Angels act as streak-busters

Bryce Alderton

Little did the Costa Mesa National majors division Dodgers and their

manager, Kim Pederson, expect the streak to end this way.

On an 18-game winning streak, the Dodgers entered Saturday

morning’s District 62 Tournament of Champions quarterfinal against

the Seaview Angels riding high, but they were knocked off course and

out of the event by the team in red, 10-1, at LeBard Park.

“We were due to have a bad one, but I still hoped it wouldn’t come

today and in this fashion,” Pederson said. “[The Angels’] pitching

held us down and they made some great plays.”

The Angels (19-3) -- champions of their majors division -- gave

the Dodgers (23-3), also champions of their league, fits at the plate

with starting pitcher Chris Czerniachowski and reliever Kyle Boswell.

Each threw three innings with Czerniachowski changing speeds at

will, causing many Dodgers to swing at balls out of the strike zone,

while Boswell fired fastball after fastball.

The Dodgers, who relied on their ability to score runs this

season, Pederson said, managed only one run Saturday with two hits.

They cut the Angel lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the fifth when

Frank DeNoewer, the Dodgers’ starting pitcher, went to first after

being hit with a pitch on the inside of his right knee with one out.

He shook off the pain and advanced to second on an Eric Mickelson

single and took third when the right fielder booted the ball. With

Eric McCool batting, Mickelson took off for second to draw a throw

from the catcher. DeNoewer immediately raced toward the plate to

score.

Any momentum the Dodgers might have gained in the fifth was

quickly squashed by six runs in the Angel sixth, keyed by two RBIs

each from Boswell and Dean Wall. The Angels slammed six of their 11

hits in the sixth, giving the Dodgers a taste of their own medicine.

“We prided ourselves on hitting all year, but just didn’t have it

today,” Pederson said. “The first time the kids went to bat we talked

about not fishing for low pitches. The kids haven’t seen sliders

thrown in the dirt like that before. I don’t blame them [for

swinging]. I wouldn’t be able to [hold back] either.”

Czerniachowski, the Angels’ left-handed ace, according to Manager

Chris Miller, struck out six in three innings while allowing no walks

and one hit. Boswell gave up only one hit as well while walking only

two.

Starting catcher Mike Morley singled up the middle with one out in

the second, took second on a passed ball and stole third. But

Czerniachowski struck out the final two batters to avoid any damage.

Josh Ryding walked, stole second standing up and took third on a

fielder’s choice in the fourth. But another strikeout ended the

threat.

“We couldn’t get the hit with two outs today and that is what

we’ve done so well throughout the season,” said Pederson, in his

seventh and final year coaching in the league. He will manage the

major all-stars when play begins July 7. The key to Czerniachowski’s

and Boswell’s success on the mound Saturday is twofold, according to

Angel Manager Chris Miller.

“[Chris] has a good changeup, a cutter away and a fastball,”

Miller said. “He keeps the ball down to get groundballs, which keeps

the big guys from hitting home runs. [Catcher Ryan Miller] keeps [the

pitchers] in the ball game, which makes all the difference.”

DeNoewer struck out four in five innings while allowing four runs

on five hits.

“I coached [DeNoewer] since Minor B,” Pederson said. “He pitched

great today. If the defense would have made a few more plays, we

would have held [the Angels] even more.”

With the TOC semifinals slated for Monday, Pederson wanted the

option of using either 12-year-olds Cody Green and/or Nick Pederson

-- the latter unbeaten as the Dodgers’ closer. Green pitched into the

fifth and Pederson finished the 7-4 Dodger win Monday over the Costa

Mesa American Little League Yankees. DeNoewer, also a 12-year-old,

rounds out the Dodger rotation.

“Little League rules state that 12-year-olds can only pitch 12

innings in a week,” Kim Pederson said.

“It makes it hard [to schedule pitchers] when you play three games

in a week,” Chris Miller added.

The Dodgers eluded further trouble in the first after the Angels

had already taken a 2-0 lead. With Dan Givens batting, Morley caught

the pitch and fired to Pederson covering second as Aaron Birk went

halfway up the second-base line. Pederson flipped to Ryding at first

and the pickle was on. Ryding relayed to third baseman Green and he

then tossed to Nick Oliver, who made the tag.

In the sixth, Alex Grosek, playing in center field, ran forward to

make a sliding grab of a shallow popup. Bryan Maurer finished the

game on the mound for the Dodgers while Matt Telles and Coleman Brown

each had one plate appearance. Brown made a running catch in left

field in the first.