Youth Scene: Gapp starts strong

Gapp Construction, Inc. started the Laguna Beach Little League AAA Division postseason tournament Tuesday and posted an exciting, 2-1 win over Payoff.com at Riddle Field.

Gapp pitchers Camden Dowers and Dylan McEachern threw a combined six innings and allowed only one run without giving up a hit. McEachern went to the mound in the third and threw only three pitches for three outs, a highlight of the game. Defensively, Will Heichemer made a difficult catch look easy in center field and Jackson Byerly made several key plays at first base. In the bottom of the sixth, Jackson Rowley fielded a throw at second base from Leo Pardun in right field, and fired it home to catcher Luke Fazio, who tagged out the potential tying run for Payoff.

Gapp’s hitting attack was led by McEachern, Heichemer, Rowley, Fazio, Nico Cambruzzi and Charlie Hunt.

Payoff was led by pitchers Wade Cecil, Hunter Harrington, Taylor Towe and Merrick Vellmure.

Gapp will face Crescent Bay Advisors Friday in the second-round of the AAA postseason tournament at Riddle Field.

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In other AAA Division playoff action:

UPS Store Yankees 5, McKenna BMW 4: The Yankees held off McKenna in a first-round game Wednesday at Riddle Field.

McKenna’s Corwin Allard pitched a strong game, striking out four in five innings. Defensively, Declan Murray made an outstanding play on a line shot to third base.

For UPS Sam Burchi, Andre Nunn and Noah Neufeld had big extra base hits. Charlie Tyus pitched the first three innings and Neufeld closed throwing three scoreless innings giving up only one hit.

UPS was aided defensively by Luke Bruderer and Rehan Ameen each of whom caught long fly balls to the outfield.

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Intermediate Division

Rotary wins regular season title

Rotary won two games last week en route to claiming the division’s regular season championship.

Rotary’s first game was a 14-3 victory over a tough VFW team May 3. Rotary mixed in a combination of pitchers starting with Jack Payne followed by Jett Hamil. Chase Hall, Bryce Ford and Riley Gapp combined to strike out four over the final two innings. VFW had Nick Bonn, Luke Anderton, Shea Blanchard and Maddox DeBretteville take the mound.

Payne led off the game with a three-run home run and had four of Rotary’s 13 hits. Hamil had two hits and seven other Rotary players had a hit.

Rotary had another strong offensive showing May 5 in a 15-3 win over Hobie. Gapp led Rotary with three hits and Ford hammered a towering home run to lead in a 10-hit attack.

Payne struck out 10 in five innings pitched, and Griff Naess threw the final two innings and struck out two.

Ben Reimers, Joey Capobianco and Jace King pitched well for Hobie.

Rotary (13-4) started the Intermediate Division’s postseason tournament this week.

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