Little league: A day in the sun for the Angels

Steve Virgen

COSTA MESA - The Angels, a Costa Mesa American Little League team,

enjoyed a most memorable day at the plate in their 23-6 victory over the

National’s Astros Saturday at TeWinkle Intermediate.

The Astros, however, certainly weathered the storm as they played the

full six innings since there is no mercy rule in the Minor B division.

“It was great for us to get that extra inning,” Astros Coach Chris

Wilson said as the teams beat the time limit rule and squeezed in one

more frame. “That gave us good practice. We have a lot of first-year

players and it seems like with each game the guys get a little better.”

Also improving are the Angels who earned their seventh win of the

season by scoring at least four runs in the first four innings, including

a seven-run fourth.

With a 13-4 lead, Greg Gute pounded a two-run double, scoring Scott

MacIntosh, who singled, and Jared Snyder, who walked. Scott Beach

displayed some savvy base running when he sprinted home on a passed ball,

scoring the first run of that fourth inning.

“It was great to see the team suppport all around,” Angels Manager

Jeff Hirsch said. “These guys really stand behind each other. I just

really liked the way the team stepped up.”

Hirsch also said he was pleased with Matthew McEachern who pitched for

the first time in his young career and recorded a perfect fifth inning

with two strikeouts. He fanned another two batters in the sixth when he

caught a fly ball for the first out.

The Astros scored two runs in each of the first two innings, but still

trailed, 9-4.

Third baseman Matthew Baxter, of the Astros, cracked an RBI single in

the first inning and Nick Akutagawa and Jeffrey Guillen earned an RBI

each in the second.

McEachern, Nico Sauceda and Brian Waldron finished with two hits each

and the Angels’ trio scored two runs each. Waldron pounded a triple in

the first inning when the Angels scored four runs and Joey Blackwell

slammed a double when they tallied five runs in the second.

COSTA MESA AMERICAN LITTLE LEAGUE

Minor B Division

THE ANGELS

12 Scott Beach

14 Joey Blackwell

4 Greg Gute

11 Garrett Hirsch 9 Danny Hurley

13 Scott MacIntosh

15 Matthew McEachern

1 Matthew Mendoza

8 Corbin Randall

10 Nico Sauceda

3 Jared Snyder

6 Brian Waldron

Manager: Jeff Hirsch

Coaches: Scott Beach and Bill McEachern

COSTA MESA NATIONAL LITTLE LEAGUE

THE ASTROS

4 Matt Tellis

13 Matthew Baxter

10 Zach Baldwin

9 Anthony Telez

8 Coleman Brown

11 Arturo Briones 6 Shane Becker

1 Jillian Beck

12 Nick Akutagawa

2 Jeffrey Guillen

3 Kylie Wilson

Manager: Ron Baldwin

Coach: Chris Wilson