With a shot at a championship resting on its performance, the Spreckels Park Blue Devils put together a late-inning rally to snatch the opener 16-14, only to fall in the night-cap 13-4 giving the Northgate Reds the Little League District 67 Tournament of Champions Juniors title.

The Blue Devils jumped out in front in the first game, scoring the game’s first two runs in the top of the first and then scoring in each of the next four innings. Northgate refused to go down quietly, putting together its own scoring barrage to tie things up 10-10 going into the bottom of the sixth.

That is when the Blue Devils seized control of the game forcing the double-header by sealing the deal in the opener with a six-run sixth inning. They batted around the lineup and would add their last two runs when Jakob Gallagher reached on an error and two runners scored.

The Blue Devils got quality pitching from first-game starter Leo Soto, who kept his team in the contest through five innings of work. Defensive miscues plagued Soto through his five innings of work.

After falling down 2-0 Northgate responded, getting three consecutive hits from Kyle Oden, Nick Brooks and Justin Bygum, with Bygums’ knotting the game at two apiece.

Northgate was able to put together a seventh inning rally in the first game, but fell two runs short when Isaac Navarro (2-for-4, run, 2 SB) fought valiantly with two outs before grounding out to shortstop to end the contest. 

The two leagues will begin the District 67 All-Star Tournament Friday, kicking off in Tracy.