NBLL Majors: Dion chops down Giants

Tony Altobelli

NEWPORT BEACH - J.R. Dion threw until the tank was empty.

Fortunately for his Red Sox teammates, the tank had just enough room for

Dion to throw a complete-game gem in Saturday’s 5-2 win over the Giants

in the championship game of the Newport Beach Little League’s Majors

Division at Lincoln Elementary.

“At the end, he was on fumes,” Manager Ralph Dion said of his pitcher.

“But he got through it on guts and determination. He stepped up and did a

great job.”

Dion struck out nine, while allowing only six hits and two runs.

Nearly matching Dion was his opponent, Giants hurler Tom Money. With the

exception of a shaky first inning, Money blanked the Red Sox the rest of

the way, limiting them to only three hits in his final four innings of

work.

It was in that first inning, however, that the Red Sox did all their

offensive damage.

The Giants took a 1-0 lead on a solo home run to left field by Michael

Kordich in the top of the first, but the Red Sox quickly answered.

Michael Ford and Brent Crowley each had two-run singles for the Red Sox.

Ford’s shot drove in Steven Hillgren and John Angelo, while Crowley’s hit

brought in Dion and Ford. Crowley would then score on a wild pitch to

make it 5-1.

The elder Dion knew nothing was safe against the Giants. “We had played

them twice during the regular season and they beat us twice in extra

innings,” Dion said. “So we knew not to take anything for granted. We

knew this was going to be a struggle.”

The Red Sox would maintain that same 5-1 lead going into the last inning,

where the Giants put together one last burst.

With one out, Kordich, the only Giant to get more than one hit, reached

base with a single.

“I tell you, he’s the Bambino,” Giants skipper Jim Kline said. “He’s

probably hitting around .600 when pitchers actually throw to him.”

Following a pop out, Kordich went to third on a single by Jamie Kline and

scored on a single by Zach Power.

Michael Morgenstern was hit by a pitch, loading the bases and bringing

the go-ahead run to the plate.

But Dion bore down and struck out the final batter, ending the game.

“We got better and better throughout the season and I was proud to be

their manager,” Kline said. “What the Red Sox did to make it through the

losers bracket of the playoffs with one of their top pitchers injured was

remarkable. My hats off to them.”

With the win, the Red Sox advance to the District 55 Majors Tournament of

Champions, which begins Saturday.

Not too shabby for an expansion team only two years ago.

“We were a brand new group a couple of years ago,” Ralph Dion said. “The

vast majority of this team committed two years of their life to try to

improve. That’s a lifetime to 11-12 year-olds. We finished in last place

last year, but we never gave up.”