Home runs in full Bloom

Michael Bloom’s three home runs in three at-bats led the Cardinals to

a 10-3 victory over the Yankees in a Newport Beach Little League

Majors Division game April 24.

Bloom now has a league-high six home runs this season, hits in 11

straight at-bats and has raised his average to .629.

He also limited the Yankees to one hit in three shutout innings on

the mound.

The Cardinals scored five runs in the third to build on a 2-0

lead. Bloom led off with his second home run, followed with singles

from Jake Starnes, Cory Vitalo, Stephen McAfee, Andrew Dunlap and

Billy McDonald.

Yankee pitcher Sam Cubiero limited the Cardinals to two runs

through the first two innings.

Riley Conroy, Zach Cabin and Clark Cashion led the Cardinal

defense, which held Yankee runners at second and third in the final

inning. Conroy, playing third, corralled a hard-hit grounder and

fired to Alex Morrison at first to end the game.

Chip Zucker and Brian Ford each reached with singles.

Ford played flawless shortstop while Eric Morris, Cubiero and Nico

Napolitano all played well for the Yankees.

In other Newport Beach Majors action:

* Mariners 2, Red Sox 0:

The Mariners won, despite tallying just one hit, an infield single

by Chris Freeman.

Both runs were unearned.

The Red Sox, who tallied five hits, had the tying runs on base in

the fifth inning, but John Doering relieved Freeman to stop the

threat.

Doering made a strong defensive play earlier in the game at

shortstop. He caught a pop up in short right-center field and threw

to first for a double play.

Weston Nielsen, J.B. Salem, Zach Haber, Dylan Pievac and David

Adamson each had hits for the Red Sox.

* Dodgers 6, Mariners 3:

Ben Capaldi threw a two-hitter while Donald Dalton singled and

doubled for the Dodgers.

Andrew Machoskie added two singles and two RBIs while Tanner

Trauthen singled and walked twice.

Chris Freeman doubled and had an RBI for the Mariners.

Evan Daniele pitched well for the Mariners.

* Cardinals 7, Mariners 3:

Vitalo pitched a five-hitter in leading the Cardinals to the win.

Bloom continued his torrid hitting, going 3 for 3 with two RBIs.

Starnes, Dunlap and Morrison also tallied RBI’s.

Vitalo’s sixth-inning single scored McDonald and Starnes to break

open a 2-2 game.

Vitalo and Mariner hurler Doering were locked in a pitchers’ duel

through five innings until the Cardinals scored five runs in the

sixth to build a lead the Mariners couldn’t overcome.

Freeman, Connor Gaal and Doering provided most of the Mariners’

offense. Freeman doubled in the sixth and Gaal’s single brought him

in.

* Cardinals 13, Angels 2:

Nick Treadaway had two hits and Cabin’s two RBIs led the

Cardinals.

McDonald also had a pair of hits and pitched three scoreless

innings with defensive help from catcher Starnes, centerfielder

Cashion and Conroy, who all made outstanding plays to hold off the

Angel bats.