Newport Beach Little League: DIAMONDBACK-TO-BACK

Bryce Alderton

MISSION VIEJO - With two swings of the bat -- a grand slam and a

solo home run back-to-back -- the Diamondbacks had five runs before the

bleachers at Youth Sports Park had a chance to warm.

The five runs were more than enough for Newport Beach Little League’s

Majors Division D-backs, who went on to defeat the Laguna Niguel Little

League Mariners, 14-2, Tuesday in the District 55 Tournament of

Champions.

The Diamondbacks continue the single-elimination tournament with a

game tonight at 7:30 at the same field.

After singles by Conner Whalen and Fletcher Della Grotta, as well as a

walk to Chris Rosen, first baseman Scott Colton hit the first pitch he

saw over the left-field fence for a grand slam.

Catcher Garrett Amoroso followed Colton with a blast of his own over

the center-field fence for back-to-back round-trippers, and a 5-0

Diamondbacks lead.

Every Diamondback who batted got at least one hit, which pleased

Manager John Della Grotta.

“Everybody did their jobs and came through,” Della Grotta said. “When

our six-through-nine guys hit, there’s not too many teams that can beat

us.”

Both Michael Epstein and Steven Manning bunted for singles and scored

in the fifth, as Riley Sullivan also singled and scored in the inning.

Doug Kelly went 1 for 3 with a single and Mason Sayer singled and stole a

base in the first for the winners.

The Mariners scored their two runs in the fourth, as second baseman

Alan Ray doubled to lead off the inning and was brought home on first

baseman Matt Wilkins’ single to center. Wilkins would later score on a

single into right field by Aaron Rodriguez.

The Mariners might have scored more if not for a heads-up play by

Amoroso and shortstop Whalen, who combined to pick a runner off third

during an attempted steal of second. With runners at first and third, the

runner from first broke for second. Amoroso threw to Whalen, who never

left his shortstop spot. Whalen took the throw and fired to Manning at

third base, who applied the tag on the Mariner runner attempting to get

back to the bag.

Della Grotta acknowledged the importance of the play.

“That was a big play, well-executed, that turned the tide,” he said.

“(The Mariners) didn’t give up, they’re a pretty good team.”

Matthew Frank pitched five innings in relief for the Mariners,

striking out six, allowing seven hits and three walks, and Wilkins made a

lunging snag of a line drive in the third.

“The kids really hung in there,” Mariners Manager Mark Frank said.

“They never gave up. The other team put the ball in play.We made bad

pitches to the top of their lineup early in the game and we had to play

catch-up. They’re just the better team.”

The Diamondbacks got two in the second, two in the fourth and five in

the bottom of the fifth to make it, 14-2, and the game was called due to

the 10-run mercy rule.

The Mariners end their season 16-5.

Amoroso went 3 for 4, with a home run, double, single, six RBIs and a

run scored, while Colton finished 1 for 3 with a walk, five RBIs and

three runs scored.

Fletcher Della Grotta was 2 for 2 with three runs and an RBI, Rosen

belted a two-run homer in the second inning and also scored three times.

Della Grotta credits the offensive outburst in part to tournament

rules, which require each team to bat one through nine in the order,

substituting players in the order throughout the game. Newport Beach

Little League rules require each player on the roster to bat, which might

be 11 or 12 players, according to Della Grotta.

“(The tournament rules) help get through the order a lot earlier,”

Della Grotta said. “It works to our advantage if our hitters are

hitting.”

Rosen pitched five innings, giving up two runs on three hits, walking

no one and striking out seven.

The Diamondbacks played without Michael Artenian, sidelined with a

broken arm.