CBA clinches regular-season title
With the outcome of a key AAA Division game on the line, Cooper Noriega came through for Crescent Bay Advisors.
Noriega lined a two-out, 3-2 fastball out to left field for a game-winning, two-run single in the bottom of the sixth inning that lifted CBA to a come-from-behind 6-5 victory over Morgan Stanley in Laguna Beach Little League action. The victory clinched the regular-season AAA title for CBA (11-3-1), which with the win also secured a spot in the upcoming District 55 Tournament of Champions.
Morgan Stanley (9-5-2) gave a strong team performance. Scotty Plowden threw four solid innings and surrendered just two runs and Aidan McDennon and Benjamin Walker had key catches and Brooks Hogenauer made several big plays at shortstop.
Nicholas Lucas and Nolan Smith both threw three innings for CBA. Johnny Phelan and Noah Linder each had two hits and Adam Kerfoot drew a walk to load the bases in the bottom of the sixth, setting the stage for Noriega.
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Hobie clinches first in Majors
Hobie faced VFW in a critical game Friday and clinched first place with a 13-5 victory at Riddle Field.
Both teams had their ace pitchers on the mound to start the game. Zack Washer started for VFW and Jack Loechner pitched for Hobie. Washer tamed Hobie in the top of the first with three consecutive strikeouts. In the bottom half of the frame, VFW’s James Langton singled and John Langton hit a home run to left field. Will Ross and Washer both then singled and Ross went on to score on a passed ball to make it 3-0.
Hobie came storming back in the second inning using five straight hits to tie the score. Loechner singled off the wall in center field, Lance Stewart and Kyle McCombs both singled, and both Thomas Garcia and Will Lichtenstein doubled, which led to three runs and a 3-3 game. With one out in the inning, Kent Cebreros hit a clutch single to right field to score Garcia and Lichtenstein to give Hobie its first lead at 5-3. Loechner went on to strike out the side in the bottom of the second.
Hobie put up another run in the top of the third when Grady Morgan hit a lead-off single, Jack Wills singled and with two out, Stewart singled in Morgan to make it 6-3. Ross took the mound for VFW in the fourth, an inning where Hobie scored two more runs. McCombs and Garcia both singled before Lichtenstein doubled, bringing home both runners.
In the bottom of the fourth, John Langton, the league’s leader in home runs, hit his second homer of the game to bring VFW to within 8-4. Ross followed with a single but Hobie got out of the inning when McManus turned a double play from his position at shortstop.
Hits by Morgan, Wills, Stewart, Blow and Luc LaMontagne in the fifth and sixth innings, led to five more runs for Hobie and a 13-5 lead.
Loechner struck out eight in a complete-game performance for Hobie.
In 15 games, Hobie has outscored its opponents, 132-38.
Regular-season action at Laguna Beach Little League continues through Saturday. The league’s year-end playoff tournament starts Tuesday.
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Youth Water Polo
The Laguna Beach 14 and Under girls’ water polo team won a silver medal at the San Diego Cup on Sunday.
Laguna started the tournament with a 12-2 win over United (Los Alamitos) on May 4. The squad won two more games Saturday, beating Xtreme (Corona), 4-2, and SoCal (Tustin), 7-3, to reach Sunday’s semifinals. In the semis, Laguna got past Commerce, 6-3, to advance to face Santa Barbara in the division final. Laguna fell, 9-6.
The 14U team will be the No. 1 seed for its region when it competes June 1-3 at the Junior Olympic Qualifiers tournament.