Halos harken 2005 success

HUNTINGTON BEACH ? Some might suggest there remains a bit of magic in the uniforms.

And Manager John McLuckey has encouraged the same positive spirit in the dugout that helped last year’s Costa Mesa American Little League Angels win the Majors Division of the District 62 Tournament of Champions.

Little League legacies, however, can be as fleeting as a pre-teen player’s confidence, which wavered from the outset in a battle of Angels Monday night at LeBard Park.

But the Costa Mesa American Angels finally found their swagger in the fourth inning to help secure a 10-6 triumph over the Fountain Valley Angels in the opening round of the District 62 TOC.

The victory put the Costa Mesa Angels into Saturday’s quarterfinals against the winner of tonight’s game between the Costa Mesa National No. 1 team and Robinwood No. 2.

It also gave McLuckey’s squad 13 wins in its last 14 games.

“We’ve been on a roll,” said McLuckey, who might have said the same about his team’s seven-run fourth inning. “We have three kids who played on that championship team last season. The rest of these guys are up from Minor A and Minor B. But I know those three [returners] want that feeling again.”

Tyler Sheffner and J.T. McLuckey lead those three returners, who also include Brendon Bonghanoy who was sidelined for Monday’s game.

Sheffner played like someone with another championship on his mind. He was two for four with a two-run double in the fourth and pitched the final two innings to wrap up the win.

“[Sheffner] has been our closer all year,” John McLuckey said. “He throws hard and his ball moves a lot.”

Sheffner struck out the side in the fifth and fanned another in the sixth, when Fountain Valley scored an unearned run.

But Sheffner shared the spotlight with several teammates.

Among the other Costa Mesa standouts were outfielder Jack Bunker, infielder Ryan Taormina, catcher Tyler Taormina, and Andrew Dean.

Bunker, hitting seventh in the order, went three for three with two RBIs, two runs and a stolen base. He singled twice in the fruitful fourth.

Ryan Taormina head two singles and reached on an error. He drove in a run with a single in the fourth and scored a pair of runs. But his biggest contribution may have been his defense at shortstop, second base and third base.

Tyler Taormina was two for four and scored a run.

Dean was one for two with an RBI and scored a run. He also pitched the middle two innings.

Dean’s single opened the scoring for the designated home team in the first inning, knotting the score after Fountain Valley opened with a run in its first at-bat.

Fountain Valley went up, 2-1, in the second, but Costa Mesa scored twice. The rally, aided by a Fountain Valley error, included singles by Ryan Taormina and Bunker, followed by a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt by Cody Hanify.

Fountain Valley scored three in the fourth to take a 5-3 advantage. But that was short-lived.

After Ryan Taormina reached on an error to open the Costa Mesa fourth, Bunker and Jordan Tate followed with singles, the latter producing a run.

Following a strikeout, Sheffner doubled in two, then Tyler Taormina and McLuckey singled. Dean was hit by a pitch to load the bases and the next batter hit into a force play at home.

Ryan Taormina then singled in a run and Bunker belted a two-run single to cap the outburst.

Garrett Prather played solidly at first base for Costa Mesa, for which Aaron Axtell caught a fly ball in right field to typify the team’s solid defense. Costa Mesa committed its only error in the sixth inning.

Kurtis Williams also chipped in for the winners, who defeated their Fountain Valley namesakes for the second time in three meetings this season.