AAA team clinches first
The UPS Store topped Morgan Stanley, 10-9, on May 1 in the Laguna Beach Little League AAA Division in the teams’ final regular-season meeting this year. This game was a battle from start to finish, just like their prior games where UPS won. 11-7. Morgan Stanley won, 7-6, and the teams tied 7-7 in the other meeting.
Saturday’s game was no different. Jack Wills hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the 1st inning for UPS to start the scoring. Morgan Stanley came back in the top of the third to make it 3-3 with a two-out hit by Judge Washer. In the bottom of the third, UPS scored five runs with hits by Carson Cushing, Connor Coscino, Kegan Babick, Tyler Jackson, Cameron Garcia and Ryan Blaser to make the score, 8-3. But in the fourth inning, Morgan Stanley’s Zach Washer hit a home run and William Lichtenstein scored on a fielder’s choice by Cole Van Riette to make the score, 8-5.
In the fifth inning, Morgan Stanley tied the score at 8 with walks to Dylan Schreyer and Thomas Garcia and hits by Judge and Zach Washer. In the bottom of the fifth, Wills hit his second two-run home run of the day and UPS took the lead, 10-8. Jackson followed up Wills’ home run with a double off the left-field fence, but he was unable to score. In the top of the sixth, Morgan Stanley scored a run and loaded the bases with no outs. However, Tyler Cheves proceeded to strike out the side to end the game.
UPS utilized three pitchers in the victory: Tyler Jackson, Carson Cushing and Tyler Cheves. Zach Washer and Joshua McManus pitched for Morgan Stanley. With the victory, UPS’ record is 11-1-2 and it has clinched first place with two games to play.
— Eric Wills, Community Correspondent
Majors Division
Hobie 8, Fantasy Designs 4: Team Hobie recently met up with Fantasy Designs at Laguna’s Riddle Field. While Fantasy was leading the league, Team Hobie showed what perseverance is all about.
Fantasy took a 2-0 lead when Cole Paxson smacked a home run to center field.
Trailing 3-0 in the top of the third, Hobie fought back.
With two outs, Ian Detweiler got on base and watched as teammate Drake Butler hit his second home run of the season. Kenji Lee, Billy Howie and Dominic Droulez loaded the bases, and Lee and Howie both scored on Luc Meier’s double for a 4-3 Hobie lead. From there, Hobie extended its lead to 6-3 as Droulez and Meier both scored runs.
Fantasy scored again in the fourth when Cole Paxson worked his way home, but Hobie’s Kenji Lee struck out two more batters, with third baseman William Bonn throwing to first baseman Tyler Alter for out No. 3.
Hobie continued to extend the lead when Alter hit a massive home run out of the park and Detweiler was brought home by Lee. Lee continued to dominate the mound by shutting out Fantasy in the fifth. Fantasy’s pitcher Will McInerny also did a stellar job of keeping Hobie from scoring in the sixth.
AA Division
Lumberyard 12, Special K’s 9: A recent game at Riddle Field found AA teams Special K’s and Team Lumberyard both battling to make the plays and bring in runs.
In the top of the first inning, the Special K’s got on the board early with runs from Christian Holm, Ryan Caraher, Connor Kramer and Jayden Kovacic.
Lumberyard was next to bat, and Lance Detweiler singled to first and was brought home when teammate Cole Fink had a hit to center field.
A strong-hitting performance from Sam Reynolds earned him two runs batted in when he brought home Fink and Connor Sorensen. Jett Cole’s RBI brought in Reynolds to tie the score at 4.
The Special K’s started strong in the second inning with a grounder from Noah Haymond.
Taylor Powlowski got on base next, but it was the home run from Nolan Smith that got the crowd cheering and gave his team an 8-4 lead.
Lumberyard then got serious and pitcher Reynolds proceeded to strike out three of the next four batters.
Lumberyard rallied back in bottom of the second with Francis Pillsbury, Loughlin and Michelson all coming home.
Reynolds took the mound again in the third and was backed by strong fielding from his teammates, allowing only the Special K’s Taylor Kaye to score. Sorenson, Pillsbury and Loughlin loaded the bases.
One by one, teammates Michelson, Detweiler and Fink brought them home. A pop-fly from Sorenson brought in Michelson and a line drive from Reynolds brought in Detweiler.
With a five-run limit per inning, the final score was Lumberyard 12, Special K’s 9.
— Laguna Beach Little League Auxiliary