Little League baseball: CMNLL Minor A All-Stars bounced
Barry Faulkner
HUNTINGTON BEACH - While Tuesday’s 7-6 victory over Westminster is
clearly the crowning District 62 Tournament moment for the Costa Mesa
National Little League Minor A All-Stars, Thursday’s towering Eddie
Tomasek home run would be a close second.
Despite Tomasek’s 200-foot blast well beyond the left-field fence,
however, the locals (ages 9-10) came up short against Robinwood, dropping
an 11-1 mercy-rule decision in an elimination game at Robinwood’s
complex.
“He got ahold of that one,” CMNLL Manager John Gillmore said of
Tomasek’s solo shot to start the second inning. The blast, the first of
only two Costa Mesa hits, gave the visitors the early lead.
“That was his first homer of the season,” Gillmore added. “The fence
at our field is a little farther, so no one has hit one out of our park.”
Shortstop Michael Gillmore followed Tomasek’s dinger with a solid
single up the middle and two other Mesa hitters reached in the inning.
But Robinwood, which had only one error, prevented any further damage and
rallied for three runs in its second at-bat to take command.
Defense was not as reliable for Costa Mesa, which committed six
errors, including four in a four-run third, to help Robinwood make the
most of its seven hits.
Garrett Williams, stretching to stay on the bag on a high throw in the
second, second baseman Ryan Reddick lunging to stab a sinking liner in
the fifth, and Gillmore, with a couple solid plays at shortstop, did
provide web gems for the locals.
Side-arming Mesa starter Brandon Maurer also pitched three solid
innings, but Robinwood closed the deal by achieving the 10-run margin
with one out in the fifth.
Robinwood had three doubles and a triple, but also cashed in six walks
and three hit batters to advance to remain alive in the
double-elimination format.
Costa Mesa was retired in order in every inning but the second, though
three Robinwood hurlers managed just three strikeouts.
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