Majors team falls in sectionals
The Ocean View Little League Majors All-Star team saw its postseason run come to an end Monday in an 8-5 loss to North Mission Viejo in Section 10 tournament play at Seaview Little League’s LeBard Park.
District 62 champion Ocean View began sectional play Saturday at Seaview Little League and scored a 2-1 victory over North Mission Viejo (District 68). But on Sunday, Ocean View suffered its first tournament loss, 6-2, to Aliso Viejo (District 55).
The following a recap of Ocean View’s run.
Ocean View 2, North Mission Viejo 1: Ben Drolet and Max Gibbs pitched a combined two-hitter to lead Ocean View to a 2-1 victory Saturday. Drolet struck out eight and gave up two hits and a run in five innings.
Gibbs wiped out a 1-0 North Mission Viejo lead when he homered over the fence in right-center field in the top of the fourth inning. Zac Lopez then singled to right field and Matt Mulholland, pinch running for Lopez, scored the winning run on a sacrifice fly by Brandon Fields.
Gibbs came on in relief of Drolet and struck out two in the sixth to complete the win.
Aliso Viejo 6, Ocean View 2: Ocean View couldn’t overcome a two-run home run in the first inning and six errors that led to three unearned runs.
Jake Bauers delivered a two-run home run in the fifth to account for Ocean View’s scoring.
North Mission Viejo 8, Ocean View 5: North Mission Viejo scored the final six runs of the game to atone for a Saturday loss and end Ocean View’s season.
A solo home run by Jake Bauers in the first inning, followed by a two-run home run by Max Gibbs in the third and a solo homer by Marcus Mayorga in the fourth, allowed Ocean View to open up a 5-2 lead.
But North Mission Viejo scored four runs in the fourth inning to take the lead for good, 6-5.
“I told the boys that they should be proud of their accomplishments this year,” Ocean View Coach Richard Lopez said. “Going into tonight’s play, there were only 30 teams left playing in Southern California. We are the first Ocean View Little League team to win District 62 since 2000 and I told the boys that nobody can ever take that away from them.
“I feel very fortunate to have been able to coach such a great group of young men. These boys were not only great baseball players, but they have great character.”
The Ocean View Little League Majors All-Star team is: Dylan Andersen, Andrew Arledge, Robert Baker, Jake Bauers, Jake Bryant, Tristan Chester, Ben Drolet, Brandon Fields, Max Gibbs, Zac Lopez, Marcus Mayorga, Matthew Mulholland, Brandon Williams, Coach Richard Lopez and assistants Phil Mayorga and Matt Arledge.
Ocean View 9-10 team vies for title
Ocean View’s 9-10 All-Star team showed just how it won the District 62 banner by opening the Section 10 tournament last weekend with two big wins in Mission Viejo.
The two wins advanced Ocean View to the division’s title game Wednesday night. The score wasn’t available at press time. A win Wednesday would send Ocean View into divisional tournament play beginning Saturday in San Diego.
On Saturday, Ocean View used a grand slam by Hagen Danner and a home run by Logan Pouelsen to defeat Aliso Viejo (District 55), 11-5. Ocean View came back Sunday to hand San Clemente a 9-1 defeat.
“Our bats really came to life early and often,” Ocean View Manager Sean Pouelsen said of the tournament-opening win. “We have such a good hitting team, that every game seems like there is a big hit or defensive stop made by a different player every game, and that keeps our team ahead. Steven Gingery and Michael Gates closed the game and kept our lead intact.”
Gingery turned in another strong pitching performance in Sunday’s win over San Clemente. Pouelsen said that Gingery “continues to be as strong in the first inning as he is in the sixth.”
“Solid hitting and defense was the key to our win on Sunday,” he said. “Matthew Rolfes came up with a huge bases loaded single in the third that started a two-out rally that broke the game open, and Michael Green also had two doubles that kept the pressure on.
“These boys have worked so hard. It is nice to see that it has paid off and that they are having the time of there young lives.”
The Ocean View 9-10 All-Star team is: Chad Minato, Hagen Danner, Logan Pouelsen, Steven Gingery, Nick Pratto, Hunter Simmons, Michael Green, Luke Williams, Brian Rousseau, Calvin Cruz, Michael Gates, Andres Galarza, Matthew Rolfes, Coach Sean Pouelsen and assistants Andy Williams and Bjorn Green.
Ocean View wins 10-11 District 62 title
In a game played July 9 that determined which team would win the District 62 title, Ocean View defeated Huntington Valley, 8-6, in the 10-11-year-old All-Star tournament finale at the Westminster Little League playing fields. At the Section 10 tournament, the locals won their opener but were eliminated in the second-chance bracket Monday.
In the opener, Ocean View defeated District 55, 8-4, but lost to District 68 the following day, 14-4. In the second-chance bracket, the District 62 champions couldn’t defeat District 55 again, falling, 12-1, to be eliminated.
Ocean View’s 10-11 All-Star team, coached by Alan Hurst, is: Daniel Amaral, Brandon Ezell, Jonathan GortonChristopher Hoffman, Connor Hurst, Luke Johnston, Parker Melfi, William Morehand, Stuart Morton, Jordan Oliver, Kirk Rodgers, Daniel Schulze and Nicholas Zapotoczny.
MIKE SCIACCA covers sports. He can be reached at (714) 966-4611 or by e-mail at michael.sciacca@latimes.com.
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