SUNRISE, Fla. – The city of Sunrise has a new group of champions — and they’re all 10 and under.
The Rays, champions of the city’s minor league division in kid pitch, stormed back from an early deficit and leaned on a mix of clutch defense, late-game offense and dominant pitching to beat the Marlins 6-2 in the title game.
Led by head coach Mike and his staff, the third-seeded Rays fell behind 2-0 in the opening inning to a Marlins squad that had just knocked off the top-seeded Yankees days earlier.
But the momentum quickly shifted thanks to a highlight-reel play by first baseman Spencer, also known as “Spanky,” who dove to snag a short pop fly and turned an unassisted double play that fired up his teammates.
It was all Rays from there.
Starting pitcher Sebby shut out the Marlins the rest of the way, mixing in heaters and off-speed pitches that kept the opposition guessing for three innings.
Behind the plate, Luken held things down with steady catching and behind-the-scenes leadership.
The Rays’ offense finally broke through in the third inning, sparked by a hit by Khaled that brought in two runs and gave friends and family a reason to erupt after taking a 6-2 lead.
The team added insurance runs and sealed the deal with defensive gems by Matt and Sebby, which led to J.J. closing the game with his dynamic fastball.
The Rays’ roster includes J.J., Sebby, Ronnie, Titus, Khaled, Luken, Dominic, Kai, Matt, Jason and Spencer — each playing a key role in the team’s championship run.
The Rays made history as one of the only teams to win their regular season and postseason games despite trailing at some point in each of them, earning them the nickname: “The comeback kids.”
Coaches Mike, Gabe, Ryan, Michael W., Olga, Dasean, and Alessandra guided the team throughout the season with passion and positivity.
With gloves in the air and trophies in their hands, the Rays walked off the field as champions — and the pride of Sunrise baseball.
