American All-Stars answer call

All signs pointed to the Costa Mesa National Little League All-Stars

capturing their fifth consecutive Mayor’s Cup. But the American team

had other plans.

After dropping the first game, 7-3, Thursday, the Costa Mesa

American Little League All-Star team rebounded to win the second and

third games -- 7-2 and 6-0 at TeWinkle Middle School and Costa Mesa

High, respectively, Saturday to secure its first Mayor’s Cup in five

years.

“This is huge for us,” American Manager Jeff Hirsch said. “[Our

success] means a lot to this league.”

The American team was dominating on both offense and defense in

Game 3.

Tyler Sheffner sparked the offense, scoring the first run in the

second inning and driving in the second run with a two-out hit in the

third.

Then in the fourth inning, the American team blew the game open

with a four-run, two-out rally.

After two strikeouts to open the inning, Brendan Bonghanoy

singled. P.J. Maloney followed up with a two-run home run to

left-center.

“P.J.’s been an incredible leadoff hitter for us all year,” Hirsch

said. “He’s got power.”

Garrett Hirsch, who went 2 for 2 with a walk, kept the rally going

with a single, and Derek Amendola capped off the inning with a

two-run home run of his own.

“It was cool,” Amendola said. “I was only thinking about contact,

then I just hit it out.”

That made the lead 6-0 going into the final two innings, and the

National team’s bats were never able to mount a rally.

“[The fourth inning] really took the wind out of their sails,”

Jeff Hirsch said.

The real story of Game 3 according to coaches from both sides,

though, was the defensive effort of the American team, which held the

National’s All-Star lineup to only four hits and no runs in six

innings.

“They made the defensive plays,” National Manager Kirk Stone said.

The shut out effort was led by starting pitcher Logan Benter, who

pitched five innings and allowed only three hits while striking out

three. Brian Waldron preserved the shutout with a scoreless sixth,

which included one strikeout.

Benter was also 1 for 3 at the plate with an RBI.

Benter’s performance was even more amazing considering that he was

a substitute on earlier All-Star squads this year and had been asking

for more playing time.

“I don’t think he ever thought he’d be [starting], and neither did

I,” Jeff Hirsch said. “What he basically did was win the Mayor’s Cup

for us.”

It was a tough loss for the National team, who will have to wait

until next year to try to reclaim the trophy.

“We got overconfident mentally,” Stone said. “We thought we could

just cruise in and win one of the two games.”

Sho Watanabe and Victor Trujillo each doubled while Matt Carlyle

and Josh Hill both tallied singles for the National team.

In the first game Saturday, American batters walked seven times in

the first 1 2/3 innings.

Amendola finished 2 for 3 with a run and an RBI for the American

team while Hill was 1 for 3 with a run scored for the Nationals.

American pitchers combined for 11 strikeouts.

Even after the Game 1 loss, Hirsch remained confident.

“We figured our chance was better since [the National team] used

its best pitcher [A.J. Roth] all [first game],” Hirsch said.

Roth pitched six innings in the National’s 7-3 victory in Game 1

of the series.

Roth scored one run in the first game Saturday, but did not play

in the final game, opting instead to compete in a travel ball

contest.

Jeff Hirsch said his players approached the series in a relaxed

state.

“We were taking the approach that [the Mayor’s Cup] is a bonus.

“We really felt it would be a battle of defense ... and [Benter]

was solid. I knew we would face their best hitters in the last

inning, but with a six-run lead it’s a lot easier to pitch to them.”

Several players on the American squad competed for the Angels

during the regular season, guided by Jeff Hirsch, who claimed the

District 62 Tournament of Champions title.