Hobie Sports rallies

Mike Sciacca

VFW combined outstanding pitching with solid defense to remain in the

thick of the Majors Division race at Laguna Beach Little League.

Gabe Stansbury no-hit Hobie Sports and struck out seven while

allowing two walks in a complete-game effort as VFW handed the

division leader an 8-0 setback at Riddle Field.

Stansbury received outstanding support from several teammates.

Drake Dixon snagged two line drives at shortstop, Mikey Rubel

turned a double play at second base and had one assist, Cooper

Gwaltney had two assists at third base including one on a bunt

attempt, Casey Miller was solid behind the plate and first baseman

Alex Shusko recorded seven putouts, two of which were unassisted.

Stansbury even got into the act. He backed up his pitching

performance by catching a pop up and later threw out a runner on his

knees after fielding a chopper up the first base line.

VFW took command early, scoring four runs in the first inning and

adding three more in the second.

Gwaltney led the attack by going two for two with four RBIs.

Stansbury doubled, Miller, Dixon, Will Armstrong and Brian Yale all

drove in runs and Rubel, Shusko and Stansbury each scored twice.

In other games:

Hobie Sports 9, American Legion 6

Hobie Sports used some heroics by Dillon Pierce and Alex Germano

to retain its grip first-place in the Majors Division standings.

Pierce and Germano delivered back-to-back home runs for the first

time in several years at Riddle Field, igniting a comeback from a

six-run deficit as Hobie rallied past American Legion.

Germano leads the division in home runs with four; Pierce, who hit

two in the game, is second on the list with three.

Pierce hit a two-run home run, scoring Ty Pierce who had launched

the Hobie fourth with a single, to make it a 6-2 game.

Germano followed with a solo shot to narrow the gap to 6-3.

The big inning continued when Eli Viszolay singled and Matt Moisen

and Chris Kennedy walked to load the bases.

That set the stage for Cole Kenney who promptly drove in two runs

with a single to narrow Hobie’s deficit to 6-5.

After Dillon Pierce sent down American Legion in order in the top

of the fifth, Nate Wilson reached base in the bottom of the inning

and was advanced to second by Jackson Christy.

Zac Johnston then came up with a solid drive to centerfield that

scored Wilson to tie the game at 6-6.

Pierce continued his power hitting in the same inning by belting

his second homer of the game, this one a two-run shot that gave Hobie

an 8-6 edge.

Viszolay later singled to score Germano for a 9-6 lead.

Dillon Pierce shut down American Legion in the top of the sixth,

striking out two while Johnston came up with a key out at second

base.

Viszolay finished the game three for three to lead all hitters.

Kyle Snyder, Alec Burke, Andrew Paddon, Bo Hutson and Kelsey

Linton all singled and Christian Kessler doubled as American Legion

opened up a 4-0 lead through three innings.

American Legion tacked on two more runs in the top of the fourth

to pad its advantage to 6-0.

Majors Division standings (through May 5): 1. Hobie Sports, 10-2;

2. VFW, 8-3; 3. Firefighters, 5-5; 4. Sportsworld, 5-6; 5. American

Legion, 3-8; 6T. Laguna Surf & Sport, Rotary, both 2-8.