Another World Series for Chula Vista Boys

They helped win the 2009 Little League World Series and now Bulla Graft, Andy Rios and Isaiah Armenta are only five games away from the world championship at the Pony-13 World Series.

On Saturday, the Chula Vista North 13-under team beat Evansville, Indiana, 12-11, after beating the Bahamas 10 to 0 in their opening game at the 2010 Pony-13 League Baseball World Series

The boys are a little older and their new league is a little different.

In the Pony League, the distance between the bases are set further apart as the children get older, said Pony-13 World Series tournament host Jess Jaime.

In Little League, the children play on bases set 60-feet apart, Jaime explained. In Pony League, the bases for 13 and under are set 80-feet apart, he said.

“[Its] More of a challenge,” Jaime said. ” The kids get bigger and stronger, so they can hit further.”

Clearly, Graft and his team were ready to take on the challenge.

Soon, the boys will be headed to high school and the Pony League will prepare them for the transition, Jaime said.

In high school baseball, the bases are set 90-feet apart, he added.

The boys and their new teammates Ricky Reynoso, Justin Sparby, Seamus Beyerle, Tucker Torano, Casey McPherson, Robby Weissenfels, Brandon Torio, Hudson Pearson, Isaac Vargas and Daniel Schneeman beat out Cypress, Calif. on Wednesday, and won the opportunity to travel north to match up again the Caribbean Zone champs.

Last summer, in front of more than 30,000 people in Williamsport, Pa. — and many more watching around the world — the Park View Little League team became the first team from San Diego County to win the Little League World Series in more than 40 years. The Blue Bombers from Chula Vista won the coveted title, 6-3, over Chinese Taipei in a game filled with drama.

The other boys, including Kiko Garcia and Luke Ramirez, are on different teams this year, said Jannine Tejada, who is the player agent for Chula Vista North. Jensen Peterson and Junior Porras, who were on last year’s winning team, played in the CVN league but were on a second All-Star team, which also made it to super-regionals but did not advance to the zone-playoff round for the championship.

Source: Another World Series for Chula Vista Boys | NBC San Diego
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/sports/Another-World-Series-for-Chula-Vista-99692629.html