San Marcos Bronco 12U All-Star Charlie Helgeson (at-bat) stares down a pitch coming his way with a runner in scoring position in a game against Blanco on Sunday at Ramon Lucio Park during the PONY League South Sectional tournament.
Mustang 10U All-Star Josiah Balles connects on a swing in a semifinal game against Deanville.
The San Marcos Protect Our Nation’s Youth (PONY) League All-Stars took to the Ramon Lucio Park baseball fields Saturday and Sunday for the South Sectional tournaments.
The teams are compiled of the top players from this year’s SMYBSA leagues. Each team is separated two years apart.
The Pony 14U All-Stars began the tournament defeating Austin Delwood on Saturday, 16-3. They edged out Buda Hays Sunday morning, 21-20, but fell to Deanville in the championship game that afternoon, 16-6. The result earned San Marcos the No. 2 seed in the upcoming regional tournament.
The Bronco 12U All-Stars shut out Blanco in the first round, 3-0, then exploded for a 20-0 win over Drippings Springs on Saturday. They saw Blanco again in the championship game Sunday, but couldn’t pull off the win, falling 6-4. The team will also advance the regional as the second seed.
The Mustang 10U All-Stars won its first round matchup against Blanco on Saturday, 7-3, but lost the semifinal game the next day to Deanville, 9-8. San Marcos faced Blanco in an elimination game Monday at 6 p.m. The winner from that game went on to play Deanville for the championship at 8 p.m. Both games ended after press time.
The Pinto 8U All-Stars earned a close win over the Dripping Springs Maroon team Saturday, 13-12, then beat Deanville on Sunday, 14-9. The team took on Lexington for the championship Monday at 6:30 p.m. The game ended after press time. The winner will receive the No. 1 seed for the regional tournament, with the loser receiving the second seed.
The South Regional tournament will place June 29-July 2 at Hays.
UPDATE (June 18, 11 a.m.)
The Mustang 10U All-Stars fell to Blanco in the elimination game Monday, 4-2. They'll head to the regional tournament as the No. 3 seed.
The Pinto 8U All-Stars won the championship over Lexington, 13-3. The team will be the top seed in the regional tournament.