On their A’s-game

Mike Sciacca

It was an hour before opening pitch Monday night, but already, as the

fans gathered in the stands and commotion went on all about, the

Huntington Valley A’s were focused on what was ahead of them.

They needed to be at their best on this evening if they hoped to beat

the Costa Mesa National, as the two teams vied for the Area 1 Majors

Division final of the District 62 Little League Tournament of Champions.

“They have a strong team character, and you can see it from before the

game all the way through to the end,” said Huntington Valley coach John

Parmenter of his A’s.

That attribute certainly shined through Monday as the A’s, focused

from first pitch to last, outlasted tough Costa Mesa National, 2-1, in

eight innings to advance to this week’s Majors Division championship

game.

Cody Moran threw the final two innings for the A’s and struck out

four. None was bigger than striking out the final batter he faced in the

bottom of the eighth inning, as Costa Mesa National had positioned the

tying run on base.

Alex Barnes threw all six innings of regulation play and yielded just

two hits while striking out eight.

Chad Boule, the A’s No. 9 hitter, delivered what turned out to be the

game-winning hit for the A’s when he singled with two out and the bases

loaded in the top of the eighth.

His hit found its way up the middle, sending off pandemonium in the

Huntington Valley bleachers.

Moran singled twice and began a Huntington Valley rally earlier in the

game.

Drew Duffy also had two hits, including a key single to begin the A’s

eighth inning rally.

Danny Watt had a bunt single and scored Huntington Valley’s first run

in the opening inning.

Huntington Valley No. 1 will meet Area 2 winner, Seaview No. 1, in the

District 62 Majors title game.

Seaview No. 1 eliminated Robinwood No. 1 Monday, 5-2, in Area 2 play

at Costa Mesa American Little League.

“This is such a community thing,” Parmenter said.

Parmenter said the A’s practice anywhere from three to four hours a

day.

Three wins into the District 62 Tournament of Champions puts the A’s

at 23-4 overall.

During the regular season, they posted win streaks of 13 and six

games.

Defense and pitching have been synonymous with Huntington Valley’s

success this season. Two of the district’s top pitchers are on the A’s

staff in a pair of 11-year-olds: Alex Barnes and Race Parmenter.

Barnes threw heat twice in a recent five-day period, and the A’s

needed both outstanding efforts to defeat Ocean View No. 2 and Costa Mesa

National No. 1 in one run games.

The two are part of a core group that has played together since Minor

B a few years back.

The A’s other catalyst has been second baseman Pablo McBeth.

“He’s one of the best infielders in this district,” John Parmenter

said of the 12-year-old. “He, Alex and Race have been key players on this

team, which gets contributions from everybody.”

Barnes, Race Parmenter and McBeth played for John Parmenter when

Huntington Valley finished second in the district Minor B tournament

three years ago. They won the district Minor A title the following year,

and reached the Majors Division quarterfinals last year.

Now, the Majors title is within their grasp.

“This team has the heart to do it,” John Parmenter concluded.

The A’s also were involved in one of the best played Majors games of

the tournament last Thursday, as they hung on to defeat a determined

Ocean View No. 2 team, 1-0.

A pitchers’ duel between Barnes and Garrett Shinn of Ocean View

determined the outcome of this one. Barnes went the distance for the A’s

and struck out 10 while allowing just three hits.

Shinn also went the entire way, getting seven strikeouts while

surrendering three hits in five innings for the Indians.

By holding Ocean View scoreless in top of the sixth, Huntington Valley

did not have to bat in the bottom of the inning.

The game’s only run was scored in the fourth inning, when an Indians’

throwing error led to Huntington Valley’s run.

Ocean View’s three singles went to James Miller, Ryan Vandenburg and

Chris Murphy.

Between the one run wins over Ocean View No. 2 and Costa Mesa American

No. 1, Huntington Valley ran away from Seaview No. 2, 12-1.

* MIKE SCIACCA covers sports and features. He can be reached at (714)

965-7171 or by e-mail at michael.sciacca@latimes.com.

THIS IS A SEPERATE STORY THAT CAN BE BOXED WITH THE FEATURE.. SAME

ART-PACK

The Majors Division tournament began with promise for the Robinwood

Indians, as the league’s No. 1 entry came up with a complete team effort

in defeating the second place team from Costa Mesa National, 13-2, in an

Area 2 game at Costa Mesa American Little League.

Tyler Rinker blasted a two-run home run in the fifth inning to

highlight the Indians’ hitting attack.

Rinker and Cody Stroud scored on wild pitches in the opening inning to

give Robinwood a 2-0 lead.

The Indians padded their advantage to 5-0 in the second frame behind

singles by Chris Shea and Buddy Huber, Stroud’s RBI double and an RBI

single by Brian Frattali.

In other games:

CM National No. 1 7, Robinwood No. 2 1

Costa Mesa National scored three, first inning runs, then tacked on

two more in each of the second and third innings to eliminate Robinwood.

Cameron Holz, Derek Mouradian and Devin Dowdy each singled and Holz

scored, accounting for the Robinwood offense.

Majors scoreboard

Area 1

(at Mile Square Park)

First round

Robinwood No. 2 5, Westminster No. 1 2

CM National No. 1 16, CM American No. 2 1

Seaview No. 2 5, Fountain Valley No. 1 4

Huntington Valley No. 1 1, Ocean View No. 2 0

Area 1 Semifinals

CM National No. 1 7, Robinwood No. 2 1

Huntington Valley No. 1 12, Seaview No. 2 1

Area 1 final

Huntington Valley No. 1 2, Fountain Valley 1

Area 2

(at CM American LL)

First round

Robinwood No. 1 13, CM National No. 2 2

Westminster No. 2 3, CM American No. 1 0

Fountain Valley No. 2 2, Ocean View No. 1 1

Seaview No. 1 1, Huntington Valley No. 2 0

Area 2 Semifinals

Robinwood No. 1 9, Westminster No. 2 4

Seaview No. 1 3, Fountain Valley No. 2 2,

Area 2 final

Seaview No. 1 5, Robinwood No. 1 2