DISTRICT 62 TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS:
Logan Pouelsen was pitcher-perfect Tuesday.
The Ocean View pitcher faced 18 Huntington Valley batters in a second-round Area 1 Minor A Division game at the Little League District 62 Tournament of Champions and in each instance, he recorded a strikeout.
His phenomenal performance set the tone for the Bats, who blanked the A’s, 10-0, in a battle between teams that had won their respective tournament openers on Saturday.
“I just tried to pitch hard,” Pouelsen said. “I was just trying to find the strike zone and everything went right through.”
Catcher Hagen Danne had a hand in the performance, and Pouelsen praised his battery mate.
“Nothing got past him,” he said.
Pouelsen, who hadn’t thrown a no-hitter before, needed 72 pitches to subdue the A’s.
The Bats, who improved to 22-2 overall, were led offensively by Michael Green and Corey Hawk both of whom hit a two-run home run.
Ocean View, which began the tournament Saturday with an 11-2 win over Costa Mesa National’s second-place team, will play today in one of two Minor A Division semifinal games.
The Bats will face the winner of Wednesday’s second-round game between Robinwood No. 1 and Westminster No. 2 at 5:30 p.m. at the Ocean View fields.
A win today would send Ocean View into the Minor A title game at 10 a.m. Saturday, also at Ocean View.
Huntington Valley had advanced to Tuesday’s second-round by defeating Fountain Valley No. 1, 7-4, Saturday, but Tuesday’s loss eliminated the A’s from district title contention.
In another Minor A Division game Tuesday, Westminster No. 1 outlasted Costa Mesa National No. 1, 11-10, in Area 2 play at Seaview Little League.
Westminster No. 1 will face either Robinwood No. 2 or Ocean View No. 2 in a semifinal game at 5:30 p.m. today at Seaview.
Majors Division
Ocean View 6, Costa Mesa National 0: Ben Drolet threw a no-hitter for three innings, Tristan Chester gave up one hit in 2 2/3 innings’ work and Brandon Ezell needed just one pitch to complete Ocean View’s victory Tuesday in a second-round game.
The host Mets, who won the Majors Division title at Ocean View, will play a 5:30 p.m. division semifinal game today at Ocean View. They’ll face the winner of Wednesday’s second-round game between Seaview No. 2 and Fountain Valley No. 1, with the winner of today’s game moving on to Saturday’s division final at 10 a.m.
The Costa Mesa National Diamondbacks, the No. 2 entry from their league, had defeated Robinwood No. 1, 1-0, Saturday.
“I thought we played great defense and got some key hits today,” Ocean View Manager Richard Lopez said after the Mets recorded their ninth shutout victory of the season to improve to 20-4 overall.
“Ben was awesome. He had complete domination and was in control. Tristan kept the ball low and made them hit into grounders. He’s a real battler. And Brandon finished it off.”
In a 40-pitch performance that lasted three innings, Drolet struck out seven and didn’t allow a walk to keep the Diamondbacks off the basepaths. Lopez said Drolet will “likely” start today’s semifinal game.
Chester entered at the outset of the bottom of the fourth inning and threw 37 pitches. The right-hander struck out three and gave up a fourth-inning, two-out single to Matt Jarmacz, a solid drive to right field that turned out to be the lone hit for the Diamondbacks.
Chester left the game with two out and a runner at second base in the bottom of the sixth.
He was replaced by Ezell, who got Alex Chairez to ground out to the mound on his first pitch to end the game.
Ocean View built a 3-0 first-inning lead on Costa Mesa National starter Jonathan Ball. Drolet started the game with a triple, Chester was hit by a pitch and Grant Peugh walked to load the bases. But Ball settled down to register consecutive strikeouts before his first pitch to Mitch Vega went wild, which allowed Drolet to score. Vega then sent a line shot off the glove of Diamondbacks second baseman Noah JeyaRajah that ricocheted into right field and both Chester and Peugh scored to make it 3-0.
The Mets scored their fourth run in the third inning when Ben Roth had a lead-off single and scored with two out on a wild pitch to Ezell. Luke Johnston also singled in the inning.
They posted their final two runs in their next at-bat. Drolet scored on another fielding error by the Diamondbacks and later came home on a wild pitch to make it 6-0.
Ocean View has outscored its two tournament opponents, 16-0.
The Mets began the district event Saturday with a 10-0 mercy rule win over Westminster No. 2.
The first-place team from Costa Mesa National, the Red Sox, joined Ocean View in the winner’s circle Tuesday by defeating the Westminster Braves, 4-1, in an Area 2 contest at Seaview Little League.
Minor B Division
Ocean View 5, Seaview 4: In a battle between the No. 1 team from Ocean View and the No. 2 entry from Seaview Monday, James Williams stole home in the bottom of the sixth inning to push the Diamond Jaxx past the Tigers to remain undefeated on the season and advance in the tournament.
The Seaview Tigers, led by the top-notch pitching of Julian Clyne, held the lead throughout the first five innings. The Diamond Jaxx rallied in both the fourth and fifth innings, led by key hits from Grant Rockefeller and Ben McConnell.
Zeke Ziegler led the Diamond Jaxx in the field and on the mound, notching the win by shutting down the Tigers in the final inning.
In second-round action Tuesday, Huntington Valley No. 1 advanced by beating Fountain Valley No. 2, 4-2, in Area 2 play at Seaview, and Huntington Valley No. 2 moved on after eliminating Robinwood No. 1, 9-4.
Junior League
The No. 1 team from Seaview secured a spot in Saturday’s Junior title game by edging Huntington Valley No. 2, 4-3, Tuesday at the Westminster Little League fields.
Seaview will face the winner of tonight’s game between Huntington Valley No. 2 and Westminster, in Saturday’s 1 p.m. championship game.
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