The Federal Way Knights under-13 baseball team made a strong impression under the spring sun of Arizona.

The Knights recently took four of six games to finish seventh out of 44 teams at the Triple Crown Spring Championships in the plush Big League Dreams Park at Gilbert, Ariz.

The Chandler (Ariz.) Reds went unbeaten to capture the tournament title.

Federal Way advanced to the elite eight before dropping a heartbreaking 5-4 decision to Chino Hills, Calif., under the lights at replicated Ebbett’s Field. The Patriots went on to finish third in the tournament.

The Knights defeated Chatfield, Colo., 6-5, in eight innings before losing to Arcadia, Ariz., 9-7 on the first day. They went on to deliver three consecutive wins – 5-2 over the Silicon Valley (Gilroy, Calif.) Xtreme; 6-1 over the Dukes of Glendale, Ariz.; and 7-5 over the Chatsworth (Calif.) Chill – to reach the elite eight.

Brett Oyer led the way for the Knights, connecting on three home runs and driving in 11 runs in the tournament.

In the key win over Chatsworth, Oyer drilled a three-run shot and picked up the win. Kai Cerbana, Dallin Havili, Zac Kolterman each supplied doubles and two hits. Chris Shimer and Darrien Moran also had two hits.

Shimer’s bases-clearing triple, Jake Kolterman’s double, Zach Kolterman’s three hits and George Foley’s two sacrifice bunts helped trigger the Knights’ win over the Dukes. Moran struck out 13 and allowed just four hits in six innings of work in the victory over the Xtreme. Oyer tripled and Havili had an RBI double.

Oyer drove in four runs while Derek Klaas connected on a run-scoring double in the Knights’ loss to Arcadia. James Marshall had two hits and earlier supplied the game-winning RBI in the win over Chatfield. Oyer hit a two-run home run, and Daniel Lee smacked a double and a triple for Federal Way.

Throughout the tournament, Lee, Cerbana, Jackson Wood and Matt Bower added solid hitting and defense.