Unable to field a complete team for the 44th Annual George Costa Invitational, coaches and players from the Ceres Blaze 11- and 12-year-old travel baseball squads united.
Ceres posted a 4-2 record on its way to a first-place finish at its home tournament last week.
"This is the first time we've played together," head coach Jim Pernetti said. "We clicked. We're all friends. We've all battled against each other."
The Blaze managed to place second at the Bel Passi tournament earlier this season despite competing with an eight-player roster.
Josh Pernetti and Mike Duran both belted two-run homers while leading Ceres past Bel Passi Red, 6-3, in the title game of the Costa tourney Thursday night.
Duran and Pernetti collected three and two hits, respectively.
Alex Solis and Orlando Leon Jr. both scored and walked once.
Pernetti, Solis and Leon all pitched.
"Everybody stepped up and did their part," coach Pernetti said. "We got some timely hits. It was pretty awesome."
Blaze 9s to play at Bel Passi
The Ceres Blaze 9-and-under travel youth baseball team fulfilled head coach Antone Lopez's prediction.
The shorthanded Blaze punched their ticket to the 2014 Pony Baseball Mustang West Zone-Super Regional Tournament with a third-place finish this past week in Fairfield.
Ceres compiled a 2-2 record at Regionals.
"We actually almost got to the final," coach Antone Lopez said. "It's disappointing. I felt like we should have won it. We still advanced."
The Blaze roster consisted of just nine players.
"We had a couple kids missing because of vacation and a wedding," Lopez said. "We just kind of wore down."
Ceres lost 18-12 to the North Bay Admirals Sunday evening
The Blaze beat Rocklin 10-6 Sunday morning.
Ceres edged Brentwood 6-5 Saturday morning.
The Blaze suffered an 11-1 loss while facing Roseville on Thursday.
The Super-Regional tournament will be staged at Bel Passi.
Ceres will play its first game on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
"We get to rest this week," Lopez said. "Everybody is back. We'll be at full-strength."
