Ninjas win Irvine championship

The Newport-Mesa 12-and-under girls’ softball team, known as the Ninjas, won the Irvine Fastpitch softball championship Saturday night at Colonel Bill Barber Stadium in Irvine.

This is the second year in a row that Newport-Mesa has won the Irvine league championship.

In the championship game, Newport-Mesa played a tough Irvine Cookie Monster squad, and emerged with a hard-fought 12-10 victory in seven innings. Catcher Sammy Whitney was the offensive star of the game with two home runs (the latter the game-winner), a double and three runs scored. The Ninjas also received strong offensive support from Riley Gerdau (single, double, walk), Haley Martinez (two runs scored), Ashley McNerney and Shea Horvath (single, walk, two runs scored).

On defense, pitchers Kelly Owen and Gerdau pitched well in the victory and were supported by several key plays by first baseman Lucia Rasmussen.

In the semifinals, the Ninjas played a nearly flawless game, defeating the Irvine Poison Dart Frogs, 14-0. Riley Gerdau and Owen combined to pitch the one-hit shutout as the Ninja defense made several outstanding plays to thwart any potential rallies.

The Ninjas received timely hits from Shea Horvath, Sammy Whitney (two singles, double), Owen (two singles), Natalie Brown, Anika Philips, Raine Finley and Jordan Calvin. On defense, the Ninjas were led by catchers Whitney and Gabrielle Albert, as well as shortstop Sabrina Lautenbach.

Little League

Fleming’s add four

more to win total

Fleming’s 11, Arch Bay 3

Sam Kobrine pitched five innings against Arch Bay on April 28 to earn the win and Will Favreau retired the side to close it out in Newport Beach action.

Blake Kormos hit a three-run homer in the first. Jack Genova and Conor Costello had big hits and RBIs in the third. Jonathan White and Favreau each snagged line drives in the infield and doubled runners off bases.

Jack Van Dalsem accounted for all of Arch Bay’s runs with a three-run homer in the fourth.

Flemings 15, Speed 2

Alex Shadid allowed only two runs against House Of Speed on May 5 and Favreau closed out the game in the fourth.

Speed’s Chase Dugan kept Fleming’s off the scoreboard for the first three innings aided by Benny Brook’s grab of a line drive smoked down the third base line. Finally, Favreau came up with the bases loaded and brought in the first two Fleming’s runs with a single up the middle.

Later, Brett Super hit a bomb over the right fielder with the bases juiced. Kobrine had three RBIs with a single and double. Second baseman Ethan Wien made a spectacular catch of a high pop fly down the right-field foul line. Chloe Wallace on the mound in relief for Speed saved two runs by snaring a line drive headed to centerfield.

Fleming’s 9, Boone Action Turf 2

Super threw a complete game May 8. Kobrine continued his hot hitting with two line drives to left, the second over the left fielder. Wien had a terrific throw from right field to home and manufactured the first run with a single followed by steals of second, third and home. Noah Katz continued to get on base and score runs. Cameron Kormos returned from injury and lined a pitch just foul in his first at bat of the season. Wien ran his streak of errorless games to 13.

Fleming’s 13 Arch Bay 3

Shadid came on in relief May 11 and sat down eight of the nine batters he faced. Super stroked two doubles, Favreau had a double and a single and Blake Kormos and Alec Tak each had two singles.

Dodgers win third

straight in league play

The Costa Mesa American Little League Major Dodgers won their third straight game May 4 against the Angels, 8-0.

Dodgers starting pitcher Paul King did not allow any runs the first two innings thanks to a solid defense behind him.

The Dodgers defense remained consistent as relievers James Barton, William Leiby and Frankie Rodriguez also did not allow any Angel runners to score.

The Angels offense was once again led by Jesse Campbell, who collected a pair of singles while Cole Chambers and Ben Resnick each had singles.

The Dodgers’ offense was sparked early by Johnny Blommer, who led off with a double that hopped over the center-field fence. James Barton followed with an RBI single and Evan Larsen hit a double. Staring pitcher Michael Jarboe got the next two batters out but then issued a walk to Alejandro Vargas to load the bases. Jarboe then recorded a strikeout.

Ryan Lether singled in the top of the third. Lether moved over to third on a couple of passed balls. Blommer then singled in Lether.

Barton followed with his second single, then Larsen hit a two-run triple to right center and he scored on an errant throw to third base.

Daniel Morales followed with a home run, his third of the season for the Dodgers.

The Dodgers led, 7-0, after three innings of play.

Garett Kerley led off the fifth inning with a walk and then moved over to third on a couple of passed balls.

Kerley scored on a one-hop line drive to second base by Lether.

Minor A Division

CMALL Yankees 6,

CMNLL Dodgers 4

Cade Schobel dominated the mound for five innings for the Yankees.

Success started early for Schobel, as he struck out the first two batters he faced and retired the side in the top of the first.

Schobel also retired the side in order with two strikeouts in the second inning.

In the bottom of the second, Yankees Omar Munoz and Antoine Jackson both walked. Munoz and Jackson took advantage of some wild Dodger pitching, advancing and scoring to put the Yankees up 2-0.

George Williamson and Schobel led off the third inning with walks. Munoz scored them both with a hard shot to left-center.

The Dodgers scored in the top of the fifth, combining a walk, a single and two stolen bases.

Munoz hammered his second hit with a single in the bottom of the fifth. He stole second and third base before scoring on a passed ball, putting the Dodgers up 6-2.

The Yankees hung on in the top of the sixth, as Jackson came on in relief of Schobel.

The Dodgers scored twice, before the Yankees held them off.