Huntington Valley tops district

Mike Sciacca

For the second time in three years, Huntington Valley Little League

has won the District 62 9/10 Division All-Star Tournament

championship.

Huntington Valley wrapped up the 2003 district banner by edging

Robinwood, 1-0, to win the best-of-three championship series in two

games.

Huntington Valley opened the series with an 11-1 victory.

The game’s lone run in this pitching and defensive battle was

scored in the second inning when Drake Vanderpool picked up an RBI

single.

Huntington Valley marched to the district title with previous wins

over Costa Mesa American, by scores of 7-3 and 14-3, and Fountain

Valley, 10-8.

“Defense was the key to our winning the district,” Huntington

Valley Manager Rick Thompson said. “The kids were just awesome in the

field throughout the tournament.

“Matt Steinhaus made some terrific plays at third base to prevent

some runs from scoring and Sam Mikulak at shortstop, Max Talbert at

second base and Sam Hunt in centerfield also made some key stops.”

Huntington Valley carried the District 62 banner into the Section

5 Tournament, which began Saturday at West Garden Grove Little

League.

Huntington Valley suffered a 12-1 loss to Tustin Western in its

opener of the double-elimination tournament but came back to defeat

Cypress and East Anaheim American to stay in contention for the

Section 5 title.

Huntington Valley 7, Cypress 4

Tyler Kerns, who entered the game in the fourth inning with his

team trailing, 2-1, pitched the rest of the way as Huntington Valley

rallied to victory in this elimination contest.

Huntington Valley erupted for five runs in the fifth inning to

take control.

The big hits came from Sam Mikulak who hit a two-RBI double, Max

Talbert who doubled and Matt Steinhaus and Sam Hunt, each of whom

singled.

Huntington Valley 9, East Anaheim American 5

Sam Mikulak pitched a complete-game victory as Huntington Valley

won its second straight tournament game.

Franz Meyer led the offense with five RBIs and Sam Hunt went three

for four with a double.

In Senior League All-Star Tournament play, Huntington Valley won

the league’s third District 62 title of the 2003 season by defeating

Robinwood, 12-3, in the tournament final.

Huntington Valley’s road to the crown included a 12-11

opening-round win over host Westminster and a 5-1 verdict over

Robinwood.

Robinwood, however, stayed alive in the double-elimination event

by handing Huntington Valley its initial loss, 11-6, to set up a winner-take-all final.