It’s championship week for All-Stars

By Ramon Scott
Updated: July 5, 2022

2022 LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL

EastCountySports.com staff report

SANTEE – The Rancho de Oro All-Stars went 3-0 in pool play to lead six teams into bracket play in the Little League District 41 12U All-Stars Tournament, which got underway on Tuesday night.

Rancho San Diego was joined by the Lakeside National All-Stars as the only two unbeaten teams in pool play heading into this week’s double-elimination tournament.

The 12-and-under age division is Little League Baseball’s most popular division, with the world championship held in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

Only two ballclubs from the East County have ever reached the pinnacle of youth baseball – El Cajon Northern, which won the world title in 1961, and El Cajon Western, which lost in the world championship game in 1977. Then-Cajon de Oro Little League has the third-best-ever result for an East County club, reaching the West Region championship game in 1969.

RDO is looking for its first District 41 12U championship since the Rancho San Diego and Cajon de Oro Little Leagues merged in 2019, however, one of the two leagues had won eight of the previous District 41 Major Division All-Stars titles prior to the combining of the leagues.

Fletcher Hills (1-2), also a part of the bracketed field, is the defending district champion. However, it was defeated by Singing Hills (2-1) on Tuesday night, 4-3, in their double-elimination opener at FHLL. SHLL will face RDO on Wednesday, also at FHLL.

Lakeside National (3-0) won its opener on Tuesday evening, 5-1, over the other site host, West Hills Little League (2-2), and advances to face Lakeside American (1-1), which received a bye into the second round, on Tuesday evening. FHLL defeated LALL, 8-3, in the first game of pool play on June 25.

Singing Hills won the District 41 Intermediate Division All-Stars championship game with a 5-4 win over host Jamul on June 21.

Play is also beginning this week in two other district all-stars tournaments.

The Rancho de Oro White Sox claimed the District 41 Major Division Tournament of Champions with a 10-0 win over Lakeside National Nationals on Sat., June 18 at West Hills LL.

RSD also won the Minor Division T of C with a 10-0 win over Rios Canyon on June 18 at Jamul Little League.

Santee National won the Little Stars T of C with a 4-1 win over Rios Canyon on June 12 at Lakeside National Little League.

West Hills Little League won the Juinor Division T of C, while Alpine won the Intermediate Division TofC.

Valley de Oro Little League went 4-0 in pool play to advance to the championship game in the District 66 Major Division All-Stars Tournament to be held on Thursday. VDO will meet Spring Valley (4-1), which was an 11-3 winner over Twin Hills (2-3) on Tuesday.

The San Carlos Little League All-Stars have garnered a berth in the District 33 12U All-Stars Tournament championship game after shutting out Allied Gardens, 8-0, on Tuesday. The title game is on Friday. SCLL will face either Allied Gardens, Mission Trails LL, or Rolando LL.

San Carlos LL has also reached the championship game in the District 33 10U All-Stars Tournament, to be held on Thursday. SCLL, undefeated in the bracket play, will meet one-loss Serra Mesa or Allied Gardens in the title tilt.

Meanwhile, four teams remained alive in the District 33 11U All-Stars Tournament, including San Carlos, Mission Trails, and Rolando LLs. The championship game is scheduled for Saturday.

In the District 66 Tournament of Champions, Lemon Grove defeated Encanto, 11-1, in the Major Division championship game. Encanto downed Lemon Grove, 12-10, in the Junior Division final. And, Spring Valley edged Encanto, 4-3, in the Minor Division title contest.

In District 33, the San Carlos Brooklyn Dodgers won the Major Division Tournament of Champions, 6-3, over Allied Gardens on Wed., June 15.

Meanwhile, the San Carlos Aces won the District 33 Minor Division T of C with a 13-3 victory over the La Mesa National Thunderbirds, also on June 15.