VFW scores big comeback victory

A text-book bunt in the bottom of the sixth provided VFW with the winning run against Hobie.

VFW came up with a three-run rally in its final at-bat, capped by a run-scoring bunt by Aaron Sweet, to pull out a 9-8 victory Wednesday in Laguna Beach Little League Majors Division action at Riddle Field.

VFW didn’t give up when it trailed by two runs heading into the bottom of the sixth. VFW’s first two batters that inning, Dexter Russo and Jack Dickerson, drew walks. Russo scored on a hit by Connor Brashier and Jonah Reynolds, who doubled, drove in Dickerson to tie the score at 8. Sweet’s bunt scored Brashier with the winning run.

Hobie had maintained the lead for the majority of the game behind home runs by Blake Burzell and Jeffery Bruyntjens in the top of the first. VFW came back in the bottom of the inning on a single by Billie Howie and two-run home run by Jack Loechner.

Hobie continued to rack up runs in the second inning. Zack Washer singled and scored on a Jack Raffo single, and Raffo went on to score on Gabe Leppo’s single. In the third inning, Burzell singled and Jordan Leppo doubled, and both scored on a double by Bruyntjens.

VFW went scoreless in the second and third innings but got a run in the fourth when Raffo singled home Judge Washer to make it 7-2. The comeback continued when Cole Paxon singled, stole second and scored on a single by Dean Nunis. Russo singled and later scored on a line drive by Reynolds.

VFW was able to keep Hobie scoreless in the fifth behind the pitching of Brandon Marquez. VFW scored twice more in the sixth when Howie singled and Loechner doubled and Paxon drove them in on a two-run double to pull to within 7-6. Hobie extended the lead to 8-6 in the top of the sixth when Will Ross scored on a single by Washer.

— Jennifer Sweet, Community Correspondent

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AAA Division

Diamond Resorts Int’l scored a 9-3 victory over Morgan Stanley.