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Ripon rolls past Manteca in D67 consolation semifinal
Ripon-Manteca Major all-stars
Gio Sandoval’s hat slips off of his head while throwing a pitch for Ripon in the District 67 Little League Tournament consolation semifinal Friday against Manteca at Legacy Fields. - photo by JONAMAR JACINTO/The Bulletin

 TRACY — The Manteca Major Division all-stars could not manage a hit Friday night until the sixth inning when Ian Carriero singled in A.J. Haines, but that was too little, too late, as Ripon ran away with a 14-5 win in the District 67 Tournament consolation semifinal at Legacy Fields.

Ripon advances to the championship round this morning at 9 on Gillen Field against Northgate at Neil Hafley School.

Ripon’s big inning was the seven-run sixth with two RBI singles by Cal De Bruin (two RBI, two runs) and Benji Sybesma (2 for 4, three RBI, run) along with an RBI single by Gio Sandoval (three runs, RBI). Those three hits, as well as every RBI hit of the night for Ripon, were all to the left of first base.

Ripon took a 3-0 lead in the first inning and never trailed. Sandoval led off the game with a three-base error and scored on Hudson Rushing’s groundout to third. De Bruin reached on a fielder’s choice and scored on Sybesma’s single to left-center field and a single by Bronson Dietrich (two RBI) to left plated Sybesma.

Ripon bumped its lead to 7-2 in the fourth inning with back-to-back RBI singles by Easton Cloward (RBI, two runs) and Maverick Brum (2 for 2, RBI, two runs) and an RBI single by Rushing (3 for 3, two RBI, two runs). Ripon got its fourth run of the frame when Brum scooted home on a passed ball.

Ripon had a couple of defensive gems to help its effort. In the third inning after Manteca’s Ian Carrier (two RBI, run) scored Michael Taele (two runs) on a sacrifice fly, Dominic Jiminez (RBI, run) followed with a shot to deep right field that was chased down by Brum.

Jeremiah Gentry led off the Manteca fourth with a walk, bringing Dominic Sanchez to the plate. Sanchez sent a sharp grounder to second baseman Jesse Vega who quickly got the ball to Rushing who was covering second to force Gentry. Rushing quickly relayed the ball to Connor Paris at first to get Sanchez for the 4-6-3 double play.

Haines and Taele walked in the sixth for Manteca and after Haines scored on Carrier’s single Taele came in on a Jiminez groundout. That capped the night’s scoring.