Bullard had two hits Saturday and neither one left the infield.

The Fresno-area team still edged Santa Maria 3-2 in the first round of the Babe Ruth 13-15-Year-Old State Tournament at Porter Field in the Soto Sports Complex in Arroyo Grande. Santa Maria will play Tulare of District 4/5 at 9 a.m. today at Porter Field in an elimination game.

Arroyo Grande got an automatic spot in the state tourney because it is the host team. Arroyo Grande rallied with three runs in the seventh inning to beat Edison of Yankee District 8 6-5 Saturday. Bullard won the District 2 Tournament.

In other tournament games San Benito shut out Tulare 13-0 and Hanford downed Cotton Belt 2-1.

Santa Maria sailed through the District 6 Tournament unbeaten to get to the state tourney. “We went unbeaten in the state tournament last year too,” said Santa Maria coach Mike Smith. “I think a little overconfidence may have been in play today.”

All of Bullard's runs were unearned. The visitors scored three times in the third inning. Santa Maria made two errors then.

Bullard's three runs were built around two walks, two errors and Kenny Eclard's infield single. John Farino scored the first run on Eclard's hit. Raymond Reinke came home on a force play at second base. Eclard scored the winning run on an error.

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“We made three errors today and that's very uncharacteristic of us,” said Smith. “That's not how we play. Our defense is usually very sound.”

Bullard's Luis Diciccio pitched a complete game. Santa Maria out-hit Bullard 9-2 but couldn't string together enough consecutive hits.

“Their kid pitched a good game,” said Smith. “Give him credit. He kept our guys off balance.

“But I've been around these guys for three years. That's why I know they'll be back.”

Santa Maria had two straight hits just once. Brandyn Bing successfully hit behind catcher Alex Grandy on a hit-and-run play in the second inning, but Bullard right fielder Reinke threw to third baseman Eclard in time to get the sliding Grandy.

With one out, Grandy had singled sharply through the hole between shortstop and second base. Joseph Garcia scored for the first run of the game. Garcia led off the inning with a single.

Santa Maria left runners on third base in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. Diciccio got a game-ending groundout to second baseman Farino in the seventh with Santa Maria runner Roger Guillen at second.

“He got ahead in the count, which is what you're supposed to do,” Smith said. Diciccio also saved some of his best pitching for clutch situations.

Santa Maria second baseman Bing, playing in with one out, saved a run in the fifth.

He dove and smothered Diciccio's smash. He got to his feet and fired to Grandy who tagged out the sliding Matt Salazar. Bullard's coaches thought Salazar had beaten the throw and argued briefly with the home plate umpire, to no avail.

Santa Maria drew within a run in the bottom of the inning. Joseph Guerrero led off with a single. He went to second base on a wild pitch. Diciccio struck out the next two batters, but George Reyes singled home Guerrero.

Garcia helped Santa Maria stay within striking distance. He relieved starter Cody Holguin with the bases loaded and two outs - thanks to Bing's throw - in the fifth.

Garcia ended the inning with a three-pitch strikeout, struck out the side in the sixth and finished with two more strikeouts in a hitless seventh.

However, “We squandered some opportunities,” said Smith.

Joe Perez doubled for the only extra base hit of the game with one out in the seventh inning, but Santa Maria stranded him at second base. Garcia, the batter before, had sent a long drive just wide of the left field line and foul. He grounded out to Eclard.

Santa Maria pinch hitter Anthony Camerena singled with one out in the seventh. Pinch runner Joel Enriquez stole second base, but he was caught off the bag when Diciccio fielded Guillen's ground ball.

Eclard tagged Enriquez out in the resulting rundown. Guillen made it to second base. Reyes hit the ball sharply, but the ball landed in front of Farino and bounced directly to him. Farino threw to first baseman Matt Hevebory and that was that.

Reyes and Garcia both had two hits for Santa Maria. Holguin struck out eight, including the side in the second inning.

“We're going to be in this tournament awhile,” Smith pledged. “(Tournament officials) are going to see us around throughout the week.” The championship round starts at 4 p.m. Thursday.

Arroyo Grande 6, Edison 5

Mike McHaney lined a single to center field that scored Josh Musgrave with the winning run, capping the host team's three-run rally in the seventh.

Cody Portwood led off and reached second base on a throwing error. Casey Jones smacked a double that scored Portwood.

Josh Musgrove followed with a single, then Gavin Smith doubled him to third. Edison pitcher Deandrå Howard got the next two batters out, but then McHaney delivered his big hit.

Dominic Delagarza and Tommy Rodriguez teamed up to two-hit Edison.

July 13, 2008