CMALL Angels bumped by Seaview
HUNTINGTON BEACH – On any level of baseball, pitching counts. But in Little League Baseball, pitch counts that limit wear and tear on young arms can create strategic challenges for those handling the lineup.
Manager Luis Vasquez and his assistant coaches faced such challenges on Thursday, when their Costa Mesa American Little League Minor B Division Angels came up short in a 4-3 loss to the Seaview River Dogs in a District 62 Tournament of Champions semifinal at Wardlow Park.
“There was a bit of strategy involved with pitchers, pitch counts and wanting to have pitchers available for [a potential championship game on Saturday],” Vasquez said. “Anyone who threw more than 35 pitches [Thursday] would have been burned for Saturday.”
While pitch-count limitations helped dictate pitching changes for the Angels, ultimately, it was the River Dogs’ hitters whom Vasquez cited for the difference Thursday.
The Angels, the designated visitors, opened a 1-0 lead in the first inning, then with the benefit of strong relief pitching from Isaiah Vasquez, were able to turn a 2-1 deficit into 3-2 lead in the fourth.
That’s how things stood entering the bottom of the sixth, when a mishap in the outfield helped Seaview score twice for the walk-off win.
With one out, a collision between outfielders in left-center field led to an error, that put the tying run at second base. After a wild-pitch advanced the runner, Luke Jenner hit an RBI single that drew the River Dogs even.
After two pitches to the screen put the winning run at third, followed by a hit batter, a sacrifice fly to left plated the game-winner, ending the Angels’ season.
“We did what we could, but the top of their order could hit,” Luis Vasquez said. “We definitely had a good season, but it would have been nice to get to [the final]. We were almost there. The boys played well and I’m proud of them.
Isaiah Vasquez came on with two outs and the bases loaded in the first and needed just three pitches to end the threat and maintain a 1-1 tie. He worked four innings, striking out six, walking none and yielding just two hits and one run.
With the tying run at third base and two outs in the fifth, Bennett Molica took the mound and struck out the first hitter he faced to protect the lead.
Vaughn McCrea and Zach Myers keyed the offense for the Angels, each going two for two to account for the team’s four hits.
Myers singled home McCrea in the first inning and both singled with one out to spark the Angels’ fourth-inning rally.
With McCrea on second base and Myers on first, a comebacker off the bat of Matthew Pinon was fielded by the pitcher, who threw to third for the would-be force out. But the throw was mishandled by the third baseman for an error, allowing McCrea to score and putting runners on second and third.
Molica hit a run-scoring grounder to shortstop that was booted for an error. Molica’s RBI put the Angels in front, 3-2.
Outside of the Angels who scored, only one runner reached third base against Seaview pitchers Noah Hunter and Jake Estrin.
Josiah Chase and Isaiah Vasquez also reached on errors, while Caleb Vidal and Noah Bertrand both walked for the Angels. Javier Diaz also reached to open the Costa Mesa fifth when he was hit by a pitch.
Valentino Estrada and Markus Martinez also put the ball in play for the Angels, for whom Blayden Pittman also contributed.
Luis Vasquez said Myers and McCrea had bit hits during a six-run eighth-inning that led to a 10-4 semifinal win in Wednesday’s quarterfinals.
Vasquez also said Myers earned the pitching win in relief on Wednesday, after also playing a leading role on the bump in the team’s 15-5 opening-round win over Huntington West No. 2.
Thursday was the Angels’ third game in the tournament, while it was only the second for the River Dogs, who received a first-round bye.
The Angels’ assistant coaches were Zach McCrea and Rigo Pinon.
