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.