District 62 Minor B Tournament of Champions: Cardinals find

positives

Steve Virgen

COSTA MESA - What would any coach tell his players after they lost

8-2 in their first Minor B game of the District 62 Tournament of

Champions? After the Costa Mesa National Little League Cardinals produced

one hit in the final five innings, Coach Steve Smith told his players the

truth.

“They did a great job and they conducted themselves like little

gentlemen,” Smith said of what he was about to tell the Cardinals. “(The

Cardinals) made some really good plays and they played hard. I’m very

proud of them for that. They were on top of their game. We just lost to a

very good team.”

The Pirates, the Seaview League champions, made the right plays to

defeat the Cardinals Thursday at Costa Mesa High. The Pirates grabbed the

early advantage, scoring three runs in the first. They also scored one

run in the second, two in the third, and two more in the fifth.

The Cardinals, the CMNLL Minor B (ages 8-9) second-place team,

answered the Pirates’ three-run first with two runs of their own in the

bottom of the first. Guillermo Hidalgo, who started at third base for the

Cardinals, led off with a single, a hard-hit ground ball that raced

toward and past second base. After Teddy Prescott got on base on a

fielder’s choice, the Cardinals produced back-to-back RBI doubles.

Cardinals catcher Roy Smith hammered an RBI double to right field. Then

the pitcher, Ryan Christopher, pounded another RBI double to the same

spot. Pablo Galvan, who started in center field for the Cardinals,

collected the fourth and final hit, a single to the right-field corner in

the second.

From there, the Pirates worked their mastery on the mound. The

Cardinals also displayed some solid pitching and fielding.

Christopher threw 98 pitches during his three innings of work. He

struck out six and allowed just two hits. In the top of the third, he got

the Cardinals out of a no-out, bases-loaded jam. He picked off a runner

attempting to steal home and recorded the final two outs with strikouts.

The only run he allowed was unearned.

Prescott pitched the final three innings. He retired the side in order

in the fourth, striking out the first two he faced, then fielding a

grounder for the third out. He finished with four strikeouts and allowed

two runs (one unearned), using 52 pitches.

In the third, Prescott, playing shortstop, fielded a ground ball and

made the pinpoint throw to Austin Metzger for the out at first. The

defensive play created loud cheers from the Cardinals’ rooting section.

Also, Conner Graham gloved a deep fly ball in left field in the fifth

inning, producing more cheers.

Everyone batted for the Cardinals, including, second baseman Josh Hill

and outfielders Brian Stanley, Collin Montague, James Pond and Nick

Schimer.