EG Ripken 9s Win; Laguna 12's Take Second At Ripken Regionals

Elk Grove Youth Baseball's 9-year-old All-Stars defeated the Laguna Youth squad, 15-5,  Saturday in the championship game of Cal Ripken Baseball's Pacific Southwest Regional Tournament in Panguitch, Utah.

The 12-year-old squad representing Laguna Youth Baseball came one game from qualifying for the World Series of Cal Ripken Baseball this past weekend. The Laguna team were defeated by Hanford, CA., 5-2, in the championship game of the Pacific Southwest Regionals played in Visalia.

Laguna was the Northern California State champions this season and went 3-1 in pool play to open the regional tournament early in the week. Laguna defeated Clovis, 10-3, on July 21. The next day they beat Somerton, AZ., 6-2. On July 23 Laguna squeezed by Heartwell, CA., 8-7.

The next day they lost their only game in pool play to Visalia, 10-6. However, Laguna qualified for the semi-final round and in that game defeated Hawaii, 8-6.

This particular tournament played on diamonds with base paths of 70 feet in length and the pitching mound was 50 feet from home plate.

Elk Grove Youth Baseball's Age 12, 60-foot diamond squad made it to the semi-finals of their regional tournament which was played in Tulare.

The EG squad won their pool play opener July 21, 11-0, over the Northern Utah team out of Rose Park. On the 22nd, Elk Grove lost to Bullard, 10-0, but the next day defeated Surprise, AZ., 16-1, to make it to the semi-finals.

In that game, they were thumped by the host Tulare squad, 13-2.

In the Age 11, 70-foot diamond regional tournament in Long Beach, the squad from Elk Grove Youth Baseball made it to the semi-finals before losing to Hawaii, 6-5.

On the 21st, the EGers opened the tourney with a 13-7 win over a squad from Taylorsville, UT. The next day they ten-runned Spanish Springs, NV., 12-2. Long Beach then defeated Elk Grove, 13-1, on July 23.

Another Elk Grove Youth Baseball squad represented Northern California in the Age 11, 60-foot diamond regional tournament. This event was in Fresno.

They lost to Visalia in the semi-finals, 15-2.

Elk Grove opened pool play on July 21 with a 19-2 win over Bullard. On July 22 they defeated Kerman Red, 8-5. Then Elk Grove completed pool play on the 23rd with a 4-3 victory over Bakersfield.

The Pacific Southwest Regional Tournament for 10-year-olds was in Toele, Utah. A squad from Laguna Youth Baseball represented northern California in that event.

Laguna lost to Taylorsville, Utah, 6-5 in the semi-final round to end their season. They lost their opener in pool play to Hawaii, then defeated Los Altos, 13-3. On July 24, Laguna defeated Rosevelt, Utah, 9-6. They finished pool play on July 25 with a 19-3 win over Toele.

Larson Takes 7th at the Brickyard

Elk Grove NASCAR driver Kyle Larson took seventh place at Sunday's Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis. Larson started the race in the 15th position and actually led the race for five laps.

He has now nine top-ten finishes in his first year on the Sprint Cup series. To date, he's earned a little more than $2.7 million, according to ESPN.com, but that total includes winnings on NASCAR's Nationwide series of races.