The Town of Fountain Hills Community Services Department recently hosted the annual Pitch, Hit & Run competition, challenging local youngsters to show off their baseball skills and compete for a chance to continue to higher brackets of the competitions.

The event is open to boys and girls ages seven to 14. The local event was hosted out of Golden Eagle Park on March 30. This event is the official skills competition of Major League Baseball.

Competitors are divided into four age groups and given the opportunity to advance through four levels of competition. Participants are tasked with pitching strikes from 45 feet, hitting a stationary ball for distance and accuracy, as well as springing from second base to home plate.

The individual pitching, hitting and running champions, along with the all-around champions from each age group at the Fountain Hills competition will advance to the sectional level of competition, with a date and location still to be determined.

In the 7/8 group, Lucas Griecto was the hitting champion, Colby Wright was the running champion and Grieco took home the all-around title.

For the 9/10 group, Elias Johnson was the pitching champion while Hunter Stockton won for hitting, running and all-around.

In the 11/12 group, Justin Stockton and Nicholas Walter tied for first in the pitching category. Will McKinlly won in hitting, running and all-around.

Finally, in the 13/14 category, Cole Calhoun won all categories.