Fountain Valley third at Memorial Day tourney

The Fountain Valley Youth Pony 14-and-under baseball team won six of

seven games last weekend to earn a third place finish at the Irvine

Memorial Baseball Tournament.

With 24 teams in a division that featured squads from all over

Southern California and as far away as Mexico, Fountain Valley reached

the semifinal round following successive victories over Orange, East

Anaheim Hills, Tustin 2, Yorba Linda and Costa Mesa.

Fountain Valley squared off against Laguna Niguel in a Monday morning

semifinal game that had a one hour time limit. Fountain Valley took a 1-0

first-inning lead when Isiah Wilson walked and later scored on a

sacrifice. Laguna Niguel tied the game in the third on an unearned run,

then scored again in the fourth for a 2-1 win.

Keith Castillo hit what appeared to be a home run in the fourth inning

for Fountain Valley, but the umpire ruled the hit a ground rule double.

Castillo was left stranded at second base.

The semifinal loss relinquished Fountain Valley to the third place

game, where it prevailed over Tustin No. 1, 7-4.

Caleb Williams got the win, Ryan Davis was credited with the save and

shortstop Justin Ratowski completed a double play to end the game.

Matt Williams, formerly of Ocean View Little League, took the loss for

Tustin No. 1.

For the tournament, Fountain Valley pitchers Tommy Palica, Josh Roth,

Castillo, Rogers, Tom White and Ryan Davis held their seven opponents to

18 runs.

Palica shut down Orange, 6-0, on just one hit in a tournament opening

win.

Fountain valley scored 55 runs. Palica batted .680 with four home runs

and scored nine runs.

Roth hit one home run, scored six runs and finished the tournament

with a .530 batting average. He pitched five innings with 10 strikeouts

and two hits in the second game, an 8-1 rout of Tustin No. 2.

Rogers and Hahn combined for a 7-5 win over Yorba Linda. Hahn, who

struck out three, went on to post a .333 on-base average for the

tournament.

Castillo and White combined to strike out seven and give up four hits

in a 14-3 pounding of Irvine. Overall, Castillo clubbed three home runs

and scored seven runs.

Second baseman Jason Villani pitched against Costa Mesa and allowed

five hits in a 12-4 win. White got the save.

White was 4 for 9 overall in the tournament.