The most difficult feat in sports at any level is going undefeated. The Hart Pony League 7U Red Tournament Team made quick work of the accomplishment after finishing the season as Pony World Series champions with an 18-0 record.
Hart beat out Camarillo 5-1 in the title game despite being outhit 5-4 by its opponent.
Red Team coach Chris Egger gave a simple explanation for the team’s success: defense.
“We can play defense and defense wins championships,” Egger said. “They had five hits, we had four. Defense is what really kept us in the game, and just kept us in the lead.”
The tournament team was put together months ago with players voted in by Hart Pony coaches. Egger coached the Red Team all the way to the 6U World Series last year but knew he was returning to the dance as a favorite. Egger and assistant coach Erik Richardson’s team had numerous returners from the previous season’s tournament squad, giving the coach a ton of hope for the season.
“We told the parents in the very beginning on day one when the team got put together, that we really had a really good feeling about winning this World Series,” Egger said. “Not just getting there, but winning the whole thing. Do we expect to go 18-0, probably not, but it was, it was a great run.
The team tore through its opening tournament and remained perfect heading into regionals.
“Once we started our first tournament, we hit the ground running and we just put it all together,” Egger said. “The kids were very coachable. And, you know, they absorbed all the way we were teaching them throughout the whole, you know, tournament season.
The team defeated Simi Valley, 6-3, to officially advance back to the World Series with all eyes on redemption.
The highlight of the World Series was a line drive catch by infielder Jayden Chavez. With two on, and two out, Camarillo beamed a liner to the 5-6 hole where Chavez was ready to make a catch Egger doesn’t get to see often in Pony baseball.
“The biggest play of the game was made by Jayden Chavez,” Egger said. “He made a spectacular line drive catch that sucked the air out of Camarillo. The play allowed Hart to maintain and build upon its lead heading into the later innings.
Pitcher Maddox Roberge started for the team and held the Camarillo offense at bay. Roberge threw for 3.1 innings and gave up no earned runs with four hits.
Roberge set the table for reliever Brady Robinson to come and shut the door on Camarillo.
Robinson delivered.
The reliever closed out the final 2.2 innings, allowing just one hit while fanning four batters, including the World Series-clinching strikeout.
Robinson also went 2-for-2 at the plate in the title game and led the tournament team with a .611 batting average at the plate throughout the season.
Not far behind him was the Red Team’s catcher Holland Jolicoeur, who batted .511. Jolicoeur’s biggest hit in the World Series Tournament couldn’t have come at a better time. The catcher cleared the bases with a 3 run RBI base-hit to advance her team.
“She’s a rockstar. She was our catcher and a true gamer,” Egger said. “She basically caught 28 innings this last weekend.”
The catcher also was clutch on defense, where she executed one of Egger’s favorite memories of the season: a back-pick to third base. The play was one of the team’s many highlight plays you wouldn’t expect from a 7U team. Egger signaled to Jolicoeur for the pickoff, and the catcher was ready. Hart executed a perfect back-pick of an aggressive base runner as third baseman Duke Egger was ready to make the snag and the tag.
Coach Egger and Richardson got contributions from all of their Red Team 7U stars: Colt Belfi, Adam Esparza, Brandon Quiroz, Colby Richardson, Jacob Mota, Noah Flittner, Noah Rodriguez and Seely Morrow.
The group of local 7- and 8-year-olds remained dedicated all season and played well above their age group’s standards en route to the championship.
“There’s no playing in the dirt, everybody’s ready to play and practice,” Egger said. “If you looked at the kids and how they played, you wouldn’t say they were 7 years old. It’s a good group of kids that just love the game of baseball.”
