The River Valley Renegades 12U baseball team took the Columbiana tournament title over the weekend by going 3-1. (Submitted Photo)

COLUMBIANA – The River Valley Renegades 12U baseball team won the Columbiana All-Star Tournament over the weekend posting a 3-1 overall record including an 8-0 win over Salem in the championship game.

The Renegades, a collection of all-star players from East Liverpool’s River Valley Youth Baseball League, used strong defense, dominant pitching and relentless hitting to take home the title.

In addition to the 8-0 win in the championship game, River Valley beat Springfield, 9-3, and Poland, 6-1.

On the mound, Dom Volino and Grey Moore anchored the locals. Volino fired 6 2/3 innings of three-hit and no earned-run baseball, while walking just two and striking out eight. Moore, meanwhile, threw six scoreless innings, surrendering just two hits, walking three and striking out seven.

Cole Deshler, Leo Ross, Rocco Longo and Porter Flint combined to throw an additional five innings of scoreless baseball.

Offensively, Kayden Kosek paced the attack going 4-for-6 with two doubles, four RBI, three runs scored and three walks. Longo also had a stand-out weekend going 5-for-8 with a double, 3 RBI, 5 runs scored and two walks. Ross kept the locals humming with four more hits, including a double, while knocking in four runs. Moore had three hits, one of which was a double, and scored three runs. Caden Ferringer and Colton Van Fosson each had a single, double and RBI, while Van Fosson added four runs scored.

And the scoring kept coming for the Renegades. Kai Knepper scored two runs, Jax Flint scored a run and knocked in two more and Amari Williams drove home another run.

Defense would not take a back seat to the pitching and offense though as the locals dazzled there as well. Volino made two game changing plays from shortstop. On one play, he dove to his right, fielding a ground ball and, from his knees, threw the runner out going to first. Later, on a sharp line drive up the middle he made a stabbing grab to turn a sure double into an out. In the outfield, meanwhile, Kosek threw out a base runner attempting to reach third base from his center field position. And from right field Williams made a laser throw from the fence to throw out a runner attempting to stretch a single into a double. Behind the plate, Longo came up big for the champions throwing out two base runners attempting to steal with him cutting down one runner at second and another at third to silence any attempted rallies by the opposition.

The Renegades are back in action this week in Springfield at the 2026 All-Star Tournament hosted by the Struthers Baseball League.