The Sandlot Legends capped an impressive tournament run by edging Tri-Valley 12U Davis 11-10 in a thrilling championship game to capture the 2026 Southwest Licking Youth Baseball12U Recreation All-Star Tournament title.
The championship game was played at Lions Park, Field D4, located at 8830 Refugee Road in Pataskala. The title matchup brought together two of the tournament's hottest teams after both navigated a competitive eight-team field to reach the winner-take-all finale.
From the opening day of pool play through the championship finale, Sandlot Legends proved to be the tournament's most consistent club. The eventual champions posted a perfect 5-0 record, outscored opponents 52-28 and capped their title run with a one-run victory in the championship game.
The tournament featured eight teams divided into two pools before advancing to a single-elimination playoff bracket. Pool A included Tri-Valley 12U All-Stars McNichols, Northridge 12U All-Stars, SWLYB 12U All-Stars and Midstate All-Stars. Pool B featured Sandlot Legends, Tri-Valley 12U Davis, North Newark 12U All-Stars and West Muskingum. Tri-Valley McNichols and Northridge each finished 2-0 atop Pool A, while Sandlot Legends went unbeaten in Pool B at 2-0. Tri-Valley Davis and North Newark each finished 1-1 to round out the playoff field.
Sandlot Legends opened tournament play with an 11-9 victory over West Muskingum before breaking open pool play with a 15-5 win against Tri-Valley Davis. That perfect start earned the Legends the top seed from Pool B and carried momentum into the playoff bracket.
The postseason featured several competitive matchups. Tri-Valley McNichols defeated Midstate All-Stars 10-2, while Tri-Valley Davis rolled past North Newark 16-1 in the opening round. West Muskingum stayed alive with a 10-4 victory over Northridge, and Sandlot Legends eliminated SWLYB 12U All-Stars with a 6-2 win.
In the semifinals, Tri-Valley Davis continued its strong play by knocking off previously unbeaten Tri-Valley McNichols 14-6. Sandlot Legends advanced to the championship by defeating West Muskingum 9-4, setting up a winner-take-all showdown between the tournament's two hottest teams.
The championship lived up to expectations as Tri-Valley Davis battled until the final out, but Sandlot Legends held on for an 11-10 victory. The one-run win completed a perfect tournament record for the Legends, while Tri-Valley Davis finished as runner-up after winning three consecutive playoff games before falling just short in the title game.
