Federal Way National Giants take 2nd at TOC
Published 10:00 am Sunday, June 19, 2016
Following a tremendous regular season, the Federal Way National Little League majors division Giants made the championship game in the annual District 10 Tournament of Champions at South County Ballfields on June 13.
The Giants led 4-2 late in the game against an Auburn team that had spent the season averaging more than 14 runs per game. But Auburn Little League rallied late and roared back to win. With two outs in the final inning and the bases loaded, Auburn’s Conner Sloan sent a hit to the top of the left field fence, providing the walk-off winning run for the Auburn Little League A’s over the Giants. Sloan has 20 homeruns this season for Auburn.
Tyler Harries was on the mound for the Giants for five innings, scattering six hits and one walk and holding a normally powerful Auburn team to two runs. Ayden Vega was 3-for-4, including a two-RBI triple, Harries was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and Aidan Mandia was 2-for-4 with a double. Nate Cook also added a double, and Matt Blackmon, Jonah Buchan and Isaiah Henning all had hits in the championship game.
The Giants beat Kent Little League the previous day 16-6, with the mercy rule ending the game in the fifth inning.
In the first round game of the Tournament of Champions on June 11, the Giants defeated the Steel Lake Braves 6-4. The game was knotted at 2-2 with two outs in the bottom of the fourth when Kenzo Kimura and Aidan Mandia both doubled. Nate Cook followed up with a home run to right field. Ayden Vega scored the Giants’ final run on a deep fly ball that was dropped in center field, giving them the 6-2 advantage. Daniel Le opened the fifth inning with a double, and the Braves tightened the Giants’ lead 6-4. Mandia had two doubles in the game for the Giants.
The Federal Way National Giants complete their 2016 season with an overall 23-2 record. Attention now turns to the district Little League all-stars with the 8- to 10-year-old tournament kicking off June 18 at 9 a.m. at Federal Way National Complex.
