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By Ray Hamill — When you finish in the top seven in state play out of 350 teams, you know you’ve had a good season.

That was the case this summer for the McKinleyville 12-year-old All-Stars, who bowed out of the NorCal state Little League tournament on Monday night.

The McKinleyville players traveled to Madera with a place in this year’s West Regional tournament on the line, but came up just short after losing two games in three days in tournament play.

Despite the disappointment, however, the young Mack All-Stars have plenty to feel good about.

“If you talk to most of the people who have been around here a long time, most of them have never made it to state,” team head coach Jaime Arredondo said. “This was a huge accomplishment.”

McKinleyville fell 10-0 to Napa American in their final tournament game.

The ever-dangerous Teoh Arredondo led the team at the plate and finished 2-for-2 in the loss, while teammates Layne McCullough, Jayce Daniels and Hudson Kapko each also had a hit.

Among the defensive highlights of the game, shortstop Colton Hawkes combined with catcher Jared Brunner and third baseman Lucas Ball for a double play.

However, too many defensive errors proved costly at such a competitive tournament.

“As coaches, we set our goals for the team to make it to state,” the head coach added. “We knew it was going to be tough to win state. There were some very, very good teams there. There was some really good competition, which was nice to see.”

The team pitching helped set the tone through a postseason run that saw the McKinleyville All-Stars go undefeated on their way to both the District 26 and Section 2 tournament championships.

They won their first six games of the summer, before eventually losing a game in Madera.

“I think our pitching really got us there,” Jaime Arredondo said. “We beat some really good teams to get there, and we’re happy with the result.”

The players’ dedication and hard work also played a key role on their journey.

“The kids worked hard. I don’t think a single one missed a practice,” Jaime Arredondo added. “I’m proud of every one of them. I think we represented McKinleyville well and I’m proud of that.”

Somebody else who made a big contribution to the team’s success this summer was 5-year-old bat boy Enzo Arredondo.

The team’s “biggest fan” showed up for every practice and every game “ready to help and work,” according to the coach, and he became a big part of the team.