Advancing to the second-level of the MLB Pitch, Hit and Run competition was the last thing on the minds of Northgate Little Leaguers Louis and Steven Aquila during the first qualifier at Big League Dreams.

The two brothers outlasted the local Manteca field to advance to the Section competition in Dos Palos, where 10-year-old Louis finished his division with the silver medal and 8-year-old Steven finished with his division’s gold medal.

The Aquila brothers competed against 50 of the top qualifiers in the three-event competition. Athletes were given six pitches to be thrown in the strike zone, followed by three swings from home plate off a batting tee and a timed sprint from second base to home.

Steven flourished in the section competition, stroking the furthest hit, converting on a pair of accurate strikes and concluding with the fastest second-to-home sprint in both his division and the age group above him.

“I probably did best in the running,” Steven said. “I like running a lot, so I planned on finishing first.

“I knew they were slow runners.”

Steven’s time scoring from second base was timed at 9.4 seconds. The regional competition just slipped from Steven’s grasp, as the top-3 (point-earning) winners from six separate sectionals from Northern California and Northern Nevada advanced to the Regional at the O.Co Coliseum. Steven finished fifth.

Louis was as close in his bid to continue on into the regional, likely advancing with a win at Dos Palos yet coming just a couple of feet short in the batting event. Louis pumped home four pitches qualified as strikes, had a top time in the second-to-home sprint, but the 124-foot drive off the tee was two-feet short of the 10-year-old winner’s mark.

“I’ve been playing baseball since I was 2, so I have always liked it,” Louis said. “It was a fun competition. I came in expecting that I’d do pretty good at pitching and I thought I’d be good in all the events.

“I never knew that that many little kids would be that good.”

The brother tandem definitely put themselves in elite company, representing Northgate Little League, McParland Elementary and the city of Manteca with flying colors.

“When we went out there, honestly, I just told them to have fun,” father Frank Aquila said. “Don’t expect to win it; the two of them were competing against 50-100 kids. There’s so many kids out there and they’re winners in their areas as well. To walk away with one of my sons with a gold and the other with a silver.

“I feel blessed by God for their ability.”