Ocean View responds to deficit to win District 62 title

HUNTINGTON BEACH — It was only the bottom of the first inning of Monday’s championship game of the District 62 Little League All-Stars tournament, and already Ocean View had dug itself into a 2-0 hole against Costa Mesa National.

Yet the remainder of the way, Ocean View tamed Costa Mesa National, scored the final five runs of the game at Seaview Little League’s LeBard Field and went on to claim a 5-2 victory and the District 62 banner.

“The kids came out very tense but I was really happy with how they finished the game,” said Manager Richard Lopez who will lead Ocean View into the Section 10 tournament that begins Saturday.

Ocean View will take on District 68 (Mission Viejo) in a 10 a.m. start. Seaview also is hosting the Section 10 event.

“We got things out of our system after that first inning, stayed together and kept pressing until the end. We beat a very good Costa Mesa team who had a crafty pitcher out there today.”

Costa Mesa National, whose line-up included several members from the league’s Majors Division team that beat Ocean View two weeks ago to win the District 62 Tournament of Champions, took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Dante Capoccia ripped a single to the wall in center field and on the play, Ryan West, who was on first base, scored on an errant relay throw. Capoccia later scored on a sacrifice groundout by Jake Stone.

Ocean View, though, came right back in the top of the second to produce three runs and take the lead for good.

Brandon Williams began the inning with a double to right field and an out later, Andrew Arledge walked. Dylan Andersen, batting in the No. 9 spot, firmly singled to left field to drive in Williams from second base for Ocean View’s first run. Matt Mulholland, pinch running for Arledge, ended up scoring on a passed ball to tie the score.

With two out, Ben Drolet, saddled with a full count, sent a shot up the gap toward the fence in left field. The hit brought home Andersen and gave Ocean View a 3-2 lead.

From that point on, Costa Mesa National never threatened offensively. Drolet, who settled down after the first inning, contained Costa Mesa National and allowed just two hits over the final five innings. Ocean View’s defense didn’t allow a runner past first base after the first inning.

“I was confident going into the game but lost a little bit of that confidence in that first inning,” said Drolet, a right-handed pitcher. “After that first inning, I realized that I didn’t need to strikeout everybody, just throw effectively and my defense did the rest. They were great out there.”

Drolet did end the game on a strikeout, sending Matt Jarmacz, who threw five-plus innings for Costa Mesa National, to the bench for the final out.

A key sequence for Ocean View came in the fifth inning. Max Gibbs singled and Mulholland, in his only at-bat of the game, delivered a sacrifice fly down the right field line to bring home Gibbs for a 4-2 lead.

“That was an instrumental sequence for us,” Lopez said. “We just played fundamental baseball and were able to squeeze out another run right there.

“I also thought when Matt (Mulholland) scored on that passed ball in the second inning, that play seemed to revitalize our kids.”

Ocean View scored an insurance run in the top of the sixth when clean-up hitter Marcus Mayorga drilled the first pitch with two out and two on in the inning, up the middle to score Robert Baker to make it 5-2.

MIKE SCIACCA covers sports. He can be reached at (714) 966-4611 or by e-mail at michael.sciacca@latimes.com.