Aug 2, 2017 2 min read

For the second consecutive year, the Washington Pinto 8-and-under all-star team represented the East Region at the Pinto League National Championships at Cusumano Sports Complex in Mt. Vernon, Ill.

After recently winning the East Zone championship in Morgantown, W.Va., Washington earned an automatic berth to the open tournament that ran July 20-22.

“The 8-year-old team made the first appearance last year and finished in second place,” said coach Dave Donley. “As soon as that season ended there was a buzz about these kids having that chance. If we were given the opportunity, we wanted to take it.”

Washington went undefeated in pool play over the first two days, winning four games, against Vienna, Ill., Odin, Ill., Lawrenceville, Ill., and Chesterfield, Va., by a combined score of 56-24. Washington scored at least 10 runs in all four games, earning the No. 1 seed in Pool B. However, it was eliminated after losing to Suffolk, Va., in the second round of the championship bracket, 14-7.

Ayvari Chandler was named to the all-tournament team.

The opportunity to escape the scorching heat, which reached 100 degrees during most days of the tournament, might have been the most meaningful time for Washington. It shared a hotel with the team from Aruba, one of two international teams to play in the tournament.

“It was an amazing experience, not only on the field but off of it,” Donley said. “To see the kids bond with one another was just fantastic. They were trading some of their things and we gave stuff back to them. It even turned into them asking if we wanted to come down to play in a tournament in their country. They would house us, feed us. It wouldn’t be too much of a win or loss type of thing. It would be more about just having fun. It’s to the point now where were looking to possibly make that happen.”