By Alden Gonzalez

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – After another lopsided win against Miami’s Tamiami Playmakers at the National Youth Baseball Championships on Friday night, Tomateros de California head coach Joe Ruiz put it simply: “If we keep scoring runs the way we’ve been doing, nobody can stop us.”

He may be right.

Playing their third game at Gameday’s First Tennessee Fields, the Tomateros pretty much sealed it against Miami’s Tamiami Playmakers – No. 8 in the latest Travel Ball Select rankings – with a 10-run first inning. Up 1-0 with two outs, the Tomateros reeled off nine straight hits, three of them for extra bases, and notched an extra nine runs on the board.

The double-digit frame came right after posting 13 runs in the final inning in their previous win against the Kenner All-Stars of Louisiana, giving them 23 runs on 26 hits in a span of two innings.

Even more impressive: In their three wins of the tournament, the Tomateros have outscored their opponents, 46-5.

 “These guys are hitting fantastic,” said Ruiz, whose team is second in the Travel Ball Select rankings. “But I think [the Playmakers] are saving pitchers. We know them, and I think they’re saving their top guy for the last day.”

Ruiz is, too, saying his ace, Brian “Big Mac” Duenas, hasn’t pitched yet and will tow the mound at some point on Saturday – when the semifinals and finals of the eight-team, 10-and-under age group are played.

The Tomateros had beaten the Playmakers already this year.

They added their 11th run in the second with an RBI single by Josh Rios. In the third, Willie Aguilar laced a solo homer to left-center field, and the Tomateros got two more runs off a Playmakers throwing error to make it a 14-run game.

The Playmakers started a comeback in the top of the fourth, getting two runs off four straight hits, but the deficit was too large. Three Tomatero pitchers – Isaak Gutierrez, Aguilar and Andrew Quezada (3-for-3 on the night) – combined to give up four hits and strike out three.

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