Pirates put Padres away

Bryce Alderton

Coming in 12-12, Tom Burns was ecstatic about his Padres taking

second place in the Costa Mesa National Little League’s majors

division. Making it to the District 62 Tournament of Champions was an

added present.

So when the Huntington Valley Pirates scored seven times in the

bottom of the fifth inning to mercy the Padres, 10-0, in a

first-round matchup Wednesday at the Huntington Valley Little League

fields, Burns didn’t show much disappointment.

“I heard the Pirates were a tough team to play so we just wanted

to play a great game and we were thrilled to do that,” Burns said.

“We only have four 12-year-olds, four returning players all together,

so we should be a real strong team next year.”

The Padres, who finished second to the Dodgers in the regular

season, lacked consistent pitching throughout the season., Burns

said. The Pirates (18-3), recorded their sixth shutout of the season

and eventually adjusted to the breaking balls and off-speed pitches

thrown by Padres’ hurlers and showed why they were the league

champions.

Tim Higgins and Nick Mazzone combined to limit the Padres to just

three hits while striking out 12. Higgins started and fanned the side

in both the first and second innings. He finished with eight

strikeouts in three innings.

“We have lived on our pitching all year, that is what dictates

what happens for us,” Pirates Manager Nick Mazzone said.

Danny O’Neil, Anthony Tellez and Billy DiGiralamo advanced the

furthest for the Padres on the base paths: to second.

O’Neil, selected to the majors all-star team last weekend, singled

twice for the Padres while Tellez tallied a hit in the third. He

advanced to second on a wild pitch before Higgins struck out the next

batter to end the inning.

Trailing, 3-0 in the fifth, the Padres had their best scoring

chance with runners at first and second and one out. DiGiralamo

walked to leadoff the inning and two batters later, O’Neil golfed a

2-2 sinker that was an inch from touching the dirt over the pitcher’s

head and into center field. But Mazzone responded by striking out the

next two hitters -- each on curve balls that found the outside of the

plate.

The gutty pitching performance translated to the Pirates’ half of

the fifth, when 10 men came to the plate.

Walks to three of the first four Pirate batters set the stage for

Richard Levinson’s single into the gap in right-center field that

plated two runs. On the next play, Padre first baseman Gian Paul

Stebbins fielded a bouncing ball and touched the bag for the force

out. With Tim Higgins racing home, Stebbins threw to catcher Bobby

Lenke, who tried to apply the tag, but the sliding runner jarred the

ball loose. Levinson alertly followed Higgins on the play and to

score the fifth run of the inning.

Brian Schwartz and Sam Hunt followed with sharp singles and both

scored later in the inning.

Mazzone knew it was only a matter of time before his team would

figure out the Padre pitchers.

“We were keyed for fast pitching initially, so we were so far

ahead of the ball at first,” Mazzone said. “I told them to get up in

the box, pick a focal point and swing.”

Hitters 1-5 and 7-9 all scored runs for the Pirates, displaying

their offensive balance.

Stebbins, James Wanbaugh, and Kevin Thomas each reached base on

walks to account for the rest of the Padres offense.

The Padres’ defense kept them close to the Pirates early on. With

first and third and two outs, a Pirates’ runner strayed halfway down

the third-base line following a wild pitch. Lenke retrieved the ball

and chased the retreating runner toward the bag before throwing to

Tellez at third to begin a pickle. Tellez and Lenke would throw to

one another once more in the pursuit before Michael Pierce caught a

throw and blocked the plate to tag the runner. In the third, O’Neil

-- the pitcher -- threw to Stebbins for a force at first and then

Stebbins immediately fired to Lenke, who tagged out the sliding

runner at home.

Pierce the Padres’ starter Wednesday, allowed two runs on one hit

in a little more than two innings for the Padres while O’Neil came on

for 2 1/3 innings of relief. O’Neil was followed by Ryan Burns in the

bottom of the fifth.

“I needed a pitcher to finish out the game,” Burns said when asked

about his pitching strategy. “I realized all the gas was gone and

knew Ryan would throw strikes. [The Pirates] Pirates just put the

ball in play where we weren’t. Right now, he can’t wait to get a

Slurpee.”

The season extended longer than Burns thought when he drafted

players in January.

“I drafted early, wanting to have a solid team for next year,” he

said. “I got 12 kids that like to play together. That is key because

they will spend the next two years of their lives together. I was

never concerned with wins and losses. I’m a big believer in teamwork

and sportsmanship. I was pleased to be a part of [TOC] and have no

shame.”

Daniel Derieg, Jesse Fox and Michael Chester all saw action

Wednesday.