Little League Recap:

GLENDALE — For the better part of two months, numerous Babe Ruth and District 16 Little League teams took to the baseball and softball fields across the area and region. Some captured championships, while others fell just short.

Five local Babe Ruth All-Stars squads advanced to the Southern California All-Star Tournament and two won their respective Southern California tournaments.

Despite some clutch hitting, standout defense and nifty pitching performances, none of the local squads could get out of the Section 2 Tournament for the second consecutive year. Unfortunately for the area teams, none of them had the opportunity to venture outside of California with the hope of winning a World Series championship.

The following is a recap of the area’s Little League season:

BABE RUTH ALL-STARS

The La Crescenta 13-year-old squad picked up a 2-0 win against Westchester in the championship game of the Southern California All-Star Tournament at Stengel Field. Ted Boedke tossed three scoreless innings for the save to send La Crescenta to the Pacific Southwest Regional Tournament in Eureka. La Crescenta won a pair of games in the tournament before seeing its season conclude with a 12-1 loss to Alameda.

The La Crescenta 14-year-old squad sustained a pair of one-run losses, capped by a 6-5 defeat to North End in an elimination game at Stengel Field. In the opener, La Crescenta held a comfortable 6-0 lead entering the latter part of the game, but Westchester rallied for seven runs in a row to pick up a 7-6 win. La Crescenta regrouped the next day with a 14-0 win against Simi Valley.

In the 15-year-old competition, La Crescenta gave its all but couldn’t pull through. La Crescenta opened with a loss to Torrance before regrouping with a victory against Simi Valley. La Crescenta saw its season end with a loss to Torrance.

There were plenty of local ties involving a pair of 16-18 Babe Ruth teams in San Gabriel Valley and La Crescenta. San Gabriel Valley featured nine players from Crescenta Valley High and was coached by Crescenta Valley’s Phil Torres. La Crescenta fielded a team with current and former Hoover High athletes.

Behind some sturdy pitching, clutch defense and timely hitting, San Gabriel Valley upended La Crescenta, 4-2, in the championship game of the Southern California Tournament.