CAMPBELL >> Aptos Little League’s Majors All-Stars, playing their fifth game in six days at the Section 5 Tournament, proved they have plenty of arms.

They also played solid defense. And, on offense, collectively smacked the ball around the park.

One day after slipping past Los Altos in the first leg of the section championship, Aptos, the District 39 champion, posted a commanding performance and rolled to a 9-0 rout over the District 44 champ at Campbell Little League to claim another, bigger, banner and advance to the NorCal Division 2 Tournament in Petaluma.

“Surreal is the word that comes to my mind,” said Aptos manager Tim Reilly, whose team moved to 5-0 in elimination games. “After yesterday’s game, today’s game was nice. It was good for my heart to not have to got through that again. Those games are fun, of course, but a game like this, where they come out and show everyone what they can do makes our job a lot easier, and makes us look good. It’s all the kids.”

The NorCal Tournament begins Saturday at Lucchesi Park. Aptos opens against District 73 and Section 6 champion Los Banos at 1 p.m.

Petaluma National (District 35, Section 1), West Redding (District 1, Section 2), Alpine/West Menlo (District 52, Section 3), Maidu of Roseville (District 54, Section 4), and Madera American (District 10, Section 7) also qualified for the NorCal Tournament.

Los Altos manager Dean Cappellazzo told his players to hold their heads high after a loss. He also said he and his players will be pulling for Aptos to find continued success, hopefully, all the way to Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.“I think they represent the section well,” Los Altos manager Dean Cappellazzo said. “I want them to them to go as far and deep as possible. They’re a good team. I look at some other teams, other sections, and obviously, it’s pitching dominant. And they (Aptos) have some really good arms. I think that’s going to help them not only compete, but win some games. I think they’re good. They’re stacked with 12s, they’re big boys. If they listen to their coaches, I think anything is possible.”

Said Reilly, of his team: “They have the talent. I think we have all aspects of the game. At the end of the day, these kids are 12 years old. What you see on the field versus what you know they can do, you just never know. These guys have been playing together for a while, they have good chemistry.”

Aptos players stormed reliever Miles Lee on the mound after he recorded his fourth straight strikeout to end the game. The jubilant players later posed for photos with their new banner in front of the scoreboard, where they doused Reilly with a bucket of ice water.

Aptos staked starting pitcher Kiran Yager to 9-0 lead. Yager struck out five batters, gave one hit, three walks, and beaned a batter over 2 2/3 innings.

“I’m feeling really excited to go to the next level,” Yager said. “Excited to spend more time with this amazing team of ours. We’re all interested in the same things and all kinda fit into one giant team. … I feel like the sky is the limit for us. If we’re just focused in on whatever we want to achieve, we can do it.”

After Los Altos loaded the bases in the bottom of the third. Lee replaced Yager on the mound and escaped the jam with the first of his five strikeouts. Lee retired all 10 batters he faced in order over 3 1/3 hitless innings.

Aptos (8-2 overall) has held opponents to a run or less six games of its 10 games. Its defense was again up to task. Center fielder Beau Pieracci made a diving catch to rob Ethan Hsieh of a hit to end the fourth.

Hsieh also turned in a web gem. The Los Altos third baseman made a diving over-the-shoulder catch on a foul ball hit by Tysen Espinoza in the third. Still, Espinoza was credited with a RBI on the play; teammate Wyatt Graaskamp tagged up on the play and raced home from third base.

Aptos’ offense could do no wrong against starting pitcher Colton Siebel, one of Los Altos’ top arms.

Pieracci doubled and scored the decisive run in the first inning. He also stole two bases.

Aptos tacked on two more runs in the second — thanks to Nolan McKee’s two-strike, two-out, two-run single with the bases loaded — and blew the game open with its six-run third.

First baseman Hunter LaTorre paced Aptos with three hits, one RBI, and two runs scored. After Aptos suffered an 8-7 loss to Los Altos in the winner’s bracket final on Sunday, LaTorre vowed his team would be battle back for the title. Three wins later, veteran Aptos, which returns 10 All-Stars from a year ago, did exactly that.

It routed Los Gatos 14-3 in an elimination game Monday, and used a four-run seventh to slip past Los Altos 4-1 in the first leg of the championship on Tuesday.

“These kids, like I said, that loss, it does something to them,” Reilly said. “It lights a spark. It lights that little fire for them. They feel their backs to the wall and I don’t know, it’s like a caged animal or something.”

Cody Pieracci walked, doubled and scored a pair of runs, one as a pinch runner for Yager after he drew a walk. Lee, Espinoza, and Ryan Santillan also scored.

Graaskamp, Santillan, and Patrick Collins also drove in runs.

Aptos hoped to end the championship on the 10-rule in the fourth inning, duplicating a feat it accomplished in the D-39 finale, but it was unable to inflict further damage against Hsieh, who recorded the final out of the third, and Zane Bernhardt, who pitched three innings of scoreless relief.

Reilly said there’s a lot that goes into selecting an All-Star team: pitching, hitting, and defense. He and his assistants made sure that each players who had other intangible skills, too. Guys like, Ethan Crump, who hypes players the dugout regardless of the inning or score.

“We have that: Ethan Crump,” Reilly said. “I love that about him. I love that about this team. They pick each other up if they see people aren’t happy with their performance or whatever.”

Baseball is said to be a game of failure, even at the major league level. It’s especially tough for youngsters not even in their teens yet.

Aptos’ All-Stars, shining collectively, continue to work on their consistency with each game played.

LaTorre had a rough game Monday and bounced back Tuesday with one of his best games this postseason. Obviously, he was elated to contribute, and his teammates were equally joyous. They celebrate each other’s successes and help each other work through learning experiences.

“I’m feeling amazing,” said LaTorre, after posing for photos with his teammates and family.

The same could be said for his teammates, many of whom soiled their pristine, white jerseys with celebratory slides into second base, long after their opponents left the field. (Their parents, the ones who handle laundry duties, weren’t so amused and quickly kiboshed the fun.)

LaTorre believes bigger accomplishments are in Aptos’ future.

“We’re really good at baseball,” LaTorre said. “We play together a lot, so we have some chemistry. We have it all. Every game we go to, we’re confident.”