MARYSVILLE The Marysville National Leagues all-star team of nine- and 10-year-olds clobbered South Snohomish in their opening round win, defeating the visitors 11-1, June 29.
Brayden Hopstad pitched all five innings for Marysville. Hopstad got eight strikeouts, allowing no walks and just three hits.
Although South Snohomish held off the Marysville offense in the first inning, the home team strung together three runs in the second inning.
First baseman Korbin Korzan had a hit to start things off. He was joined on base by catcher Kanim Posey and third baseman Spencer Simenson when second baseman Landon Riker hit a two-run single to give Marysville the lead.
Errors by the visitors allowed Simensons run for a 3-0 score going into the third.
Hopstad gave up his first hit in the third to South Snohomish second baseman Jacob Lundin, but the Marysville defense kept him from getting any further.
Though Marysville outfielder Andrew Alvis got on base all four times he came up to bat, his lone run against South Snohomish came in the third inning.
The visitors got their second and third hits in the fourth inning to string together their only run. Snohomish shortstop Alex Davis had a single to lead off the inning, and a triple by third baseman Jacob Argue made it a 4-1 game.
Trying to take advantage of a missed catch by Posey at home, Argue attempted to score during the next at bat, but Posey recovered the ball and tagged Argue for the out.
It had been South Snohomishs last best chance.
Posey and Riker each scored again in the fourth and Marysville had five runs in the fifth inning. The game finally ended, not with Marysvilles third out, but their 11th run, which brought into effect Little Leagues 10-run mercy rule.
Marysville coach Carlos Gonzalezs team is composed of three baseball players from standout minor-league team the Nationals and the rest from the major league. One of the three minor league players is the teams lone nine-year-old, Austin Maganas.
Gonzalez was quick to identify Hopstads game on the mound as part of their success against South Snohomish.
He basically pitched five innings, doing very well, Gonzalez said, adding Hopstad took only 59 pitches to finish the game in a league that limits any pitcher to 75 a game.
But they all did well, he said.
Gonzalez also attributed his teams win to their ability to play together despite coming from rival teams. He said after the game told them, Leave your Dicks Towing, your Pepsi behind.
And they did, he added. They joke about it sometimes.

At Cedar Field
South Snohomish 0 0 0 1 0 1
Marysville National 0 3 1 2 5 11