Panama Oeste delivered one of the most dramatic finishes imaginable in youth baseball on Saturday, storming back from a 5-1 deficit with a six-run sixth inning to defeat Los Santos 7-5 and capture the U10 National Baseball Championship at the Mariano Rivera Baseball Academy.
What Happened
Known as ‘Los Vaqueros,’ Panama Oeste appeared headed for a painful defeat as Los Santos built a commanding 5-1 lead, controlling the tempo of the final and moving within reach of the trophy. But everything changed in the top of the sixth inning, when the Vaqueros unleashed a devastating offensive surge that completely reversed the course of the game.
The turning point came from an unlikely hero. Jheremy Moreno, stepping to the plate in the most pressure-packed moment of the tournament, connected a game-tying RBI triple that ignited the comeback. Manager Elpidio Pinto later revealed to Himax Sports that the young player had been in tears before the at-bat, overcome by nerves.
“Jheremy Moreno steps up to bat crying. I approach him: ‘Papi, why are you crying?’ He answered: ‘I’m very nervous.’ So I told him: ‘Don’t worry, listen to what I’m going to tell you. Do you remember when I pitch to you? You have fun with me and hit line drives, right? Imagine that the one pitching is me. Go ahead, because I believe in you and I trust you,'” Pinto recounted.
When Moreno fell behind in the count at two strikes, Pinto called him over once more with simple advice: “Now I don’t want you to take a big swing; just get the barrel on it, hit the ball before it gets there… you’re going to do it.”
Moreno was not alone in the rally. Ruben Hidalgo and Josue Bultron each drove in two runs, providing the offensive production that ultimately tilted the balance in Panama Oeste’s favor. On the Los Santos side, Jose Vergara stood out with the bat, going 3-for-2 with an RBI and proving one of the most consistent hitters in the losing effort.
On the mound, Guillermo Quinonez earned the win with a solid three-inning relief outing in which he limited the opposing offense to just two hits. The loss went to Dylan Mendieta, who was unable to contain the late offensive avalanche.
Background
The championship carries special significance for manager Elpidio Pinto, who adds another title to his resume in youth categories this year, having previously won the U12 championship. His ability to guide young players through high-pressure moments was on full display in the final, particularly in his handling of the emotional Moreno at-bat.
The victory also carried an element of revenge for Panama Oeste. Los Santos was the same opponent that had defeated them days earlier by the narrowest of margins, 1-0, making Saturday’s comeback triumph all the sweeter for the Vaqueros.
The tournament was held at the Mariano Rivera Baseball Academy, a facility named after the legendary Panamanian closer and Baseball Hall of Famer, underscoring the country’s deep baseball tradition and its investment in developing young talent from an early age.
What This Means for Panama
The U10 national championship represents an important early milestone in the development pipeline of Panamanian baseball, a country with a rich history of producing Major League talent. Tournaments like this one, hosted at premier development facilities, serve as the foundation upon which future national team players and professional prospects are built.
For Panama Oeste, the title confirms the strength of its youth baseball program under Pinto’s leadership, with championships now at both the U10 and U12 levels this year. For Los Santos, despite the heartbreak of surrendering a four-run lead in the final inning, the run to the championship game demonstrated the region’s competitiveness in youth baseball.
The memorable final, with its emotional storytelling and dramatic rally, also highlights the growing attention on youth baseball in Panama, with federations and media outlets like Fedebeis and Himax Sports following these tournaments closely, fans can expect many of these young names to reappear in older categories in the years ahead.
This story was originally reported by La Prensa.