2019 SCCBL All-Star Game

Cassidy Thornburg | July 13, 2019 

Palm Springs, Ca- The SCCBL All-Star game was held on Saturday, July 13 in Palm Springs, said by some to be the hottest day the city has experienced all summer with 111 degree temperatures. The Force had twelve players represented. They joined with the SoCal Stros and Cal Jays to form the West team. The Palm Springs Power, Inland Valley Bucs, and Inland Valley Pirates formed the East team. The game was played East vs. West with the East as the home team and the West as the away.

The 2019 All-Star Home Run Derby took place before the game, featuring a power hitting contestant from each team in the SCCBL. Alex Blaszyk (Force/ Saddleback College) represented the Force, but was done after the first round. Evan Banks (Stros/ Azusa Pacific) from the West team went on to win it all. In the first round, he outhit Ryan Sepede (Power/BYU), putting up seven to his six. Then, in the tie-breaker round, Sepede smashed eleven making the win in close sight for the East team. Banks prevented the East team and super house Palm Springs Power from walking away with yet another win when he tied up the final round of the Home Run Derby 11-11. Banks then took home the trophy after knocking out a final run on just two strikes. 

The All-Star game started off slowly with no runs by either team in the first. Brett Young (Power/ Delta State) from the East team put up a run in the second. The West didn’t get on the board until the third when Kyle Oyama (Stros/ Cal Baptist) scored. In the bottom of the third, the East had a field day, putting up five to lead the West 6-1 early. The middle innings didn’t see a lot of action, but then in the seventh both teams put up three with Haydon Winters (Pirates/ Cypress) from the East team, hitting a bomb. In the eighth, the West scored another two, while the East had one to bring the All-Star game to its final score of 10-6 East.

Though the West team fell to the East, the Force still represented San Diego well. DJ Lewis (U of Cumberlands) started the game off strong for the West, getting on base by an error and then stealing for second and third, though he was left on base in the first. Alex Blaszyk (Saddleback) went 2-2 on the night, hitting a double RBI- double and a single. Sam Neufeld (Vanguard) hit a single-RBI. Just as well, Andrai Wright (Savannah State) and Will Stroud (Azusa Pacific) both hit singles in their limited at-bats. The Force had sparks of success, broken bats, and camaraderie with the Stros and Jays, though the game didn’t play out like they had hoped. 

After sharing a dugout with the Jays for the night, the Force turn around and face them tomorrow, July 14 in a double header at Madison High School at 1 and 4 p.m.