Aug 8, 2025 By Chris Dugan 5 min read

Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter

Simi Valley’s Tristan Theobald connects for the sixth inning hit that drove in two runs and tied the score with Chinese Taipei at six in the opening game of the PONY World Series on August 8 at Lew Hays Field in Washington.

Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter

Simi Valey’s Riely Loggins slides home from third on a wild pitch ahead of the throw to Chinese Taipei’s Yi-Le Li, scoring the second run for the West Zone representative in the first inning of the PONY World Series opener at Lew Hays Field in Washington on August 8.

Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter

Simi Valley catcher Tristan Theobald waits for a throw as Chinese Taipei’s En Chen slides to score the Asia Pacific representatives’s fifth run, taking the lead 5-3 in the top of the sixth inning in the opening game of the PONY World Series at Lew Hays Field on August 8.

Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter

Simi Valley’s Riely Loggins celebrates the double that put his West Zone team ahead 7-6 over Chinese Taipei in the bottom of the sixth inning of the opening game for the PONY World Series at Lew Hays Field in Washington on August 8.

Simi Valley’s Riely Loggins celebrates the double that put his West Zone team ahead 7-6 over Chinese Taipei in the bottom of the sixth inning of the opening game for the PONY World Series at Lew Hays Field in Washington on August 8.[/caption]The opening game of the Pony League World Series didn’t start well for Simi Valley, Calif., as Chinese Taipei shortstop and leadoff hitter En Chen smacked a solo home run down the right-field line.

If that didn’t shake Simi Valley’s confidence, then trailing 5-3 with two outs and nobody on base in the bottom of the sixth inning, with its No. 9 hitter at the plate against a Chinese Taipei relief pitcher who had retired eight straight batters, should have shaken the West Zone champion’s confidence.

But confidence is not something Simi Valley is lacking.

Simi Valley, showing championship resolve, scored three runs with two outs in the sixth to rally for a thrilling 6-5 victory Friday night at Lew Hays Pony Field.

“We’re battle-tested,” Simi Valley manager Josh Carter said. “We played in the 12U world series, so we’re familiar with international competition. What I say about our guys is their heart rates stay level.”

Ean Devin, the No. 9 hitter in the Simi Valley batting order, was the guy who pumped life into his team when he singled with two outs in the sixth against Chinese Taipei’s Yi-Le Li. Braedon Halverson followed with a single to right-center, sending Devine to third base.

Tristan Theobald then hit a blooper into shallow center field. Chinese Taipei center fielder Zi-Han Yang raced in and attempted to make a diving catch but came up short. Devine scored and Halverson never slowed down on the play and tried to score from first base. The throw to the plate was off target and went to the backstop, allowing Halverson to score to tie the game and Theobald to end up at third base.

Riely Loggins then laced an RBI double to left-center that gave Simi Valley a 6-5 lead.

“We threw too many high pitches and they (Simi Valley) hit the high ball,” Chao-Sheng Chang said through an interpreter. “We also had two errors that gave them runs.”

Halverson was brought in to pitch in the top of the seventh and gave up a leadoff single but retired the next three batters to secure a save. Kaden Monica, the third of four Simi Valley pitchers, worked 1 1/3 innings to get the win.

“We knew we wouldn’t be playing (Saturday) so we were able to play with the 35-pitch pitch count,” Carter said. “We have a deep pitching staff. That’s one of our strengths.”

Simi Valley will play Monday (4:30 p.m.) against an opponent to be determined. Chinese Taipei will play 2:30 p.m. Sunday in an elimination game.

Chinese Taipei took a 1-0 lead on Chen’s leadoff home run. Chen went 3-for-3 with three runs, two RBI, a homer and a double.

“That leadoff home run, that wasn’t a bad pitch,” Carter said. “That kid, though, he’s a stud hitter and a stud shortstop.”

Simi Valley took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first. One run scored on an error and another on a wild pitch.

It went to 3-1 in the second when Wyatt Ruiz doubled and scored on a single by Halverson. That was it for Simi Valley until the pivotal sixth inning.

Chinese Taipei, meanwhile, chipped away, scoring single runs in third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings to take a 5-3 lead. The Asia-Pacific Zone champions had plenty of scoring opportunities but stranded 10 baserunners.

“We hit a lot of balls hard that were right at their fielders,” Chang said.

Simi Valley had 11 hits, perhaps none bigger than the kicker-starter provided by Devine with two outs in the sixth.

“Two outs, No. 9 guy up. … Our guys don’t stop until the last out is made,” Carter said. “We pride ourselves in competing. We knew this was going to be a grind-it-out game. Every pitch was full of pressure.”

Host Area champion South Hills played The Bronx, N.Y. in Friday’s late game. That game ended too late to be included in this edition.

Three games are scheduled for today, beginning at noon with Washington County against Grosseto, Italy. Corpus Christi, Texas, and Bay County, Mich., will play at 2:30 p.m. Monterrey, Mexico, will play its first game in this series at 5 p.m.

Pony tales

Abdiel Zavala of Monterrey won the home run derby that was held Friday morning during the skills competition. Monterrey also won the team home run contest with South Hills finishing second. Chinese Taipei’s Chen was the fastest baserunner, circling the bases in 12.98 seconds. … The Champions League Game will be held at 9:30 a.m. today.