Aquafina Pitch, Hit and Run winners move on to next round

Twenty-two Maricopa children are moving on in the Aquafina Pitch, Hit and Run contest after last weekend’s local competition at Pacana Park.

More than 35 youths participated in the event, which consisted of showcasing their skills at the plate, on the mound and on the base paths.

The children were divided by age and gender. For the girls, Mekenzie Underwood (ages 7-8), Amber Cramer (9-10), Tailor Goods (11-12) and Caitlin Jones (13-4) were the all-around winners in their age group. The boys’ all-around winners were Zachary Bower (7-8), Cole Trimmer (9-10), Cole Reasons (11-12) and Ryan Rinehart (13-14).

The all-around winners – along with the individual winners in the categories of hitting, pitching and running – advance to compete at the regional contest for the chance to ply their skills at the next level – a competition at the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Chase Field. Each Major League Baseball team will send one youngster to the national competition at the All-Star Game, which is July 14 in St. Louis.