Dodgers seal first-half title with victory

The Dodgers erased a 9-3 Diamondbacks’ lead and won in eight innings,

10-9, in Costa Mesa National Little League Majors Division play April

26.

Mikey Morley tripled and scored on a throwing error in the top of

the eighth inning for the eventual game-winning run.

Coleman Brown made his pitching debut, throwing the final two

innings for the Dodgers (10-2), who clinched first place for the

first half of the season. Brown, the Dodgers’ regular catcher, took

the mound in the seventh and threw two scoreless innings.

Joshua Erno, Gavin Montague, Sean Anderson, Ryan Boselo, Troy

McClanahan, Chase Harrison, Tim Morley and Patrick all scored in the

first three innings to give the D-backs the early lead.

But the Dodgers would not be outdone.

Josh Ryding had three hits while Matthew Telles and Eric Mickelson

each tallied two hits for the Dodgers during the comeback.

Outfielder Frank Denoewer caught a fly ball for the final out of

the game.

The Dodgers also defeated the Angels, 3-1, Saturday.

Bryan Maurer and Alex Grosek combined to pitch a six-hitter.

Ryding smacked a two-run home run and Eric McCool went 2 for 2.

In other Majors action:

* Diamondbacks 10, Angels 5

McClanahan and Erno each went 3 for 3 with two singles and a

double to lead the D-backs.

Erno had five RBIs while Montague doubled and scored a run. Boselo

chipped in a double, single and walk.

Anderson pitched six innings, four scoreless.

* Diamondbacks 10, Padres 2

Montague and McClanahan shared the mound and held the Padres to

two runs.

Montague also belted his first home run of the season.

Max Friedman scored twice while Patrick, Morley, Boselo,

McClanahan, Erno and Andrew Roth each scored one run.

In Minor A action:

* Diamondbacks 8, Angels 3

Shane Butler made his pitching debut and struck out six in two

innings for the D-backs.

Marc DeFrenza and Diego Diaz each tallied two hits while Tony

Campo, Stephen Hildebrand and Josh Dominguez each had one. Dominguez

tripled and combined with Butler and Alex Kronfeldt on the mound to

limit the Angels’ offense.

Justin Batangan, Kronfeldt, Angel Beas, Jesus Rodriguez and

Christian Aguila all played strong defense.

In Minor B action:

* Dodgers 11, Diamondbacks 5

Center fielder Jake Spielberger ended the game by catching a fly

ball and throwing out the runner at second for a double play.

Kannon Stone got the Dodger offense started by doubling, stealing

third and scoring on a throwing error.

Matt Carlyle pitched the final three innings in relief of starter

Hans Anderle. Anderle struck out the first three batters he faced and

allowed three runs in three innings.

* Giants 18, Mariners 2

Brian Bray and McCanne Sanford homered to lead the Giants.

Andres Hernandez and Conrad Beach each pitched for the Mariners.

In Farm play:

* The D-backs continued to show their offensive and defensive

skills against the Rockies.

Leadoff hitter John Herchuck finished 6 for 6 with five runs while

Alex DeSoto and Nathan Frank each knocked in six runs. DeSoto went 5

for 5 with three doubles and Frank was 4 for 5.

Tyler Owens won Player of the Game honors, getting three hits and

two RBIs.

Zac Reidle got a key hit in the third inning that allowed the

D-backs to bat around and score additional runs.

Garrett Deutsch and Cole Mensinger each tallied four hits and two

RBIs.

Dante Cappocia began a fifth-inning rally with a triple.

Bill Crosson, Owens and Cappocia showed aggressive play in the

outfield while Mensinger made an unassisted double play. Mensinger

completed an unassisted triple play in an earlier game this season.

* The Dodgers showed their best offensive performance of the

season in a duel with the Mets, batting around in four of the six

innings.

Each Dodger had at least three hits, including an inside-the-park

home run by Ray Barkus.

Kylee Stone went 6 for 6 with two doubles and scored six runs

while Ben Beck also slugged six hits in six at-bats with five runs

scored. Robert Sullivan tallied five hits, including two doubles,

along with five runs and six RBIs.

Dezmond Lewis tripled for one of his five hits and Lisa Hyndman

received the game ball after a 4-for-5 performance and solid

defensive work.

Rusty Rydjeski, Jeff Carlyle and A.J. Fischer each had four hits.

Yeizon Ramirez and Noah Petero each had three hits.

Mets’ MVP Chad Fackler showed strong defensive skills while

hitting two doubles and a single, en route to three RBIs.

Brandon Diekhoff had four RBIs with William Reed and Cassie

Stevenson each knocking in three. Harrison Stern had two RBIs for the

Mets.

* Patrick Cromwell and younger brother Brian each went 6 for 6

with five doubles for the Padres against the Giants.

Max Gilbert and Gabriel Ruan got several extra-base hits and

Brandon Long extended his hitting streak.

Noah Jeyarajah smacked two doubles and ended the game by catching

a line drive and throwing to second base to complete a double play.

Leadoff hitter Ryan Adkisson began many rallies and cleanup hitter

Brian Jolivette had several RBIs.

Manolo Laguna hustled around the bases and John Santoyo showed

some solid fielding and hitting.

In previous Majors play:

* Diamondbacks 11, Mariners 3

The Diamondbacks jumped to an 8-0 lead in the second inning and

never looked back as they defeated the Mariners, 11-3.

Solid hitting and baserunning by Ryan Cherney and Max Friedmann

helped give the D-backs the lead.

Pitcher Gavin Montegue, along with strong infield defense by

Patrick McGuire and Joseph Dizda, kept the Mariners from scoring

until the fourth inning.

McGuire doubled and Sean Anderson laced a hit past second base to

plate runs for the D-backs.

Josh Erno caught two fly balls in center field while Chase

Harrison struck out the final batter to end the game.

In Farm Division play:

* The D-backs got their highest run production of the season in a

game against the Marlins.

Dante Capoccia earned Player of the Game honors, going 5 for 6 as

the leadoff hitter while scoring four runs to go with four RBIs.

Alex DeSoto continued his torrid hitting with five hits, including

an inside-the-park home run, to go with a game-high six RBIs.

Nathan Frank went 6 for 6, including three ground-rule doubles

while scoring three runs and knocking in two.

Cole Mensinger and John Herchuck each tallied four hits and

combined to knock in five runs.

Christian Darrow went 3 for 5 with two runs scored while Garrett

Deutsch also scored twice with a 2-for-6 performance at the plate.

Also assisting the offense were Mitchell Clevidence, who tallied

three hits in five at-bats with three runs scored and two RBIs.

Danielle Moran went 1 for 5 with one run scored and one RBI.

In Minor A play:

* Diamondbacks 8, Angels 3

Shane Butler made his pitching debut, striking out a game-high six

in two innings of relief, in the D-backs victory. Butler allowed one

run on one hit in relief of starter Alex Kronfeldt, who also threw

two innings. Kronfeldt struck out four while scattering three hits

and giving up two runs.

Josh Dominguez closed out the game in the final inning, striking

out two.

Offensive firepower was brought by Marc DeFrenza and Diego Diaz,

who each had two hits. Tony Campo, Stephen Hildebrand and Dominguez

all tallied one hit. Dominguez blasted a triple down the right-field

line.

Justin Batangan, Kronfeldt, Angel Beas, Jesus Rodriguez and

Christian Aguila all played solid defense.

In Minor B play:

* Rockies 6, Dodgers 5

The Rockies held off the previously-undefeated Dodgers in a close

six-inning game.

Chris DeSoto and Nico Ruan combined on the hill and also helped at

the plate. DeSoto pitched the first four innings and contributed two

doubles while Ruan came on for the final two innings and added a

run-producing single.

Nick Schirmer caught a flawless game behind the plate and tagged

out a runner. He added a timely triple.

Garrett Hope, Matt Hutchinson and Spencer Owens each scored runs

after being hit by pitches and Alex Tenno also walked and scored.

Parker Shoaff and Brian Stanley each made solid defensive plays in

the infield and Robert Scott made several grabs in the outfield.

In previous Majors action:

* Dodgers 13, Yankees 2

Josh Ryding went 3 for 3 with a home run at the plate as the

Dodgers scored a 13-2 victory over the Yankees in Costa Mesa National

Little League action.

Frank Denoewer and Nick Pederson combined to allow only one hit

with 13 strikeouts in the mound for the Dodgers.

Alex Grosek, Matthew Telles, Coleman Brown and Bryan Maurer also

helped the offense while Eric Mickelson and Denoewer drove in runs.

Eric McCool made a running, shoestring catch in left field to lead

the defense.

* Padres 6, Mariners 3

The Mariners scored three runs in their half of the first inning,

but the lead didn’t last for long as the Padres mounted a rally and

eventually won the game.

The Padres’ Kevin Kizer and Michael Pearce each scored runs in the

first inning followed by Kevin Thomas’ double to plate Bobby Lenke in

the second to tie it, 3-3.

Danny O’Neil and Ryan Burns added RBIs for the victors.

Kizer, who started on the mound, threw out two runners in the

first inning and was later relieved by Pearce. He struck out six,

including the side in the fourth inning.

The Padre defense showed its skill as well with sound plays by

Gian-Paul Stebbins at first and right field, Jesse Fox in center

field and first, third baseman Mike Chester, O’Neil at shortstop,

Burns at second and James Wanbaugh.

* Padres 6, Diamondbacks 0

Kizer, Pearce and O’Neil all scored runs in the shutout.

Fox smashed a line drive caught by the second baseman as he

managed to stay on his feet with the rapid movement of the ball into

his glove.

In Minor B play:

* Rockies 11, Mariners 0

Nico Ruan and Chris DeSoto combined to no-hit the Rockies. Ruan

struck out eight in three innings.

DeSoto tallied two hits while Nick Schirmer had a timely hit and

caught the entire game.

Ellwood Webb, Robert Scott and Matt Hutchinson all had hits with

Brian Stanley, Alex Tenno, Garrett Hope and Parker Shoaff each

drawing walks and scoring runs on speed. Spencer Owens played sound

defense.

In Farm action:

* The Mets played a strong game against the Rockies, with MVP

Brandon Dieckhoff and Chad Fackler each tallying hits in every

at-bat, including a home run that cleared the fence.

Matt Thomas had four RBIs while Ray Barkis had three alongside

William Reed, who drove in two with a single in the third inning.

Eric Pfautz and Ryan West each tripled to assist the offense while

Jake Stone, Cassie Stevenson, Brad Wilson and Harrison Stern all

posted doubles.

Fackler also made an unassisted double play in the top of the

sixth inning.

* Jeff Carlyle and A.J. Fischer each went 5 for 5 and scored five

runs for the Dodgers against the Astros.

Robert Sullivan added a single and three doubles. One of the hits

barely missed clearing the fence in what would have been his second

home run of the season.

Ben Beck doubled twice and collected four hits. He also made two

catches on pop flys, one a sliding grab near the mound.

Carlyle started a Dodger double play by snagging a hard grounder

at second, tagging the runner and throwing to Beck at first.

Rusty Rydjeski had four hits followed by three from Kayla Hayes,

two by Lisa Hyndman and one each from Noah Petero, Yeizon Ramirez and

Dezmond Lewis.

In Pony play:

* Costa Mesa Angels 6, Newport Beach Snappers 5

Matt Pisarski pitched six innings and struck out four. He also

tallied two singles with a double for Mesa.

Andrew Whitaker relieved Pisarski in the seventh and allowed just

a single. Whitaker singled once alongside Tim Morley and Chad

Peterson, who each had two base hits.