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.