Double play saves the day

Leading, 4-3, in the last half of the seventh inning, the Dodger

defense came up with key plays necessary to secure a championship in

the Newport Harbor Baseball Association Bronco Division

(11-12-year-olds).

With a runner at second and no outs, the Giants’ Eric Holland

ripped a line drive down the first-base line, but first baseman Nick

Svendsen made a diving catch to rob Holland of a hit and doubled up

the runner at second. Dodger pitcher Dillan Freiberg then struck out

the next batter to give the Dodgers the championship Sunday.

A day earlier the Giants defeated the Dodgers, 4-3, to force the

decisive game Sunday at Mariners Park.

The Giants fought back from a 4-0 deficit with three runs in the

bottom of the sixth. Cody Holter led off with a single and stole

second base. Jake Dawson reached first base safely on an error by the

shortstop. Halter would score on the play after the left fielder

committed an error. Leadoff hitter Jake Caughill singled to center to

score Dawson with one out. Jacob McCann then singled to center to

score Caughill.

Dodgers’ starter Kyle Lawrence and Freiberg combined for eight

strikeouts and five shutout innings.

The Dodgers scored once in the top of the first. Zac Gagnon led

off with a single to center field, stole second and scored on a

double to the left-field fence by Svendsen.

In the third, the Dodgers scored twice with two outs. Gagnon

reached on a bloop single hit over the shortstop’s head and then

stole second. Svendsen doubled to plate Gagnon. Svendsen then stole

third, setting the stage for Lawrence, who ripped a single to center

to plate Svendsen and give the Dodgers a 3-0 lead.

Jack Grace, Caughill, McCann, James Cunningham, Brett Olinger,

Michael Carscadden, Holland, Sean Mangano, Eric Chebil, Holter and

Jake Dawson all contributed for the Giants, who were managed by Peter

Grace.

The Dodgers featured Gagnon, Freiberg, Svendsen, Lawrence, Nathan

Tegal, David Blake-Panas, Ryan Hatcher, Telia Apolinaris, Garrett

Koch, Bryce Fuller and Randall Hause. Bob Svendsen managed the team

with help from assistant Kevin Hatcher.

In the Mustang (9-10-year-olds) championship game:

* Cubs 8, Reds 7

Fitting the third and final game between the two teams this season

was decided by one run. The previous two meetings had been decided by

just a run and the final was no different.

Max Gerard’s hit to the left-center field alley plated one run to

cut the Cubs’ lead to one, but Cubs’ center fielder Park Eddy

gathered the ball and threw to cutoff man Nat Johnson at second base.

Johnson relayed the throw to catcher Austin Rios, who made the tag on

the runner trying to tie the game, resulting in the final out.

Consecutive hits by Jake Hall and Trey Franklin along with a walk

to Sean Goodwin and two more hits by Alex Ritze and Keegan Beavers

got the Reds going in the final inning. Cubs’ third baseman Cameron

Bigelow caught a pop fly in the inning.

The Cubs erased an early one-run deficit with eight runs

throughout the first three innings, led by Johnson’s two-hit,

three-RBI, two-run performance. Rios hit his 10th home run of the

year in the fourth -- a three-run shot. Stevie Michaelsen and Connor

LoMenzo also batted in runs for the Cubs with James Jarvis scoring

once and Nicolas Jaber tallying two runs.

Reds’ pitchers Max Gerard, Brice Manning and Brett Parker posted

15 strikeouts. Parker had eight, Gerard tallied five and Manning

finished with two.

Rios pitched three innings, allowing one run on three hits with

seven strikeouts while Vincent Aqueveque threw one inning, allowing

no runs for the Cubs.

Aqueveque also saw action at first base and was helped defensively

by shortstop Nick Dedinsky and second baseman Aaron Cervantes.

Matt Bancroft cut into the seven-run lead with a two-run double in

the fifth.

An RBI single by Max McKelvy got the Reds on the board in the

first.