The Conejo Valley Little League Junior All-Star team won all three of its games to secure the District 13 tournament banner at Channel Islands High School.

By defeating El Rio 10-5 in the title tilt, the Conejo Valley team claimed only the seventh district championship for Junior squads in the league's 45-year history.

The 13- and 14-year-old All-Stars will continue their postseason run in the Section I tournament, which begins Saturday at 11 a.m. at Villanova High School.

"I'm looking forward to this team continuing its success," manager Robert Fanto said by telephone. "This team truly showed the heart of a champion."

Conejo Valley overcame fifth-inning deficits in its first two tournament games. The Juniors fell behind Sunset 4-2 and El Rio 51 before churning out big victories.

Conejo Valley defeated Sunset 7-4 and El Rio 12-5.

Against Sunset, Conejo Valley's Brison Cronenbold broke a 4-4 tie with a two-run single.

In the second game, A.J. Sheehan ignited a nine-run rally in the bottom of the fifth inning, while teammates Ricky Sheehan and Tom McNutt also notched big hits, Fanto said.

Branden Fisher picked up the championship game win. After El Rio loaded the bases with no outs in the first inning, Fisher escaped the jam by striking out the next three batters.

Brayden Hubert and Hunter Stapp provided pivotal hits during a fourrun third inning in the finale.

Anthony Schirtz, Ben Orr, Matt Gelinas, Matt O'Neill and Sam Martin also contributed for Conejo Valley.

Assistant coach Tom Sheehan worked with Fanto in the dugout.

9/10 team makes final

The Conejo Valley 9/10 AllStars defeated Sunset 11-10 Monday afternoon at Thousand Oaks Little League to advance to the District 13 final.

Conejo Valley played Moorpark on Wednesday night. A final score wasn't available at press time.

To claim the district title, Conejo Valley needed to beat Moorpark twice.

Moorpark defeated Conejo Valley earlier in the tournament. — Eliav Appelbaum