Road to a district title

Mike Sciacca

For a local Little League that had never won an All-Star tournament

title, Huntington Valley is making it a habit of taking the District

62 by storm.

Huntington Valley wrapped up its second consecutive Majors

Division district title by downing a determined Seaview team, 7-2, to

take the best-of-three series in two games.

Leading from the start, Huntington Valley used a “cluster” of hits

and plays to record its victory, manager Nick Mazzone said.

The win also capped an unbeaten run through the tournament for the

host team.

“We have so much heart,” Mazzone said. “This team is the true

essence of the word, ‘team.’”

“Everybody has stepped up to contribute at one point or another,

both starters and those who come in off the bench. It’s just great

team work by these kids.”

Huntington Valley set the tone early as Devin Huskins singled to

get on base in the top of the first inning and later scored when Nick

Mazzone, the manager’s son, delivered a one-out single to left field

for a 1-0 lead.

Huntington Valley scored in every inning but the sixth.

Huntington Valley’s offensive output saw Huskins lead the charge

with three hits, including a double, while John Olive doubled and

Barry Luke, Race Parmenter, Tanner Phillips and Jullien Herrera all

singled.

Ricky Marin reached base three times and scored two runs.

Tim Higgins pitched a complete-game victory. The 12-year-old

right-hander kept Seaview at bay by allowing five hits and two runs

while striking out seven.

It was the second tournament victory thrown by Higgins, who

previously pitched Huntington Valley past Westminster in a game

played July 10.

Two of the five hits he gave up went to Seaview’s JB Bryant.

Kyle Boswell and Chance Ross each doubled and Chris Czerniachowski

singled for Seaview.

“This win was a total team effort,” said Higgins who is part of a

Huntington Valley pitching stable of Parmenter, Mazzone, Huskins,

Luke and Olive that throws a little bit of everything.

“We’re not a really big team but we play like a team and we hit

the ball well and have good pitching. We played really well

throughout the tournament.”

Huntington Valley also defeated Fountain Valley twice in

tournament play.

Huntington Valley’s balance was evident during the tournament:

although Parmenter led the team in hits with eight, Herrera, the No.

9 hitter, finished with six hits overall.

Nick Mazzone also managed the Huntington Valley 9/10 Division

All-Star team in 2001 that reached the State tournament.

The District 62 title during that season was the first district

title won by a Huntington Valley All-Star team at any level.

From that 14-player team, 10 currently play for Mazzone at the

Majors All-Star level.

The victory sent Huntington Valley on as the District 62

representative to the Section 5 Tournament which began Saturday at

Curtis Park in Mission Viejo.

“We have to stay hot with our hitting, make the plays on defense

and keep the ball down with our pitching, in order to win the

Section,” Higgins said.

Huntington Valley tasted its first postseason defeat in All-Star

play in a 3-0 defeat to Tustin Western Little League but stayed alive

in the double-elimination event with a 15-4 drubbing of La Palma.

Section 5 Tournament

Tustin Western 3, Huntington Valley 0

Tustin Western pitcher Alex Dove limited Huntington Valley to just

three hits in this first-round game of the tournament played

Saturday.

Race Parmenter, Tim Higgins and Devin Huskins singled for

Huntington Valley.

A potential big rally for Huntington Valley materialized in the

sixth inning when Barry Luke drew a lead-off walk and Huskins

singled. Nick Mazzone smashed a line drive that seemed headed for the

outfield gap but Tustin Western second baseman Andrew Fischer made a

leaping catch of the liner and doubled Luke up at second base, ending

the would-be rally.

Parmenter gave a strong pitching performance in defeat with 10

strikeouts.

Dove hit a two-run home run to account for Tustin Western’s first

two runs.

Huntington Valley 15, La Palma 4

Huntington Valley bounced back Sunday from its shutout loss to

Tustin Western in impressive fashion by pounding out 15 runs on eight hits in this elimination contest.

Tim Higgins started on the mound for Huntington Valley and pitched

two scoreless innings while striking out four.

Nick Mazzone, Luke and Phillips all saw pitching action and, along

with Higgins, allowed La Palma just two hits.

Huntington Valley took complete control of the game with a 13-run,

third inning outburst that saw the locals nearly bat twice through

their lineup.

During the onslaught, Trevor Springman, the day after his 12th

birthday, hit a home run to right field and Devin Huskins and Race

Parmenter each doubled.

Barry Luke singled twice and Parmenter, Tanner Phillips and Ricky

Marin each singled.