Newport Beach Little League: Reds roll over Giants, 6-0

NEWPORT BEACH - The Reds put it all together Saturday to shut out

the Giants, winning the American Division and advancing to the

championship game of the Newport Beach Little League Majors Division

Thursday against either the National Division’s Angels or the

Diamondbacks.

The two teams will square off tonight for a date with the Reds, who

overpowered the Giants Saturday with timely hitting and solid pitching.

Blaine Nielsen starred for the Reds offensively and defensively. He

hit a towering solo home run over the left field fence in the bottom of

the second to give the Reds a 1-0 lead.

On the mound he was as much of a force, striking out the first three

batters he faced on nine pitches. In three innings of work, Nielsen

allowed no hits and struck out nine.

Andrew Silva, who had an RBI single and also doubled in the game,

threw three innings in relief, allowing two hits while striking out five.

The Reds’ offense exploded for four runs in the fourth with a lead-off

single by Evan McNerney, an RBI single from Timmy Winning and a two-run

triple by Brett Bartlett, staking the Reds to a 5-0 lead.

J.P. Gormly walked and scored on a single in the fifth for the Reds’

sixth and final run.

The Reds got defensive contributions from Joe Frey, Eric Mooney, Sean

Tokuyama, Shayne Roddy and Dylan Davis, to hold the Giants scoreless.

Joe Eberhart pitched three strong innings, striking out four while

allowing only one hit. Nick Klein and Colfax Selby each singled for the

Giants.

The Reds knocked off the Mariners, 10-4, and the Yankees, 5-2, to get

to Saturday’s game, while the Giants defeated the Mariners, Red Sox and

Yankees to advance to the division finals.