Tag: blog

Sunset League Home Run Derby and All-Star Game Recap

Max Suckley

On Wednesday, July 2nd, 2025, the Inland Valley Baseball Association hosted its Sunset League Home Run Derby and All-Star Game. 

The Home Run Derby kicked off at 5:45 pm, and it was a blast. Each team had one representative, and they had 10 swings to hit as many home runs as possible.

The star of the first round was CA Dodgers’ first baseman, Anthony Soriano. Soriano, a right-handed hitter, hit multiple home runs deep over the net in left field. Multiple balls bounced high off the top of portable classrooms beyond the left field wall. 

Soriano hit five home runs in the opening round, the best out of anyone, automatically qualifying himself for the final. 

The Badlands’ Isaiah Martin and the Swamp Dogs’ Jesse Chacon tied for second place, resulting in a five-swing playoff between them. 

Martin hit one home run, but Chacon hit three, propelling him into the final against Soriano. Chacon, a left-handed hitter, hit a massive home run over the right field net and well into the In-N-Out drive-through across Route 66. 

Chacon went first in the final and made it difficult for Soriano to win. Chacon matched Soriano by hitting five home runs in the 10-swing final. Multiple balls ended up on Route 66 and the restaurants across the street from the stadium. 

Soriano, who had been sitting for a while now, could not regain the momentum he ended his first round with, and he ultimately only hit two home runs before surrendering the Home Run Derby title to Chacon. 

At 7:05 pm, the All-Star Game began. The National team was the home team this year, and they had a clean first frame. 

American team pitcher Edwin Segovia one-upped the National pitching by striking out the side. In the top of the inning, the American hitters took control, scoring three runs, capped by a two-RBI single from second baseman Alex Rodriguez. 

In the bottom of the inning, the National team started a two-out rally, and Eric Mora took advantage by hitting a long double to drive in two runs. 

Unfortunately for the National team, these were their only two runs of the day. 

Anthony Gomez extended the American lead in the third by hitting a towering home run down the left field line. 

Rodriguez secured another hit and RBI in the eighth inning on a double, giving him two hits and three RBIs. 

This statline earned Rodriguez the 2025 Sunset League All-Star Game MVP. 

In the end, the American team won 6-2. 

Ultimately, the day was successful, fun, and showcased a high quality of play among the Sunset League’s premier players.

Pirates Pick Up Third Win In a Row

Max Suckley

The Inland Valley Pirates played their second consecutive day at Mt. SAC against the SoCal Mavericks. 

The previous game saw the Pirates walk off the Mavs after being down three with two outs in the ninth. 

The Mavericks looked motivated to rectify their mistakes from the previous day in the first inning. 

Mavs hitter Kawaguchi and Pone led the game off by crushing doubles into the left-center gap to open the scoring. Bartholomew followed up by hitting a hard single to center field for a second run. 

A smooth 6-4-3 double play finally ended the inning, but the Mavs made a lot of hard contact and got two runs on the board. 

Third baseman Esteban Olazaba backed up the pitcher by crushing a ball to the right-center wall for a one-out triple. Andrew Sanchez hit a sac fly to right to score Olazaba and get the Pirates their first run. 

In the top of the third, the Pirates surrendered a walk, an error, and a single, loading the bases with one out. Bartholomew came through big for a second time, hitting a two-RBI single to extend the Mavs’ lead to 4-1. 

The Pirates made a loud comeback in the bottom of the inning, with multiple extra-base hits. Darin Osterloh hit a RBI triple over the head of the center fielder to bring in the first of five runs in the inning. Osterloh was driven in during the next plate appearance from a Diego Ortiz Sac Fly. 

Olazaba came up with two outs and smoked a double to right-center. Andrew Sanchez followed with a walk, and then Marc DiCarlo hit a hard single into the left-center gap to tie the game and continue the rally. 

Jordan Viramontes came up next and hit the hardest ball of the day into deep left-center to drive in both Sanchez and DiCarlo to extend the Pirates’ lead to 6-4. 

On the bump, Austin Kirkwood took over and threw two impressive shutout innings. Kirkwood was followed by Noe Novella, who pitched the final three innings, only allowing one run in the seventh. 

The Pirates countered once again, with Roman Cruz hitting an RBI single to maintain a two-run lead. 

7-5 was the final score of the game. The Pirates have now guaranteed a season split with the Mavericks by winning two of their first four CPCL matchups. 

The Pirates will be in action again on Thursday and Friday with the chance to extend their winning streak to five.

Power complete comeback for first CPCL win of 2025

Max Suckley

After their loss on opening day, the Inland Valley Legends traveled out to Palm Springs for a two-game series against the reigning champion Palm Springs Power. 

The Power have been dominant over the last few years, hardly losing any games in the CPCL. Last season, the Power held a 51-game winning streak in non-conference and CPCL play, before the Bucs finally snapped it. 

The Legends, who have long struggled against the Power, did put up some good fights towards the end of the 2024 season and looked to turn the tide against the dominant Power in 2025. 

For the Power, this series would mark their first two games of the 2025 CPCL campaign. Coming into Friday, the Power were already 4-0 against non-conference opponents. 

The Legends were gifted an early lead by Power pitching, drawing a bases-loaded walk to take an early 1-0 lead in the 1st inning. 

Power catcher Bryant O’Neil backed up his pitcher by hitting a double in the bottom of the inning to give the Power a 2-1 lead. 

The Legends didn’t back down, though, in the top of the 2nd, they loaded the bases for a second time. Andrew Alva capitalized on the opportunity by hitting a single to left to bring in two runs and regain the lead. 

The Legends scored for a third consecutive inning on a fielder’s choice in the 3rd to give them a 4-2 lead. 

O’Neil dealt a big blow to the Legends for a second time, hitting a single past the shortstop to score two runs and tie the contest. 

The Legends loaded the bases for a third time in the fifth inning and again scored a run due to a walk. The Power were able to end the inning on a strikeout to the next batter to limit the damage. 

Power third baseman Michael Gonsalez tied the game on a single into right in the bottom of the fifth. 

In the 6th, the Power would take and widen their lead to 8-5 after a triple, single, double, and another single. 

The Power’s final three pitchers would go on to shut the Legends out for the final four innings of the game and the score of 8-5 would hold to be the final.