Each tournament keeps getting bigger for the Durango Juniors All-Star Little League baseball team.
The group of Durango players, ages 12-14, took down Aurora 9-7 in the Colorado state championship game Monday night in Arapahoe. The win advanced Durango to the Junior League Baseball Southwest Regional Tournament, which will begin Aug. 6 in Rio Rancho, New Mexico.
Durango qualified for the state tournament by winning the Colorado District 4 title.
Once they arrived in Denver, the Durango squad picked up a slew of big wins. They opened the tournament with a 13-5 win against the Arapahoe All-Stars on Saturday.
There was a seven-hour delay before a second-round game against the Three Rivers Little League All-Stars, but Durango stayed focused to take an 8-3 win late Sunday night to reach the championship game.
Now, Durango will have two weeks to prepare for its first regional game against the winner of the East Texas tournament.
The junior division of little league is made up of players between the ages of 12 and 14, though 13 and 14 is more common, with many 12-year-olds playing in the majors division, which is the featured division broadcast nationally on ESPN during the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
The Durango team is competing for a chance to reach the juniors’ world series in Taylor, Michigan. That tournament will be held Aug. 16-23 at Heritage Park. Chinese Taipei is the defending champion.
Durango is coached by Matt Pope, David Kidd and Cole Hyson.
The players are: Joe Arnwine, Luke Ford, Logan Fullington, Aleksander Hurworth, Griffyn Hyson, August “Gus” Kidd, Roland Madrid, Dawson Marcum, Kiernan McInnis, Andrew Morgan, Peter Oles, Joe Pope and Dylan Ridgeway.
heraldsports@durangoherald.com
