Encinitas, Poway Little League Majors Set for District Semifinals

One Encinitas 11- and 12-year-old Little League all-star team is assured of reaching Sunday's District 31 tournament final. That's because the Encinitas All-Stars will face Encinitas National on Saturday at 11 a.m., with the winning team taking on the winner of the 2 p.m. game between Poway American and Carmel Mountain Ranch.

This weekend's games will be played at Sage Canyon Park, the home of Del Mar Little League, on Carmel Mountain Road in Carmel Valley. Sunday's championship game starts at 1 p.m. The District 31 champion advances to the Section 6 tournament, the next step on the road that could carry one of these teams to the Little League World Series in Willliamsport, PA, next month.

Encinitas beat Del Mar American 7-3 and Encinitas National edged Rancho Bernardo in Wednesday's quarterfinals, while Poway American came back to beat Del Mar National 6-4 and Carmel Mountain Ranch beat 4S Ranch 5-3 in Thursday's quarterfinal action.

Sloan Blanscet hit a grand slam for Poway American to overcome a 4-2 deficit. Ryan Gagliano and Carlo Escobar each added a solo shot to account for all the Poway runs.

Also on Saturday, Encinitas National will play Carmel Mountain Ranch
for the 9- and 10-year-old District 31 championship at Rancho Bernardo Little League's field.