Vitalo’s home run isn’t enough to rescue Cards

Steve Virgen

After his team ended its season with a 6-4 loss, 12-year-old Cory Vitalo still found a reason to smile.

In his final at-bat, Vitalo, the third baseman for the Newport

Beach National Little League Cardinals, smacked his first-ever home

run. Vitalo’s homer was one of the bright spots for the Cardinals,

who lost to the Laguna Hills Astros in a third-round Majors Division

game of the District 55 Tournament of Champions Thursday at Vista

Bahia Park in San Clemente.

In the top of the sixth, Vitalo led off with the home run, sending

an 0-1 pitch just over the fence in center field. Though it was his

first dinger, Vitalo said he was not surprised that he put it over

the fence. In fact, he said he predicted the home run would happen

earlier in the game.

Vitalo promised he would hit a home run for teammate Michael

Bloom’s grandmother, Maureen, during the game.

“That felt good,” Vitalo said of his solo blast.

Vitalo’s jack gave life to the Cardinals, who were trying to mount

a comeback. But Astros pitcher Joey Bonutto and shortstop Cameron

Domenico made the plays their team needed to end the game. Domenico

was one of the stars of the game with five assists. He also went 2

for 2 with two runs scored.

“[Domenico] made the difference in the game,” Cardinals Manager

Jeff Bloom said. “If he doesn’t make some of those great plays he

had, we would have been able to make something happen.”

Jeff Bloom was disappointed the Astros scored two runs with two

outs in the first inning and again in the third.

“All we had to do was retire two guys and we probably win,” he

said. “If you were to tell me I was going to have four runs this

game, I would have told you that’s fine. That’s all we’d need.”

The Cardinals scored one run in the first, to grab control early.

Michael Bloom, the Cardinals’ starting pitcher and leadoff hitter,

sent a high fly ball to left field that the outfielder dropped.

Michael Bloom made it to third safely and later scored on a passed

ball.

However, the Astros came back with two runs in their half of the

first when Drew Corley delivered a two-run single with two outs and a

full count. The Astros could not bring Corley home because Michael

Bloom struck out the next batter.

Michael Bloom recorded seven strikeouts in the five innings. Jeff

Bloom said his son cut his finger on his right throwing hand early in

the first inning when he was trying to throw a split-finger pitch.

After the injury, Michael Bloom was not able to throw a curveball

effectively, the Cardinals Manager said.

“But the Astros won fair and square,” Jeff Bloom said. “They were

a very good team and they come up with those big hits.”

The Astros broke open the game with three runs on three hits in

the third. This time, Mike Wolff provided the backbreaking hit: a

two-out, two-run double. Yet, again, the Astros couldn’t bring Wolff

home because Michael Bloom struck out the next batter.

The Cardinals later answered with two runs on three hits in the

fourth inning. Alex Morrison led off with a single down the

left-field line and Vitalo followed with a double to right. Billy

Macdonald, who came in to run for Morrison, was nearly tagged out

when he was trying to get back to third after changing his mind about

going home.

But an errant throw to third allowed Macdonald to score and Vitalo

to go to third. Vitalo came home on Josh Starnes’ RBI single to the

gap in right-center field, but the Astros were still up, 5-3. They

scored an insurance run on yet another two-out situation in the

fourth.

Before the Astros scored their final run, Steven McAfee made what

Jeff Bloom called, “a phenomenal play,” with a catch in right field.

McAfee was playing deep, but charged, stretched and gloved a shallow

fly ball just before he hit the ground.

Jeff Bloom also said catcher Clark Cashion played well. Vitalo,

Macdonald, Starnes and Jake Starnes also contributed on defense.

The Cardinals, the Newport Beach National League champions, won

two games before playing the Astros.

The Cardinals defeated the Northwood Dodgers, 2-0, Saturday, and

beat Aliso Viejo’s No. 1 team, 6-3, Sunday.

“We had a good season, but that was just a tough way to end it,”

Jeff Bloom said.