On to the Super Series Nationals for Yard Dogs

The Orange County Yard Dogs, an under-18 traveling baseball team

with members from Costa Mesa High, is on its way to the Super Series

Nationals in Peoria, Ariz., July 19-26.

The Yard Dogs qualified with three wins in the Southern California

Super Series in Moreno Valley.

The Yard Dogs defeated the Diamond Bar Diamondbacks in two games

to advance to the nationals.

The Yard Dogs won the first meeting between the two teams, 7-6.

Brett Douglas drew a walk in the seventh with his team trailing by

one. Alex Pisarski (Costa Mesa High) reached on an error and Nathan

Hunter (Costa Mesa) drove in both runners. Douglas closed out the

game in the bottom of the same inning.

The Diamondbacks had scored four runs on a grand slam in the

sixth.

Justin Peterson (Costa Mesa) started for the Yard Dogs and struck

out the first batter he faced before getting two ground balls to get

out of the inning.

Robert Rodriguez (Costa Mesa) hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Mike

McGuire (Costa Mesa) to give the Yard Dogs a 3-0 lead.

Peterson struck out the side in the second and Hunter and Chino

Hills’ Steve Oviedo both scored in the same inning.

In the fourth inning of the teams’ second matchup (in the finals),

Rodriguez, Charlie Cortez and Pisarski all scored after collecting

hits, to propel the Yard Dogs to a 7-5 victory.

The Yard Dogs scored one run in the sixth on a single by Brian

Beck following a walk to McGuire and a sacrifice by Hunter.

Hunter also sparkled defensively, throwing out a runner in the

final inning as Douglas closed out the game. Beck had three hits in

the game (two doubles) and tallied a .890 on base percentage,

striking out only five times in the last 11 tournament games.

A defensive struggle ensued in Game 3 pitting the Yard Dogs

against the Inland Terror.

The game came down to the bottom of the seventh with two outs.

Beck walked and stole second. Hunter then walked and Canyon High’s

Mark Imanuel drove the ball to the gap in right-center field to win

the game.

The Yard Dogs tied the game in the top of the sixth when Hunter

walked and Imanuel singled to bring up Cameron Lazarus. Lazarus

singled to tie the game.

Earlier Imanuel made a diving catch in left field to help starter

John Bravo.

Pisarski at third and Beck at first both made tough plays to get

out of an inning.

Bravo took the mound in the first game, against the Mission Viejo

Cougars, and struck out five while walking three.

Strong defense continued to show the way for the Yard Dogs as

Pisarski and Beck continued steady play.

The offense was provided by Imanuel, who knocked in Cortez, and

then Rodriguez doubled to drive in McGuire, who had walked and stole

second.

Oviedo came in for middle relief and Douglas threw in the low 90s

(mph) to close out the game.

Hunter and Imanuel tallied batting averages of .620 and .543,

respectivelyDaniel Cooper pitched an 8-0 victory in pool play.

Tryouts for the Yard Dogs are ongoing.

For information, contact [email protected].