Baseball: Nationals even the score

Tony Altobelli

COSTA MESA - After three straight games of hibernating bats, the

Costa Mesa National Little League’s sluggers came to life at just the

right time.

Fourteen hits, two home runs and stellar pitching from Evan Van Geem

helped propel the Nationals to a 9-2 win over the Costa Mesa American

Little League, forcing a first-ever Game 3 in the 2001 Mayor’s Cup.

“The bats finally showed up,” Manager Bill Redding said. “We mixed up

the batting order a little bit and that helped us get out of the funk we

were in.”

After producing only one run against the Americans in Game 1, CMNLL,

led by the top of the order, showed the strong offense which led them to

the District 62, Area 2 title game.

The front four of P.J. Errington, Van Geem, Austin Elliott and Vinnie

Valdez combined to go 9 for 13 with eight runs scored and five RBIs. In

Wednesday’s 2-1 loss, the first four in the Nationals’ batting order went

4 for 15 with no runs and no RBIs.

“Today, we finally played the way we are capable of playing,” Redding

said. “At the end of the district tournament and in the opening game

here, we came out too tight because we were trying too hard. This time, I

kept the rah-rah speeches away and just told them to relax and have fun.”

The Nationals got it going early. Three straight hits, including a

two-run home run by Vinnie Valdez, gave the host Nationals a 2-0 lead.

The Americans, led a rejuvenated Cody Waldron, cut the lead in half

when Wednesday’s offensive hero clubbed a solo home run to left, his

second blast of the Mayor’s Cup.

“ ‘Slim’ kind of struggled a little in the district tournament, but

after that week off, he’s really been hitting the ball well,” CMALL

Manager Ted Spoulos said.

In the bottom of the third, the Nationals padded their lead, thanks to

strong hitting and a couple of defensive miscues. Caleb Burgess (3 for 3)

capped off the inning with a two-out, RBI double to center.

“Today, we focused on playing little ball,” Redding said. “When you

try to play long ball, you pop the ball up, which we’ve been doing. It

was a much better result today.”

With the offense in overdrive, that allowed CMNLL starting pitcher Van

Geem to relax and throw strikes, which he did to the tune of a

complete-game victory. He allowed two runs on five hits, while walking

zero and striking out eight.

“Evan threw like Adrian (Armenta) threw for us Wednesday,” Spoulos

said. “We had no answer for him today.”

Redding, obviously, was just as impressed with Van Geem’s performance.

“Wherever the catcher’s mitt was, that’s there he threw it,” he said.

“His location was strong and plus, when a pitcher knows he’s got a strong

defense working behind him, that makes him that much more relaxed.”

The Nationals’ defense, led by Valdez as shortstop and Ryan Redding at

second base, kept any hopes for a CMALL rally at bay.

The Americans scored another run in the fourth when Waldron singled to

right, stole second and scored on a single by C.J. Roum, but that would

be as close as they would get.

CMNLL busted the game wide open in the fourth, scoring four times to

close out the scoring. Errington smacked a two-run home run to right,

while Valdez and Burgess each added RBI singles in the frame.

Valdez, Errington and Burgess each had three hits to lead the

Nationals. Waldron and Roum each pounded two hits for the Americans.

The win by the Nationals sets up the first-ever Game 3 in the

five-year history of the Mayor’s Cup, set for Saturday at 11 a.m. at

Costa Mesa High.