The Hazel Dell Metro Babe Ruth 14-year-old all-stars have clinched a spot in the semifinals at the Pacific Northwest regional baseball tournament.
Metro crunched the Calgary, Alberta, entry on Thursday, winning 24-4 in five innings to improve to 3-0 in pool play. The Vancouver team will complete pool play at 4 p.m. today against host Lewiston, Idaho.
The semifinals and finals are on Saturday. The tournament champion advances to the Babe Ruth Baseball World Series for 14-year-olds, to be played Aug. 21-28 at Loudoun County, Va.
Hayden Humphrey went 3 for 3 with a double and knocked in seven runs in Thursday’s thumping of Calgary. James Brooks had three hits, and Jason Harmsen and Alec Dannat had two hits apiece.
Hazel Dell Metro outhit Calgary 18-4.
Little League softball
The four semifinalists have been determined — though the matchups have not — with one day of pool play remaining at the Little League Softball West Regional at Fort Vancouver Little League.
Pendleton, Ore., grabbed the last semifinal slot Thursday by beating Nunaka Valley from Anchorage, Alaska, at the tournament for girls ages 11-12. Billings, Mont., Burbank, Calif., and Gilroy, Calif., are the other semifinal teams.
Pool play concludes today, including host Cascade playing the Utah champions at 6 p.m.
Pendleton 14, Anchorage 7 —A 10-run second inning lifted the Oregon champions (3-1). Defending regional champion Nunaka Valley (2-2) was eliminated.
Burbank, Calif., 11, Snow Valley (Utah) 1 — The Southern Cal champs finished 4-0 in pool play.
High Desert (Ariz.) 14, East Jefferson 2 — The Arizona champs finished 2-2 with Thursday’s win.
