VFW downs Rotary, unbeaten Pirates

Gabe Stansbury hit a grand slam to lead VFW to a 5-3 victory over

Rotary in Laguna Beach Little League Majors Division action at Riddle

Field.

Stansbury’s shot over left field came with two out in the top of

the second inning and gave VFW a 4-0 lead.

VFW had loaded the bases behind singles by Casey Miller and Logan

Schoembs and a two-out single by Mikey Rubel.

With bases loaded, Stansbury took the first pitch offered for his

second home run of the season.

Schoembs, Miller and Cooper Gwaltney each had two hits with Miller

doubling home Taylor Blacketer in the third inning.

Drake Dixon threw three, solid innings to record his first Majors

Division victory.

Dixon only allowed one hit with no runs during his stint.

Rotary showed signs of life in the fourth inning when, with one

out, Mike Maxsenti singled, Brett Linkletter walked and Raphael

Vickers singled to load the bases.

One out later, Sean Kimball doubled to drive in two runs. He was

followed by a Jack Monroe single which scored another run, making it

a 5-3 game.

But Rotary could get no closer and got only one base runner on

board in the final two innings.

In other games:

VFW 1, San Juan Capistrano 0

VFW pushed across the game’s lone run in the bottom of the sixth

inning to defeat the previously unbeaten Pirates.

San Juan brought an 11-0 record into the game which included five

victories over Laguna Beach teams.

Gabe Stansbury, who finished two for three, began the VFW sixth by

hitting a fly ball that landed just inside the left-field line.

Stansbury sped all the way to third base on the hit and, one out

later, scored when Will Armstrong sent a fly ball to right field.

Alex Shusko had the other hit for Laguna.

Stansbury’s pitching stifled the Pirates in the first three

innings. He gave up just two hits and struck out six.

He was relieved by Shusko who followed with three scoreless

innings.

Shusko struck out six overall and gave up three walks.

No Pirate baserunners advanced beyond second base in the game.