When California District 42 and Section 7 champion Park View Little League dropped its opening game in last week’s Southern California Sub-Division III South tournament at Escondido National Little League, the team and its supporters knew it would be a tough – and long – road to get back on top.
With last Saturday’s tourney-opening 4-2 loss to Section 8 champion Bloomington Little League, Park View had to suddenly pin its hopes on a strong performance in the challenger bracket knowing that, with one more loss, its dreams of advancing to this year’s Little League World Series would be dashed.
Talk about a comeback! Park View won its next five games to emerge with the sub-division championship. Its biggest wins in the tournament came on Wednesday and Thursday when the South County sluggers defeated Ladera Ranch Little League, which sat in the driver’s seat with an undefeated record, in a pair of high-stakes contests
Park View exorcised some ghosts with a sterling 7-0 win on Wednesday to even the teams with one loss apiece to force a double-elimination game on Thursday. Park View held on win Thursday’s championship game, 6-5, to complete its inspirational comeback and take the next step toward reaching the hallowed fields of South Williamsport.
As a reward, Park View (12-2) meets Southern California Sub-Division III North champion Redondo Beach in this weekend’s best-of-three Southern California Division III championship series at Escondido Little League. The first game is scheduled Saturday, July 30, at 11 a.m. The following two games would be played Sunday, July 31, at 1 and 5 p.m. (if necessary)
The winner advances to the Little League World Series West Region championship tournament in San Bernardino.
“We made it to the final game of this round; the boys are excited and ready to play,” Park View Little League President Johnny Fuentes commented.
Park View held off Ladera Ranch in an exciting contest that went the full six-inning distance Thursday night to claim the Southern California Sub-Division III South championship title. Park View took a 6-4 lead into the final frame. Ladera Ranch scored one run to trim the Park View lead to 6-5 and then positioned a runner at second base with one out with the potential game-tying run. But Park View relief pitcher Juju Padilla got the final two outs on strikeouts to end the game in dramatic fashion.
Daniel Leon smacked a second-inning two-run home run to push Park View ahead, 2-1, and Padilla later followed with a solo home run. Leon also produced a defensive gem when he threw out a runner at home plate. That play would prove critical later in the game.
Ali Camarillo and Victor Lizarraga also hit home runs for a total of four home runs in the game as the team improved to 6-0 in elimination games in postseason all-star tournament play. Park View has blasted 49 home runs in 14 tournament games after finishing the sub-division tournament with 22 home runs in six games.
“It was a close game, that was a tough team, we just fought back,” Leon told a KUSI-TV crew after the game.
Park View improved to 5-1 in the sub-division tournament. All five wins came with the reigning District 42 and Section 7 champions facing elimination.
Park View out-hit Ladera Ranch 9-8 in the deciding game. Ladera Ranch took a 1-0 lead with a run in the bottom of the first inning but Park View countered with two runs in the top of the second inning and added three more runs in the top of the third inning to take a 5-1 lead. But Ladera Ranch closed to within 5-3 on the scoreboard with two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and then added another run in the bottom of the fifth inning to make it a one-run game at 5-4. Park View scored another run in the top of the sixth inning for some additional breathing room and it proved to be just enough after Ladera Ranch’s late stage rally produced a run of its own.
Lizarraga (single, home run) finished the game with five total bases while Camarillo, Leon and Padilla each collected four total bases. Park View left eight men on base in the at-times tense contest.
Lucas Marrujo and Padilla each pitched three innings. Marrujo scattered five hits, gave up three runs (two earned) and struck out two batters; Padilla allowed three hits, two runs (one earned) and fanned three batters. Each Prk View hurler gave up one home run. Ladera Ranch’s pitching duo struck out 13 Park View hitters despite coughing up four home runs.
Everyone in the Park View Nation is buzzing about what the future could bring for this team of apparent destiny, starting with the league president.
“Wow, what an amazing victory!” Fuentes underscored in a moment of hyperbole. “These boys started out the sub-division tournament with a loss that put them in a difficult situation causing a five-days-in-a-row game schedule.
“Winning all five games in a row truly shows what this team is about. Instead of giving up, these boys used their energy to find a way to pull through. They were determined to get through this tournament, as they knew that they had what it took to win it.
“With a shut-down defense, an incredible offense and a great coaching staff, these boys play like they are unstoppable! It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience watching these determined, hard-working boys come together as they do. You just have to come out and watch them play, we all high-five each other celebrating the greatness of these young kids’ passion for baseball.
“It sends chills down our arms watching these kids make the plays that they make … outstanding and amazing!”
Park View 7, Ladera Ranch 0
Park View forced Thursday’s double-elimination championship game with explosive performances both at the plate and on the mound.
Park View slammed five home runs in the first three innings to open up a 7-0 lead on the scoreboard. Lucas Marrujo, Adam Amaro, Adriel Colmenero, Victor Lizarraga and Omar Cordero each hit home runs. Lizarraga’s blast accounted for two runs.
Daniel Leon took care of the rest on the mound by firing a no-hitter with five strikeouts through five innings, with one-hit relief help from Juju Padilla in the final frame.
Park View wasted no time in making a statement by scoring four runs in the bottom of the first inning while adding another run in the bottom of the second and two more runs in the bottom of the third inning to build a dominating 7-0 lead.
Lizarraga and Colmenero led Park View with five total bases in the game (single, home run) while Marrujo and Amaro each had four total bases.
Amaro and Cordero each drove in two runs while Lizarraga and Colmenero each scored twice.
The five home runs upped Park View’s home run total to 18 in five sub-division games and to 45 in 13 games in the post-season all-star playoffs.
Park View was among three District 42/Section 7 champion teams to advance to championship games at the sub-division level. Eastlake Little League’s 10U and 11U teams both finished runner-up in their respective age divisions.
10U All-Stars
Eastlake, which battled back through the challenger division, lost 11-5 to Aliso Viejo to finish second in the sub-division tournament and end its season,
11U All-Stars
Eastlake, which had gone undefeated to reach Wednesday’s championship game, lost 9-8 to Southridge to force a double-elimination game on Thursday to determine the sub-division champion. Southridge won the rematch by a score of 12-2 to advance to the Division III tournament and, in the process, end Eastlake’s season.
“Both teams made it to the championship game but came up just short,” Eastlake Little League President Mark Robertson explained. “I believe both of our teams will be a force to be reckoned with next year. There will be great expectations on our league in both of these age groups.
“Our 10s and 11’s did a terrific job of winning sectionals. They both had to battle back out of the loser bracket. They relied on big bats and strong pitching to beat their competition. We have a lot of competitive baseball in Southern California. It is a tremendous accomplishment to first win your district and then your section. We cannot be more proud of our teams, the coaching staff, and our parents.”
West Region
Six teams will participate: Utah, Hawaii, Nevada, Northern California, Southern California and Arizona. The tournament starts Aug. 7 and concludes with the championship game on Aug. 13.
The winner advances to the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pa.
Championship update:
Game 1: Park View 6, Redondo Beach 0
Game 2: Park View 11, Redondo Beach 8
Note: Park View advances to Little League World Series West Region tournament
