Sidelines

+ Sarasota National wins district crown
Sarasota National defeated Sarasota American 8-7 to win the Little League Majors Division (11- and 12-year-old) District 16 championship July 2, at Twin Lakes Park.

Karson Ligon hit a game-winning sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth inning to secure the victory for Sarasota National.

Sarasota National took an early 3-0 lead before Sarasota American scored seven unanswered runs. Josh Capo and John Solomon both hit home runs for Sarasota American.

Sarasota National scored a pair of runs in the fifth inning and added three more in the sixth inning in the comeback win.

With the win, Sarasota National will advance to the Section 6 tournament, which begins July 18, in Bonita Springs.

Sarasota National championship players include: Grant Calvin, Gabriel Copeland, Evan Gibbs, Lucas Imbruno, Sean Kathman, Peyton Leach, Kendall Ligon, Karson Ligon, Samuel Miller, Jett Mullett, Stephen Picard, Caleb Poll, Anthony Schiavo and Vince Troyer.

+ Sarasota County voted top destination for sports vacation
Sarasota County was recently voted Sports Events Magazine’s Sports-Friendliest Vacation Destination.
Voters were encouraged to vote often and describe why Sarasota was deserving of this award. Sarasota County received more than 1,000 votes.

Sarasota County’s sporting event venues and service combined with its mixture of beaches, shopping and dining all contributed to its win.

“We are thrilled to have this honor,” says Nicole Rissler, director of the Sarasota Sports Commission. “We know the presence of beaches, great dining and parks, arts and more are a selling point for many of the participants coming to the area for a sporting event. We are excited to know others feel the same as we do.”

+ i9 Sports fall registration underway
Registration for the i9 Sports Manatee/Sarasota fall season is now underway.

The i9 Sports program is open to children ages 3 through 13. Fall sports include flag football, soccer, T-ball and basketball.

Those interested can register online at i9sports.com or by calling 312-2400. The deadline for early registration is Aug. 1. The fall season officially begins Sept. 27.