Compton UYA wins Palomino World Series

The Compton Urban Youth Academy used home field to great advantage Sunday, when it defeated a team from Puerto Rico to win the Palomino World Series. The 19-and-under event started Aug. 1 and ended Sunday, when the Compton UYA earned a 3-1 win over Puerto Rico in the title game.

Compton, which features many youngsters who have played together since they were 14, never lost en route to the title. Dillon Tate, a right-handed pitcher for University of California Santa Barbara, pitched seven innings and led the UYA to a 7-3 win over Sinaloa, Mexico in its first game.

The Compton UYA kept rolling in the second game with a 12-4 victory over Pittsburgh. Jared Robinson, who pitches for Cerritos Junior College in California, struck out eight batters en route to the victory.

Compton took on Mexico again in the third game of the tournament, and pitching was again the difference. Adrian Martinez pitched four innings to get the victory. Kevin Maxey, a freshman outfielder at Cerro Coso Community College, went 2-for-4 with two RBIs in a 12-4 victory over Mexico.

Gerardo Velazquez gave the Compton UYA five strong innings against Puerto Rico in the title game, but Maxey stepped up as the star of the game. Maxey homered and tripled in the victory. Tate, who pitched in four games for UCSB as a freshman, was named the tourney's Most Valuable Player.