Huntington Valley’s season comes to an end

The most successful season by a Huntington Valley Little League

Majors Division All-Star team in 30 years has come to an end in the

California Section 5 Tournament.

Huntington Valley, which hosted the event, lost in its first two

games of the double-elimination tournament.

Olive Little League of Orange, and West Anaheim, advanced to the

Section 5 final. The winner gains a berth in this weekend’s Southern

California Tournament.

One of Huntington Valley’s two tournament losses was to Olive,

which scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to pull out a

6-5 victory in the tournament opener for both teams.

Huntington Valley then was eliminated by Mission Viejo, which had

a 14-1 Mercy Rule decision.

The loss to Olive ended a five-game postseason win streak for the

Huntington Valley All-Stars, which went undefeated earlier this month

in winning the District 62 championship.

“Our luck just seemed to run out,” Huntington Valley Manager John

Parmenter said. “The Section 5 tournament is one of the toughest in

the entire country. We had our opportunities in the Olive game, but

we didn’t cash in. Still, the kids had an unbelievable season.”

Huntington Valley held a 5-4 lead heading into the bottom of the

sixth inning against Olive, but Olive pieced together a double and

two singles to produce two runs and the victory.

Fred Thomas threw four, strong innings of relief for Huntington

Valley, shutting down Olive in the process.

Race Parmenter started on the mound, and Justin Draeger came on in

relief of Thomas to start the bottom of the sixth.

“Fred came in and really pitched a great game,” John Parmenter

said. “I took a gamble in the sixth with a pitching switch, but it

didn’t work out.”

Pablo McBeth hit a ground rule double RBI, Clayton Prestridge had

a single, Shawn Stiffler a key pinch hit base hit and pinch runner

Barry Luke scored twice to lead the Huntington Valley offense.

Relegated to a loser’s bracket game on the Minor A field -- which

has a 180-foot fence in the outfield, Huntington Valley was rocked by

a power-hitting Mission Viejo team that took advantage of the short

field to blast four home runs, including a grand slam, in scoring a

14-1 win.

Prestridge had a base hit and later scored on a passed ball to

account for the lone Huntington Valley run.

“We would have liked to have gone further, but the kids can really

be proud of what they have accomplished,” Parmenter added. “It’s been

a long season, but a great season.”

The Huntington Valley Little League Majors Division All-Star team

is comprised of Alex Barnes, Michael Chairez, Dave Folger, Barry

Luke, Race Parmenter, Michael Bogard, Trevor Briggs, Justin Draeger,

Chris Kindness, Pablo McBeth, Clayton Prestridge, Shawn Stiffler,

Fred Thomas, JT Thompson, Manager John Parmenter and coaches Rick

Thompson and Carlos Chairez.