Submitted photo – The Lost Coast Legends players and coaches celebrate their tournament win last weekend.

The Lost Coast Legends won’t back down from a big challenge.

Last weekend, the local club’s 11U baseball players faced off against some of the toughest competition of their young lives at the Summer Slam tournament in Redding and passed the test with flying colors.

The Legends won all four of their games at the tournament, including an exciting 9-8 win over the Sacramento Senators in the championship game.

“It was a pretty tough one,” head coach Tyler Conley said. “Team quality wise, it was one of the better tournaments we’ve been in.”

Not only did the Legends take home a championship banner, but they also got the better of their nemesis, The NorCal Rage, who had beaten the local club every time they had previously faced off.

And they did so in style, sneaking a 4-3 win on back-to-back squeeze bunts in pool play.

Eleven Legends players made the trip for the early-summer tournament, and all of them contributed on the way to the victory.

Pitchers Bradley Plotz, Ryder Sweaney and Grady Crosswhite all helped set the tone for the team with big performances on the mound.

Crosswhite was named tournament MVP and was “an all-around juggernaut,” according to his coach, while also leading the Legends in batting average (.700) and RBIs.

He also tied for the team lead in runs scored and gave up just one hit and no runs in six innings on the mound.

Sweaney also impressed both on the hill and at the plate, finishing with a .500 average for the tourney and tying Crosswhite for the lead in runs.

“He consistently hit shot after shot,” the coach said of Sweaney.

The reliable Plotz, meanwhile, pitched a gem in the semifinal win over the Mavericks to set up the championship game showdown.

“Bradley Plotz is a kid we can count on at any time to come in and either start or get us out of jam,” Conley said.

They weren’t the only team standouts.

Center fielder Parker Blasi made two outstanding catches for outs in the same inning in the semifinal win while showcasing his range as a defensive player.

He also had a key RBI single in that victory.

Parker Morgan also impressed with his all-around contributions.

“We are spoiled having Parker and get used to him making plays no other kid can,” Conley said of Morgan, who as usual was at or near the top of all offensive categories for his team.

Grant Banducci and Lucca Pinochi also enjoyed big tournaments.

Banducci had battled sickness in the lead-up to the tournament but refused to take the weekend off, while Pinochi was a standout at second base and hit the game-tying squeeze bunt in the semifinal.

“I couldn’t be more proud of the kid,” Conley said of Banducci, who made some key hits and crucial plays in the championship game.

The coach added that Pinochi swung the bat well all weekend

Treyce Conley also impressed and had a couple crucial hits to help the Legends win games on championship day, including a double that one hopped the fence in the semifinal and a game-winning RBI bunt against the NorCal Rage.

Kaden Haskell, Graham Gaser and Maxx Peltier each also made some big plays on the way to the championship.

Haskell, according to his coach, is “an elite outfielder who we consistently count on.”

The young player injured his knee on a play in the championship but made sure to get the ball in and held up the runner on third to help seal the win.

Gaser, meanwhile, had one of his best hitting tourneys to date. 

“He’s one of the youngest on the team and he consistently put the bat on the ball all tourney,” Tyler Conley said. 

Peltier was playing his first tournament with the team and wasted no time settling in.

“He thrived,” his coach said. “Not only was he great in the field but he hit .571 and his positive up-beat attitude made a difference in the dugout.”

Overall, it was another impressive showing for the young players and another sign that youth baseball is thriving here on the North Coast.

“Youth baseball around here is really alive,” Tyler Conley said. “It’s cool to see all these kids from the little towns around here do well, and everywhere we go one of these local teams is usually in the championship game or winning it. The future is looking good for these kids.”