (MS) 5 The Lumberjacks jumped out to a four-run lead in the top of the first inning, but quickly saw it evaporate in the bottom half of the frame. Bullets Gold scored five runs in the bottom of the first to go out in front and after the Lumberjacks tied the game in the top of the second, first baseman Nick Breen scored his second run of the game to put Bullets Gold back in front for good at 6-5. Team Rattlers (TX) 7, Norwalk Stingrays (CA) 3 Tied, 2-2, heading into the sixth inning, the Rattlers scored four runs in the final frame. Right fielder Ryan Johnson went 3-for-3 with two RBIs and Jerry Murillo struck out 10 batters, including the final hitter of the game to pitch a complete game. Forest Hills All-Stars (FL) 8, Columbia County Stars (GA) 4 Forest Hills jumped out to a seven-run lead with a six-run second inning, taking advantage of two of what would end up being six errors in the game by Columbia. Josh Russo and Jonathan Shaw combined to reach double digits in strikeouts for Forest Hills. Russo didn't allow a runner to reach base in his two innings of work on the mound.Jason Grodsky is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
