Two Nitro teams met Sunday morning, but only one exploded for the victory. Behind a strong offensive output, Nitro of Arizona defeated HB Nitro Elite of Buena Park, Calif., 7-2 to win the 14u Division 1 crown of the Triple Crown Sports Spring Championships Session One at Big League Dreams in Gilbert.

Amid rain and wind, Nitro AZ got off to a quick start when Nick Ortega hit a two-run single in the top of the second inning. Nitro CA countered in their half of the inning to cut it to 2-1 when Nathan Brasko singled, stole his way to third and scored on a single by Raymond Nara.

Two innings later, the Californians tied the game on a leadoff home run by Brasko.

Arizona Nitro had opposing pitcher Daniel Milwee in trouble throughout the next two innings, but despite allowing three hits and two wild pitches in that span, Milwee used timely strikeouts to get out of jams.

In the third, he allowed leadoff hitter Kobie Foppe to get into scoring position with no outs before striking out two of the next four batters to retire the side. The next inning, Arizona was threatening with runners at first and second with two outs. Milwee struck out Foppe swinging to end the inning.

Milwee couldn’t dodge the Arizona Nitro’s bullets in the fifth.

Still tied at 2-2, Milwee walked Gerard Hernandez leading off the inning. Hernandez scooted to second base on a wild pitch and scored the go-ahead run on a sharp single to right by AJ Zubia.

Hernandez added insurance for Arizona with a three-run home run in the sixth.

Starting pitcher Ryan Castellini dazzled the Californians for six innings, striking out four and walking just one. Ortega pitched the seventh and made quick work of the Californians to secure the win.

Brasko finished the game 2-for-3 with a homer and an RBI. The rest of the lineup managed little, however, and Arizona coach Jerry Foppe said his lineup’s strength is balance from top to bottom.

“It really doesn't matter where anybody hits in our lineup,” he said. “Our nine hitter can be our cleanup hitter. Our lineup is that deep.

“The bottom line is all these kids can flat out hit.”

The game was a rematch of last fall’s meeting in the TCS Fall National Championship in Las Vegas, where the Arizonans rallied to force extra innings and took a 4-1 win.

“They're a good team.,” coach Foppe said of HB Nitro Elite.

“I feel like we are the ‘elite’ Nitro team this time around,” he said with a chuckle.