North Gets Boost From a Pair of Champions

Apparently Jeff Leuenberger and Tommy Nicholson did not do enough damage in the recent baseball playoffs, in helping their teams win section championships.

No Leuenberger, of Division III titlist Canyon, and Nicholson, of Division I winner Esperanza, also shined the brightest among the 44 seniors playing in Monday’s 30th annual Kiwanis Orange County All-Star game.

Leuenberger and Nicholson played for the North team and were the catalysts for the North’s 5-1 victory over the South in front of an estimated 1,200 at Glover Stadium.

Leuenberger, who pitched a one-hit shutout against Lakewood Artesia at Anaheim Stadium on Saturday, did it this time with the bat. His two-run homer in the third gave the North the lead for good and earned him the outstanding player award.

His 362-foot blast over the center-field fence, off South reliever Tyler Lang (Foothill), drove in Richie Pohle of Buena Park. Pohle had opened the third with a triple to right, one of five extra-base hits (out of eight total) by the North, which won for the first time since 1992.

“I first thought it was a popup,” Leuenberger said. “I thought the center fielder [Jhamal Dawkins of La Quinta] was settling under the ball and then I see him trying to jump for it.”

Nicholson, who entered the game for Pohle in the fifth, earned the hustling player award by getting three hits in three at-bats. Two of them were doubles, in the fifth and seventh, and both times he eventually scored.

“This was so relaxing and a lot of fun tonight,” said Nicholson, one of three Esperanza players with two RBIs in Saturday’s victory over Long Beach Millikan for the Division I championship.

The South, which leads the all-time series 16-14, had seven singles against seven North pitchers. Three came in the second against North starter Greg Young of Magnolia, but only one run scored and that came as Mater Dei’s Rod Perry bounced into a double play.

The North came back to tie the score without a hit. Sonora’s Jeremy Weinberg struck out against South starter Rik Currier of Capistrano Valley, but reached first safely when catcher Christian Popoff of Edison could not hold the third strike, then threw wildly to first. Weinberg then stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and continued home on Popoff’s second throwing error.