Baseball: The whole nine yards

Richard Dunn

HUNTINGTON BEACH - Part of baseball’s beauty comes in redeeming

values, such as a hitter given new life at the plate after a misplayed

pop-up, then delivering a drive to center field that carries for a

rule-book base hit and ultimately a game-winning rally.

That’s what the Costa Mesa National Little League All-Stars faced

Sunday against Seaview of Huntington Beach in the District 62 Area 2

championship game at Marina Park.

Seaview’s Mike Lucas, the No. 6 hitter in the lineup, hit one to

center, after Costa Mesa missed a chance to get an out, and ball sailed

over the defender’s head for a single, helping to ignite a four-run

fourth inning for the hosts as Seaview went on to a 6-2 win.

Austin Morgan, whose leadoff home run in the fifth gave Seaview its

margin of victory, opened the fourth with a walk against Costa Mesa ace

Vinnie Valdez, then Lucas following with his precarious at-bat.

Brad Adams walked to load the bases, and, with Valdez trying to wiggle

out of trouble while tiring, No. 8 hitter Bryan Visnoski singled down the

right-field line to score two and put Seaview in front, 3-2. A throwing

error on the play moved the Seaview runners up.

Greg Davis, Seaview’s next hitter in the ninth spot, singled to right

field, when a high chopper went over Costa Mesa second baseman Ryan

Redding’s reach.

After the first out, Tyler Chapman singled to center field to chase

Valdez and plate the inning’s fourth run.

“Unfortunately in this league there’s no tomorrow,” said Costa Mesa

National Manager Bill Redding, whose squad enjoyed the greatest run in

Costa Mesa Little League history.

“This is the best team we’ve ever had go through (district All-Stars).

Not just athletically, but with sportsmanship. With this team, it’s the

whole nine yards.”

Players like Michael McDaniels, who hit three home runs in one

District 62 All-Star game, and Valdez, the tough, hard-throwing

right-hander who also swings a big bat, provided lasting memories for a

group of All-Stars who battled to the end. They loaded the bases in their

final at-bat and sent the tying run to the plate.

“When it’s all said and done, it’s all about the fundamentals of

catching, running, fielding and throwing,” deadpanned Redding, whose team

committed two errors in the second inning, which scored Seaview’s first

run to tie the game, 1-1.

Costa Mesa National Little League scored first when Valdez doubled to

center field leading off the second inning, then came home on P.J.

Errington’s RBI single to left-center field. Errington was hustling on

the play, but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double.

In the third inning, Costa Mesa scored again to take a 2-1 edge, as

Ryan Redding singles to right, moved to second and third on wild pitches

and scored on a passed ball. Trevor McDonald, Costa Mesa’s leadoff

hitter, walked to extend the inning before Redding scored the go-ahead

run.

With Evan Van Geem at the plate for Mesa, before Redding scored, a

play that scored two runs was nullified, because a runner left the bag

too soon on a Seaview throwing error that would have scored both runners

on second and third.

Both runners were sent back on the play and Van Geem was awarded first

base, but Seaview changed pitchers and right-hander Cort Ross closed out

the Mesa National All-Stars the rest of the way.

“(Ross) was the difference in the game,” said former major leaguer

Rich Amaral, who provides clinics for the Mesa All-Stars and whose

nephew, McDonald, plays on the team.

In 3 2/3 innings of relief, Ross yielded no runs and only one infield

hit, while striking out seven.

Seaview plays the District 62 Area 1 champion in a best-of-three

series July 17-19 for the district title at Johnson Middle School in

Westminster.

The Costa Mesa National All-Stars (based at TeWinkle Intermediate

School) will host its city rival, the Costa Mesa American Little League

All-Stars (based at Costa Mesa High), in the annual best-of-three Mayor’s

Cup July 25-26 and July 28 (if necessary).