Ocean View rolls in series opener, 9-1

Mike Sciacca, Independent

After rolling past three opponents to handily win the Area 1 title

last weekend, Ocean View Little League figured to finally get its first

stiff challenge of the 2000 District 62 All-Star Majors Division

Tournament Tuesday night in Westminster, the unbeaten champion from Area

2.

Such wasn’t the case.

In much the same fashion to its three previous Mercy Rule tournament

victories, Ocean View had its way with Westminster, rolling to a 9-1

victory at Huntington Valley Little League to go up, 1-0, in a

best-of-three series that continued Wednesday, and again tonight (5

p.m.), if a third game was needed.

Ocean View, which has outscored its four district opponents, 41-2,

came thisclose to getting another mercy decision, but Trey Valbuena’s

potential grand slam home run with two out in the bottom of the second

inning was denied when Westminster’s Tony Gutierrez made the catch at the

top of the fence in center field.

That play wasn’t the only thing that didn’t seem to go Ocean View’s

way, as they lit up Westminster starting pitcher Andrew Tull for four

runs on three hits and a walk in the first inning. In just seven pitches,

Ocean View had a 3-0 lead.

Hank Conger drew a lead off walk, and scored when Jeff Van Doornum

took a 1-0 pitch for a home run to center field. One pitch following Van

Doornum’s blast, Dallas Walters sent a blistering home run to nearly the

same spot as Van Doornum’s, as Ocean View took a 3-0 lead. Greg Gonzalez

brought home the fourth run of the frame with a full count single, which

scored Chris Palmer, who also had singled.

“The kids really came out and hit the ball well tonight,” Ocean View

Manager Hank Conger said. “On top of that, I thought Chris (Palmer) threw

a wonderful game. He was facing a good hitting Westminster team, and did

a great job.”

Palmer pitched an outstanding game, his off-balance artillery limiting

Westminster to one run on two hits and four walks, to go along with eight

strikeouts in four innings work.

Ocean View’s offense continued to roll in the second and third

innings, getting an RBI single from Walters, who drove in James Kang

(single), and Conger all but sealed the victory with a three-run home run

in the third inning for an 8-0 lead.

Ocean View’s scored its final run in the fourth when Valbuena scored

on a Westminster error.