Dodgers wrap up outright crown
The Costa Mesa National Little League Major Dodgers defeated the
Padres, 15-2, May 27 to clinch first place for the second half of the
season. The Dodgers (21-2), who also took first place for the first
half, then defeated the Diamondbacks, 2-1, June 3 to extend their
winning streak to 11 games.
By winning both halves of the regular season, no playoff was
needed in the Majors Division. The Dodgers will represent the league
in the District 62 Tournament of Champions later this month.
Frank DeNoewer pitched a six-hitter and Matthew Telles had two
hits and four RBIs in the victory over the Padres. Eric Mickelson and
Eric McCool each added two hits and two RBIs.
In other Majors Division games:
* D-backs 11, Padres 4
Gavin Montague slammed a two-run homer, his third of the season,
while Andrew Roth tripled and singled twice in the 11-run attack.
Troy McClanahan threw a complete game with seven strikeouts.
Chase Harrison, Sean Anderson and Joe Zida each singled and scored
a run. Max Friedman and Tim Morley reached on walks and each scored a
run.
* D-backs 4, Giants 1
Montague struck out 11 in a complete-game victory, allowing just
two hits.
Roth went 2 for 3 with two singles and two runs scored while
McClanahan also had a hit and scored. Montague scored on Friedman’s
single.
In Costa Mesa Minor A play:
* D-backs 6, Dodgers 5
Tony Campo drove in Marc DeFrenza with the winning run in the
sixth inning for the D-backs on May 31.
Stephen Hildebrand and Josh Dominguez combined for 15 strikeouts.
Hildebrand entered the game in the first inning with the bases
loaded, but struck out the next two batters to end the inning. Both
pitchers have averaged two strikeouts per inning.
DeFrenza had two hits while Campo, Dominguez, Hildebrand and Alex
Kronfeldt each added singles.
Justin Batangan moved runners into scoring position with some
sacrifice bunting while Jesus Rodriguez and Christian Aguilar each
scored critical runs with heads-up baserunning.
Catcher Shane Butler caught six innings.
* Rockies 7, Padres 2
Nico Ruan struck out six in his three innings, teaming with Chris
DeSoto to hold the Padres hitless over six innings on May 31. DeSoto
fanned four in the last three innings.
Nick Schimer doubled and caught while Matt Hutcherson, DeSoto,
Brian Stanley, Robert Scott and Ellwood Webb provided timely hits.
Richard Herchuk made two strong plays in center field with Alex
Tenno, Parker Shoaff, Garrett Hope and Spencer Owens adding solid
defensive efforts.
* Rockies 2, White Sox 1
Eusebio Castillo struck out the side in the sixth inning while
Jeffrey Guillen scored the go-ahead run on a passed ball to secure
the victory for the Rockies in interleague play May 29.
Tommy Price drove in the Rockies’ first run with a single.
* Rockies 3, Dodgers 1
Scott drove in the game-winning run with a two-out single in the
fourth inning to boost the Rockies to victory May 27.
Ruan and DeSoto combined to hold the first-place Dodgers to four
hits and one unearned run over six innings. DeSoto struck out five in
his three-inning stretch.
Schimer, playing catcher, made a run-saving putout at home plate,
while Hutcherson, Tenno and Stanley scored the D-backs’ runs.
Shoaff and Herckuk made strong fielding plays at second and center
field, respectively, while Hope, Owens and Webb added solid defensive
efforts.
* D-backs 6, Mariners 2
Josh Dominguez pitched a hitless final three innings, walking two
and striking out seven for the D-backs.
He also added a double in the third inning when the D-backs scored
their final three runs. Marc DeFrenza and Tony Campo added hits in
the inning.
Starter Stephen Hildebrand settled down to shut out the Mariners
the final two innings he pitched after allowing two runs in the
first.
The D-backs scored three runs in the bottom of the first with hits
by DeFrenza, Campo, Connor Gilligan and Hildebrand.
In Farm play:
* Dodgers 14, Astros 13
The Dodgers rallied for six runs in the bottom of the fourth
inning and three in the fifth to stake a one-run lead and held the
Astros scoreless the final two innings to preserve the win in a
consolation-bracket game May 31.
Dodger shortstop Ben Beck, who ended the Astros’ fourth with an
unassisted double play, recorded the final three outs of the game.
Jeff Carlyle and Lisa Hyndman each went 4 for 5 while A.J.
Fischer, Yeizon Ramirez, Kylee Stone and Kayla Hayes each added three
hits. Noah Petero and Beck each had two hits.
Stone tripled and caught a towering pop fly at second while
pitcher Dezmond Lewis shone on defense, snaring a hard-hit comebacker
and throwing the runner out in the second inning.
* Dodgers 6, Marlins 2
Strong defense led the way for the Dodgers. Lewis caught a foul
pop at third base while Fischer made a strong play on a grounder to
third and Hydman, playing at second in the third inning, had a hand
in all the outs.
In Newport Beach Majors playoff action:
* Braves 3, Cardinals 2
Jeff Jones knocked in Camden Nicholson for the winning run in
Newport Beach Little League Majors playoff action May 22.
Nicholson led the Braves with two runs scored and teamed up on the
mound with Max Frisbie to stifle the Cardinals.
Jones, Parker Stone and Kevin Tsou each had two hits, while Grant
Keligian, Andrew Fulcher and Josh Harrison added to the Braves’
attack.
Jones also made a catch in right field to stave off a Cardinal
rally. He was aided defensively by Jack Gerdau, Michael Hayde and
Noah Molnar.
The Cardinals rallied with a run by Neal Zachman in the bottom of
the sixth inning to get within one, but the Braves held on to advance
to the quarterfinals against the Dodgers.
In AAA action:
* Yankees 9, Red Sox 7
Patrick Pearson struck out the only two batters he faced to stop
the Red Sox rally in the final inning on May 31, setting up a rematch
between both teams June 2 for the right to face the D-backs in the
championship game. The Red Sox went on to beat the Yankees and
D-backs to claim the title.
Pearson, normally a first baseman, hadn’t pitched in more than two
months and entered the game with runners on second and third with one
out. All the Yankee pitchers had thrown the maximum number of pitches
allowed for the week.
The Red Sox proved strong on the mound as well. Brent Lawson,
Nathan Wagner and Jake Starnes combined to strike out 13 while
allowing seven hits.
The Yankees provided timely hits. Bryce Ashton had three RBIs
while Preston Risser added two and Trevor McGhie one.
Jack Murphy scored the final two runs of the game and had three
for the game.
Starnes, Dylan Varner, Brandon Loo and Wagner (three runs scored)
led the Red Sox offense.
Strong defense by Nick Gooding, Tanner Trauthen, Michael Haeri,
Eric Frazier and Benny Townsend slowed the Red Sox offense.
Risser, Ashton, Trauthen and Pearson combined for 13 strikeouts,
allowing only three hits.
* Yankees 7, Reds 5
The Yankees rallied for seven runs in the final innings to erase a
5-0 deficit and down the No. 2-seeded Reds in a quarterfinal playoff
game May 29.Risser, Gooding, Fraser, Trauthen, Haeri and McGhie all
had hits and RBIs in the last two innings to produce the seven runs.
The Yankees held off a Reds rally in the bottom of the sixth when
Ashton struck out the first batter, followed by consecutive defensive
gems from Murphy and Fraser.
The Reds offense was powered by J.D. Dawn and Taylor Ross, who
each had multi-hit games, along with Alec Pastre, who drove in two
runs with a hit early in the game.
The Reds got strong defense from catcher Zach Murtaugh as well as
Chris Seagren and Matt Berry.
Risser and Ashton combined to record nine strikeouts and allowed
only eight hits. The Reds got strong pitching from Brooke Brady and
Murtaugh, who combined for eight strikeouts and allowed nine hits.
Pearson, Frazier and Murphy helped hold off the Reds offense.
* Yankees 7, Braves 6
The Braves scored three runs in the last inning, but Fraser struck
out two and Risser threw out a would-be base stealer to seal the win
for the Yankees in playoff action May 27.With the win, the Yankees
advanced to the quarterfinals against the Reds.Three of the four
games between the Yankees and Braves this season were decided by one
run.
Risser led the Yankees’ offense, going 3 for 3 with a triple,
while Fraser had two RBIs to go with one RBI by Trauthen. Pearson
added an RBI and McGhie hit the ball well.
Gooding and Ashton showed speed on the base paths and scored runs
while Frazier, Murphy and Jeremy Fox helped hold off the Braves’
offense.
The Braves’ offense was powered by Clark Cashion, who went 2 for 3
with a double while playing solid defense at catcher. Austin Allen,
Brennan Anderson, Tony McCoy and Mitchell Meleski all contributed
strong hits for the Braves.
The Yankees’ Ashton and Fraser combined to strike out 10 and
allowed six hits. Their mound counterparts -- Dylan Pievac and
Garrett Larson -- recorded nine strikeouts and allowed nine hits.
* Diamondbacks 6, Angels 2
Trent Boras doubled and tripled, collecting five RBIs to give the
D-backs the victory over the Angels in playoff action May 22.
The D-backs scored in the first inning on consecutive hits by Cort
Hastings, Paxton O’Brien and Ben Greiner. Greiner’s hit scored
Hastings and Boras then followed with a double that plated O’Brien
and Greiner.
Eric Hallett singled and scored on a wild pitch in the third
inning for the Angels. In the bottom of the inning, Rodney Keller
walked, Hastings singled and O’Brien walked to load the bases for
Boras, who cleared them with a triple.
Sandon Griffin pitched the first four innings for the D-backs,
allowing a run on two hits with one walk. Boras went the final two
innings, allowing one run and striking out four.
The Angels again threatened in the top of the fourth with hits by
Brian Ford and Parker Ewles. But center fielder Chandler Mitchell
threw to Greiner and the catcher tagged out a runner to end the Angel
rally.
In Newport Harbor Baseball Association Bronco playoff action:
* Giants 10, Cardinals 8
The Giants came back from an 8-5 third-inning deficit to eliminate
the Cardinals from the playoffs for ages 11-12.
The Giants scored four runs in the fifth inning, fueled by hits
from Jacob McCann, James Cunningham and Brent Olinger to take a 9-8
lead. Closer Eric Holland pitched a scoreless sixth and seventh
innings.
Jake Dawson provided strong defense for the Giants, who also
benefited from the hitting of Eric Chebil, Jack Grace and Cody
Holter. Michael Carscadden and Jake Caughill, who each scored runs.
In NHBA Mustang play:
* Reds 9, Red Sox 6
Max Gerard and Brice Manning combined to hold off the Red Sox just
enough to advance in the first round of the Mustang (ages 9-10)
playoffs May 31.Gerard threw the first three innings, striking out
eight, allowing only two hits and no runs. The Reds’ defense finished
strong with second baseman Sean Goodwin throwing to Mac McKelvey at
first for the final out. Hayden Cornwall and Nick McCann helped the
Red Sox comeback.
The Reds tallied 12 hits with Gerard, Matt Bancroft, Manning, Trey
Franklin, Brett Parker, McKelvey and Jake Hall all adding to the
offense. Goodwin, Alex Ritze and Keegan Beavers also provided a
strong presence.
In Pinto American play:
* Tim McGetrick tripled for one of his three hits as the Red Sox
battled the White Sox in the 7- and 8-year-old teams’ final game of
the season May 31.
Junior Najera doubled to center field and finished with three
hits.
Bryan Shollin, Quinci Holgate, Austin Smith and Robert Alexander
also had three hits.
Duke Morales, Spencer Buchanan and Estevan Muniz also contributed
for the Red Sox.
* Blake Pender, Chase Whiting, Connor Moore and Mike Reo each
tallied multiple hits with additional long balls off the bats of Jack
Ortlieb and T.J. Eleinko to bring in runs for the Astros.
Kevin Rakestraw, Will Fuchs and Nick Sargeant played well for the
Giants.
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