BENICIA’S MAJORS all-star team won six games in the District 53 Tournament before finally getting eliminated by Napa National in Sunday’s championship round.

Benicia Little League’s 11/12 all-stars thought they had Napa National right where they wanted them.

Needing to win Sunday at Community Park to force a decisive District 53 title game on Monday, Benicia trailed 6-4 going to the sixth inning and was due to have its leadoff hitters coming to the plate. But before Benicia got its chance to hit, Napa National exploded for six runs – all with two outs – in the top of the sixth and clinched the District 53 championship with a 12-4 victory.

“We just let one inning get away from us and it cost us the game,” said Benicia manager Derek Trammell. “Napa National is well coached. You have to give them credit.”

Napa National, which also won last year’s District 53 championship, scored five runs in the first two innings for a commanding 5-0 lead. Tyton Bradley hit a two-run homer in the first inning and teammate Louie Canepa crushed a three-run homer in the second.

Benicia slowly battled back. Gabriel Martinez scored in the bottom of the third when Jakob Boyle lashed a two-out single that was bobbled by Napa’s left fielder. After Martinez and Ben Saitz were each hit by pitches in the bottom of the fourth, Trey Trias blasted a three-run homer to centerfield, cutting Napa’s lead to 5-4.

“That gave us new life,” Trammell said.

But that’s where the magic ended for Benicia. Canepa led off the top of the fifth with his second homer of the game – a solo shot that made it 6-4. It was still a two-run game in the top of the sixth when Napa put together a two-out rally, scoring six times to take command.

Napa National starting pitcher Jackson Cole went 3 1/3 innings and allowed only three hits and two runs to earn the win. Canepa pitched the final two innings to earn the save, retiring six of the seven batters he faced.

Of the 12 runs Benicia allowed, only six were earned.

Benicia’s 11/12 all-stars ended up going 6-2 overall and outlasted 11 other teams in the District 53 bracket. The six wins were the most for Benicia’s Majors since 2008 and were more wins than the previous five years combined.

“It was tough battling our way through the loser’s bracket but they did a great job,” Trammell said. “They kept fighting and kept battling.”

Napa National went 5-0 during the tournament and outscored its opponents 58-20. Napa National advances to the Section 1 Tournament, which begins this Saturday in Santa Rosa.

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