Dodger homers key win

Patrick Laverty

It’s the Yankees who carry the moniker of “The Bronx Bombers,” but

Monday in the first round of the District 62 Tournament of Champions,

it was the Dodgers who did some Costa Mesa clubbing.

The Costa Mesa National Little League major division champions

slugged a pair of home runs, a three-run blast by Josh Ryding in the

first inning and a two-run shot by Cody Green in the fifth, to secure

a 7-4 victory over the Costa Mesa American Little League Yankees

Monday and advance to the quarterfinals.

The Dodgers (22-2) will face the winner of tonight’s contest

between the Seaview Little League champions and the second-place

entry from Fountain Valley Little League on Saturday at 9 a.m. at

LeBard Park in Huntington Beach.

Their advancement didn’t seem so likely after a rough first-half

inning.

The Yankees (10-11) took an early 3-0 lead with singles by Ben

Loundsbury, Kevin Hoffman and Josh Werdel. Jesse Dawson, Chris

Robinson and Hoffman scored the runs.

“It was very encouraging that we came out like that,” said Yankees

Manager Larry Dawson, who had seen his team lose twice to the Dodgers

earlier this season.

But a couple of strong defensive plays by the Dodgers prevented

the Yankees from adding to that lead.

Left fielder Coleman Brown threw out a runner at the plate and

catcher Nick Pederson threw out an attempted base stealer to end the

inning.

When Ryding tied the game with a towering home run to center field

in the bottom of the inning, scoring Alex Grosek and Pederson, the

Yankees’ lead was long gone.

“[It was] very big,” Dodgers Coach Kim Pederson said. “Josh has

hit eight home runs for us this year. He’s a big-play guy.

“That settled us down. We started the game tight. The kids were

nervous.”

The Dodgers tacked on another run and Green then went to work on

the mound.

After allowing three runs on three hits in the first inning, the

right-hander gave up just one more hit before being relieved by Nick

Pederson, after facing one batter in the fifth. Green struck out six

over his final three innings and only two Yankees reached base.

But strong defense by the Yankees kept them within striking

distance.

Shortstop Jesse Dawson made a trio of highlight plays, including

the turning of a double play that halted a Dodgers rally in the

fourth inning. Werdel, playing catcher, made a difficult catch on a

pop-up to end that inning. Overall, the Yankees committed just three

errors.

But the Dodgers displayed some glove work of their own. Green made

a strong play on a comebacker to end the fourth inning. Third baseman

Grosek turned a beautiful double play in the fifth inning, stepping

on third and then throwing to second after the Yankees had put their

first two hitters on base in the inning.

“In the second half of the season, we were starting to make more

mistakes on defense,” Pederson said. “We’ve been concentrating on

defense and being ready to make the play. It showed today.”

Holding a two-run advantage after four innings, Green padded the

lead with a line-drive two-run homer to center with two outs in the

bottom of the fifth inning. The runs proved important as the Yankees

managed a late rally in the final frame.

A single up the middle by Matt Culp with one out cut the deficit

to three runs. Brian Waldron was then able to reach base on a error,

but Green picked up the loose ball in short center field and fired to

third base to catch the lead runner.

Eric Mickleson recorded the final out, catching a fly ball in

right field that sent the Dodgers into the next round.