Huge sixth inning leads to victory

Despite a one-day rain delay, VFW defeated Hobie, 12-6, in a Laguna Beach Little League Majors Division game at Riddle Field on Thursday.

Will Ross started on the mound for Hobie and didn’t allow a run. He was relieved in the third inning by Jeffery Bruyntjens, who kept VFW scoreless through the fourth. VFW scored only one run in the fifth when Jonah Reynolds stole home.

With Jack Loechner on the mound, VFW gave up just four runs. Bruyntjens hit a double to bring home Jordan Leppo in the third, Jack Raffo and Leppo hit singles to bring in Zack Washer and Colton Bryant in the fourth and Ross hit a home run off the first pitch of the fifth.

Things were looking bleak for VFW in the top of the sixth. Aaron Sweet hit a pop up to the second baseman for the first out, but Billy Howie doubled, Loechner singled and Cole Paxon walked to load the bases. After a strikeout led to the second out, Jack Dickenson singled to bring home Howie and begin VFW’s best two-out rally of the season. The team’s bats were on fire as Dexter Russo, Reynolds, Dickerson, Conner Brashier, Sweet and Loechner combined for 10 RBIs to solidify the lead.

Paxon and Brandon Marquez finished pitching for VFW in the sixth and held Hobie to two runs to complete a 12-6 comeback win.

— Jennifer Sweet, Community Correspondent

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Juniors Division

Laguna 5.0 29, Stanford (Central Irvine) 13: Playing into the late hours of a cold evening Saturday, Laguna Beach Little League’s Laguna 5.0 team shut out Stanford of Central Irvine in a game that lasted more than 3 1/2 hours.

Laguna started strong by scoring seven runs in the top of the first inning. In the bottom of the second, Laguna first baseman Anton Faicchio made two unassisted put outs.

In the Laguna half of the fourth, Michael Bacino scored on Mason Pitz’s single. Brett Tracy then delivered a big blow with an inside-the-park grand slam that scored Colby Pratt, Carter Monacell and Pitz.

In the top of the fifth, Davis Price scored for Laguna, but in the bottom of the inning, Stanford scored five runs to narrow its deficit to 17-11. Laguna sent 17 batters to the plate and scored 11 runs in the seventh. Big hits were recorded by Bridy, Faicchio, Tracy, Monacell, Ian Detweiler, John Ogden and Dean Hodes.

Tracy doubled twice and Detweiler doubled. Tracy, Kenji Lee, Andrew Kimball and Ogden all took turns pitching to team for the shutout.

— Shelley Detweiler, Community Correspondent