July 18, 2006 > District 14 Major Little League All-Star Championship Comes Down to the Wire.

by Biff Jones

The Newark American Little League Major All-Stars (11-12) playing for the 2006 CA District 14 Championship won their first three games by consecutive shutouts, including defeating Warm Springs Little League, 2-0, in the first round.

Meanwhile, the Warm Springs All Stars advanced to the Championship Round of the tournament by winning all four of its games in the elimination bracket and will get to face NALL again, this time for the Championship.  The 2-0 loss WSLL suffered to NALL in the first round was the closest any team had come to beating NALL.  Now WSLL must defeat NALL twice to win District 14 Majors.

In the first Championship game WSLL held on to defeat NALL 6-5 to force the "what if" game last Sunday, July 16th. The game was played at Vallejo Mill School, home to Niles-Centerville Little League.  After throwing three shutouts, NALL held WSLL scoreless for the first inning before WSLL broke through in the second inning with two runs.  Newark American kept coming back, but Warm Springs answered each rally with one of their own and held on for the 6-5 victory.

The "what if" game turned out to be just as close as the previous game with Newark American prevailing in a 5-4 victory and becoming the Champions of 2006 CA District 14 Majors Tournament.  NALL now will move on to Sectional play and travel to Palo Alto this Thursday, July 20th.  At press time their opponent had yet to be determined but will either be Alpine/West Menlo Little League, who only needs one more victory to advance to Sectionals, or Palo Alto National Little League who must win twice over AWMLL to earn to right to face NALL.  The game will be played at Middlefield Park, 3672 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto, with the first pitch scheduled for 7:30 p.m.