Maricopa girls prove their baseball skills

Two Maricopans proved June 7 at Pacana Park they possess the best baseball skills in the state at the Major League Baseball Aquafina Pitch, Hit and Run Competition.

Alicia Portillo competed in the 11 to 12-year-old category, and Aerial Ortega competed in the 13 to 14-year-old category.

The competition is a free national program that gives girls under the age of 14 a chance to showcase their baseball abilities. The pilot program this year was just for girls, although in previous years it had included boys.

As the name suggests, the participants were judged on their hitting, pitching and running abilities.

Girls competed in four age groups: 8 and younger, 9-10, 11-12 and 13-14.

Judges selected winners based on skills specific to pitching, hitting and running, in addition to picking an all-around champ from each group.

The winning scores from Arizona are compared to the scores of the winners across the country. Then the top score from each age bracket will earn an invitation to attend the MLB All-Star weekend festivities in New York City.

The super regional competition in Maricopa attracted more than 30 girls from across the state.
This was the first time that the program featured only girls with 100 cities in 10 states across the country participating.

Bellow is the overall winner of each category:

Ages 9-10:
All-Around Champion – Sienna Garcia
Pitching – Jordan Turpen
Hitting – Amber Cramer
Running – Sienna Garcia
Ages 11-12:
All-Around Champion – Alicia Portillo
Pitching – Alicia Portillo
Hitting – Alyssa Martinez
Running – Rosie Naranjo and Alicia Portillo
Ages 13-14:
All-Around Champion – Talia Davis
Pitching – Talia Davis and Taran Rhodes
Hitting – Aerial Ortega
Running – Randi Mead

Photo courtesy of the city of Maricopa