CARY, N.C. - The Southwest Stars hoisted the gold medal at the 14U National Team Identification Series (NTIS) Champions Cup on Sunday, capping off a dominant performance on Sunday with an 8-1 win over the Southeast Stars in the final.
The Southwest Stars finished the week with a 5-0 ledger, rolling through the tournament with a staggering 30-4 run differential thanks to a consistent offense and stellar pitching. The team’s strengths were on full display Sunday in the form of a 6-0 win in the semifinal matchup against the Southwest Stripes and the big-time win in the gold medal matchup.
Back-to-back singles from David Ortega II and Aiden Vargas, combined with a walk, loaded the bases in the bottom of the first inning, setting the stage for a pair of wild pitches to score the first two runs of the game. Eli Martinez added a third run in the frame on a sacrifice fly.
Russell Martin and Martinez limited the Southeast Stars to a lone run, which came on a balk. Meanwhile, the Southwest offense stayed hot to plate four more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and extend the lead to 7-1. Cooper Cantrell cracked a two-RBI double, followed by a bases-loaded walk and an RBI single from Taylor Chairez.
Just like they had been the entire week, the Southwest Stars were impeccable defensively to back up an opportune offense - a formula that they rode the entire week to a gold medal finish.
After the final game, both Ortega II and Ayden White spoke about how the team’s success this week could be attributed to several factors; the defense, the team’s familiarity with each other, and just the overall vibe in the clubhouse.
“It’s a great feeling to win gold, after all the work we put in as a team. We played together, the chemistry was there, and we played hard every minute. The energy was up, it was just a great week,” Ortega II said.
White echoed his teammate, highlighting how the week has been one that will stick with him for a while.
“This was easily one of the most fun weeks I’ve ever had. Being with this group of guys is amazing, and this is one of the best teams I’ve ever played on.”
Both players spoke about how this wasn’t the first rodeo for this group of players on the Southwest Stars. Ortega II and White revealed that a lot of the team has known each other for years, and played together at both the 11U and 12U NTIS Champions Cups. The chemistry was evident this week, as was the talent forged by previous tournaments.
“Our defense was great, our hitting was great. Everything was on point. Our pitching staff, that's probably the best part of our team, and a lot of the credit goes for our pitching side,” Ortega II highlighted. He’s a key part of that staff, and showed out on Sunday morning with a 5.1 inning performance in the 6-0 win over the Southwest Stripes in the semifinals.
The chemistry also showed in the dugout and off the field. When teams are together off the field, they tend to play better on it; and the Southwest Stars were a great example. Both Ortega II and White will remember this team forever, but not just for the gold medals they now have in their collections. The memories go beyond that.
“It was definitely different from past tournaments,” Ortega II noted. “Our team was dominant. It was super fun playing with these guys, and the energy was always there. Bunch of jokes. It wasn’t tense playing with each other. We were just loose and just having fun playing, just being together.”
White added that the coaches had been a big part of the experience as well.
“It was fun just being together. The coaches were all really amazing, getting us through all the games, getting us in the right spots. The gold medal experience as well, but it was all of the things outside of the games, hanging out together and team bonding.”
While Ortega II, White, and the rest of the Southwest Stars’ bats powered the gold medal win, the Northwest Stars defeated the Southwest Stripes 8-7 in a thrilling matchup that was decided in extra innings. Gavin Martin was the hero, ripping the walk-off hit into left in the bottom of the eighth inning for the win.
