Baseball: Costa Mesa American comes back from the dead

Joseph Boo

COSTA MESA - The Costa Mesa National Little League Majors (11-12)

All-Star baseball team was just one out away from forcing a third and

deciding game on Friday in the fourth annual Mayor’s Cup.

But that out never came. Instead, Costa Mesa American’s Evan Hunter

scored on two wild pitches and a passed ball to tie the game in the

sixth.

An inning later, Skylar Cozad ripped a single down the left-field line

to drive what proved to be Costa Mesa American’s winning run home in

Thursday’s clinching game of the Mayor’s Cup at TeWinkle School. The

final score was 6-4 in seven innings.

“That was a heck of a game,” American manager Cliff Duernberger said.

“Both teams played well.”

Costa Mesa American won its third Mayor’s Cup in the series’ four-year

history. But unlike last year, Costa Mesa National stayed competitive

with their cross-town rival and came extremely close to forcing the first

third game in series history.

“I’m real proud of the kids,” National Manager Julian Valdez said.

“They represented their league well. We gave them a battle. It was a lot

closer than last year.”

Costa Mesa National seemingly took the final lead of a seesaw battle

in the bottom of the fifth. With the bases loaded and one out, Vinnie

Valdez hit a chopper to third. The play went to home for the force out,

but the ball got away, allowing P.J. Errington to score and give the

Nationals a 4-3 lead.

The Nationals retired Costa Mesa American’s first two hitters in the

top of the sixth to pull within one out of the victory.

Costa Mesa American’s last hope, Evan Hunter, hit a ground ball deep

into the six-hole. The shortstop made a nice grab, but his throw was too

high.

That gave Hunter all the chance he needed. He advanced to second base

on a wild pitch, and then to third on a passed ball. He came home with

the tying run on another wild pitch.

Costa Mesa National had a chance to retake the lead in the sixth. Kane

Curran led off with a walk and Michael McDaniels singled afterward. With

two outs, Victor Valdez walked to load the bases. But on the next play,

Costa Mesa American got a ground ball and this time, executed the force

at home.

That set up Cozad’s winning hit in the seventh. Jordan Kalke got a

one-out walk, and Brandon Hoffman singled to put runners on first and

second. With two strikes, Cozad hit a single that just stayed fair and

that brought Kalke home. Hoffman scored on a wild pitch for an insurance

run.

“I was real nervous about the game,” Duernberger said. “I had to save

Kalke to pitch for (today) because we very well could have been playing

another one.”

Costa Mesa American started the game by loading the bases in the

first, but Costa Mesa National got out of the jam. In its half of the

first, National’s very first baserunner, P.J. Errington, scored on a

single by Vinnie Valdez.

After Costa Mesa American’s Matt Doran and Dave Chambers scored to

give their team a 2-1 lead, the Nationals scored two in the fourth. Ryan

Bagwell led off with a double, stole third, and scored on a sacrifice fly

by Hillary Larsen. Evan Van Geem then walked and scored on a double by

McDaniels.

Hunter finished the game with two hits. Kalke, Hoffman, Cozad,

Chambers, R.J. Duernberger, Andrew Sanford and Isiah Werdel all had hits

for the Americans. For the Nationals, Victor Valdez and McDaniels were

each 2 for 3.

MAYOR’S CUP

Game 2

Costa Mesa American 6, Costa Mesa National 4 (seven innings)

Costa Mesa American 020 011 2 - 6 12 2

Costa Mesa National 100 201 0 - 4 7 5

Tinnion, Hoffman (5) and Chambers; Larsen, Vin. Valdez (7) and Smith,

Errington (7). W - Hoffman. L - Larsen. 2B - Hunter (Am), Sanford (Am),

Errington (Nat), Bagwell (Nat), McDaniels (Nat).