Sweetwater Valley Little League’s 12U all-star team took one step closer on the path to the 2019 Little League World Series after winning its opening game at the Southern California Region III tournament in Mission Viejo on Saturday.
However, the reigning California District 42 and Section 7 champions took one step backward after dropping Tuesday’s winners bracket game, 4-2, to Section 10 champion Santa Margarita National.
The loss dropped Sweetwater Valley to the elimination bracket, needing to win five consecutive games to advance to the West Region tournament in San Bernardino — one step away from the Little League World Series.
It’s not an enviable position to be in, with one more loss ending the road to South Williamsport, but Sweetwater Valley got back to work by stealing a 6-4 win from Section 2 champion Sherman Oaks Southern on Wednesday to remain in contention for the division title.
Sweetwater Valley will need to win four more games to advance to the regionals.
Game on
Sweetwater Valley defeated Section 6 champion Allied Gardens, 1-0, in an all-San Diego County match-up to start the 10-team double-elimination tournament.
“It was a great baseball game on both sides,” Sweetwater Valley manager Ward Lannom said. “But a win is a win. I’ll take it.”
Hits were at a minimum on both sides. Sweetwater Valley pitchers Kapono Nakanelua and Andrew Arnce combined on a two-hitter. Sweetwater Valley only managed three hits.
Sweetwater Valley scored its lone run in the second inning as Dante Millan drove in Joey Castillo.
Nakanelua pitched three innings, striking out five batters. Arnce pitched three innings, striking out one batter.
Sweetwater Valley advanced to face Section 4 champion Manhattan Beach in an elimination game on Thursday.
The winner advances to Saturday’s challenger bracket semifinal at 1 p.m. at Youth Athletic Field 8. Should Sweetwater Valley advance, it would have to defeat the team coming out of the winners bracket twice to win the division championship. Those potential games would be played Sunday and Monday.
Four teams remained in contention as of Thursday.
Santa Margarita National advanced to Thursday’s winners bracket semifinal game against Section 1 champion Moorpark. Santa Margarita National improved to 3-0 in the tournament after defeating Sweetwater Valley on Tuesday following previous wins over Sherman Oaks Southern (8-1 on Saturday) and Manhattan Beach, (7-0 on Sunday).
Five of the six runs in Tuesday’s game were scored in the first inning as Santa Margarita National took a 3-2 lead.
The Section 10 champions led 3-0 after their half of the inning before Sweetwater Valley scored twice in the bottom of the frame to make it a one-run game.
Santa Margarita National added an insurance run in the top of the third inning.
Santa Margarita outhit Sweetwater Valley 8-4. Grant Degulis led the Section 10 champs with two RBI in the game.
Brady Ford pitched six innings for Santa Margarita, throwing 12 first-pitch strikes.
Arnce pitched four innings for Sweetwater Valley with eight strikeouts while Ethan Otero pitched two innings with 10 first-pitch strikes.
Sweetwater Valley took a 2-0 lead in the second inning of Wednesday’s elimination game on RBI hits by Ryan Garcia and Cristian Jimenez.
But Sherman Oaks Southern went ahead 3-2 in the bottom of the third inning on a three-run home run with two outs off SVLL starter Adrik Sanchez.
Sherman Oaks Southern added another run in the bottom of the fourth inning to up its lead to 4-2 before Sweetwater Valley showcased its heavy lumber.
Sanchez hit a two-run home run in the top of the fifth inning to tie the game; Nakanelua hit a two-run shot in the top of the sixth inning to propel Sweetwater Valley to the comeback win.
Sanchez pitched four innings with Nakanelua and Josh Hughes both pitching one inning. Nakanelua and Hughes both stuck out two batters while Sanchez also had two strikeouts during his stint.
Batter up
Overall, two of the three District 42 teams competing at the Division III level came home with wins over the opening weekend. Eastlake’s 11U all-stars defeated Section 4 champion Torrance, 10-5, on Sunday while Chula Vista American’s 10U all-stars dropped a 14-4 decision to Claremont on Saturday.
Eastlake remained in the winners bracket, advancing to Wednesday’s game against Section 10 champion Huntington Valley at Eastvale Little League, while Chula Vista American dropped to the elimination bracket in games being played at Long Beach Little League.
CVA remained in contention by recording back-to-back elimination game victories against Section 6 champion Allied Gardens (8-3 on Monday) and Section 5 champion Tustin Western (6-0 on Tuesday).
Chula Vista American was able to bounce back after its first loss by defeating Allied Gardens behind strong pitching from ace Reece Madden and great relief work from Jack Daniel. Madden pitched four innings, striking out six batters while only allowing two hits; Daniel came in and shut down the Section 6 champions by allowing one hit in the two innings he pitched.
The team combined with timely hitting and clutch hitting from Daniel, in particular.
Chula Vista American continued its winning streak by defeating Tustin Western. CVA again had great pitching from nine-year-old Gerardo Covarrubias, who pitched a six inning complete game while allowing four hits and striking out one batter. Covarrubias had help from a great defense, from a Mario Medrano diving catch in left field to a game-ending double play turned by Xavier Gutierrez and Madden.
The pair of must-win contests advanced CV American to Thursday’s next round of elimination games.
CVA would have to advance past another elimination round on Saturday to reach Sunday’s challenger bracket final. The championship game is scheduled Monday, with a potential double-elimination game to follow on Tuesday.
Eastlake opened up scoring in the first inning of Sunday’s game with one run. However, Torrance responded by scoring three runs in the second inning.
Jordan Gomez started on the mound for Eastlake, allowing three hits and three runs in two innings.
Eastlake racked up 10 hits in the game. Josh Alo, Noah Cook and Armando Mendivil each collected multiple hits. Alo went 3-for-4 at the plate to lead the District 42 champs.
Eastlake lost, 11-4, to Huntington Valley on Wednesday to drop to the elimination bracket, with games scheduled Thursday, Friday and Saturday in advance of Sunday’s championship game.
Eastlake 11U, Sweetwater Valley 12U all-stars remain active in divisionals with elimination bracket wins
Eastlake Little League’s 11U all-star team continued its quest to win this year’s Southern California championship after defeating Section 1 champion Goleta Valley, 5-0, in an elimination game Thursday at the Division III tournament at Eastvale Little League.
Eastlake, which improved to 2-1 in the 10-team tournament, advances to Friday’s elimination game against Section 2 champion Northridge. Game time is 5 p.m.
The winner of Friday’s game advances to Saturday’s challenger bracket semifinal, with the winner advancing to Sunday’s championship game.
Eastlake can finish no worse than fourth at the state tournament.
Chewy Flores started Thursday’s game on the mound for the Section 7 champions. He pitched five and two-thirds innings, giving up three hits, zero runs with three strikeouts and no walks. He threw a total of 51 pitches.
Flores and Noah Cook both had two hits in the game while Armando Mendivil stroked a two-run double in the bottom of the fifth inning.
“Our players bounced back well from Wednesday’s game against Huntington Valley (an 11-4 loss),” Eastlake manager Adam Villarreal explained. “Chewy really pitched incredibly well. His efficiency was incredible — 51 pitches after five and two-thirds innings.
“We’re going to need more players stepping up if we plan to grind out the rest of these games. We have the players to do it; we just need to execute. It’s one game at a time.”
Sweetwater Valley’s 12U all-stars are taking the same philosophy after dropping to the elimination bracket following a 4-2 loss to Section 10 champion Santa Margarita National on Tuesday.
Sweetwater Valley improved to 2-0 in elimination games after topping Section 4 champion Manhattan Beach, 8-1, in a must-win game on Thursday in Mission Viejo.
The Section 7 champions rapped out 11 hits and did not commit an error in eliminating Manhattan Beach from the tournament.
Sweetwater Valley limited Manhattan Beach to three hits while capitalizing on five errors.
Manager Ward Lannom said his team has responded well to the adversity by collecting 20 hits and five home runs in its last two elimination games while allowing seven hits against 15 strikeouts in as many games.
“The team has responded well as they are playing a lot more loose, making plays with timely hits,” Lannom said. “They know what is at stake. If you go back to the end of the third inning of the RSM game, when the protest took place over the fan calling our pitches to the batter, we have given up seven hits and have 23 Ks in 15 innings. Not a bad stat. It should be a great game tomorrow.”
Adrik Sanchez led the District 42 champions with a two-run home run in the fourth inning to boost the Sweetwater Valley lead to 5-0. Earlier in the game, Daniel Sanchez hit a home run.
Sweetwater Valley led, 3-0, through three innings and put the game away with three runs in the top of the sixth inning.
Leo Mondragon, Joey Castillo and Kapono Nakanelua all recorded two hits for Sweetwater Valley in the victory while Adrik Sanchez reached base twice on walks. Castillo and Nakanelua both were credited with one RBI.
Nakanelua pitched four and two-thirds innings with 11 first-pitch strikes and eight strikeouts overall. Josh Hughes pitched one and one-third innings with one strikeout.
Sweetwater Valley, now 10-1 in summer all-star play, will face Santa Margarita National in a high-stakes rematch in an elimination game on Saturday at 1 p.m. after the Section 10 champions dropped a 5-4 decision to Section 1 champion Moorpark in Thursday’s winners bracket game.
Three teams remain in contention for this year’s Southern California championship: Moorpark, Sweetwater Valley and Santa Margarita National.
Moorpark advances to Sunday’s championship game and will face either Sweetwater Valley or Santa Margarita National in the final.
Moorpark needs one win to advance to the Little League West Region tournament in San Bernardino while Sweetwater Valley and Santa Margarita National will both need three wins to advance.
The loser of Saturday’s game finishes third in Southern California, which is still not too shabby in its own right.
Santa Margarita National appeared in fine shape to advance to the championship game after taking a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the eighth inning in Thursday’s high profile match-up. However, Moorpark rallied with three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to pull off the dramatic win.
“It should be a great game,” Lannom said in regard to his team’s high stakes rematch against Santa Margarita National.
More photos by Jon Bigornia of Thursday’s Sweetwater Valley-Manhattan Beach game.
Almost famous
All three District 42 champions were in action on Thursday in elimination games. Chula Vista American ended its season with a 4-3 loss to Ocean View in the 10U all-star Division III tournament in Long Beach.
CVA led, 1-0, in the first inning.
Four teams remain active at the 10U level for this year’s Southern California championship: Thousand Oaks and Sherman Oaks in the winners bracket and Claremont and Ocean View in the elimination bracket.
The championship game is scheduled Monday, July 29, with a potential double-elimination game on Tuesday, also at 6 p.m.
CV American finished among the top six in its division in Southern California.
One more time: Eastlake’s 11U all-stars score dramatic 8-7 walk-off win to stay alive
Eastlake’s spunky 11U all-stars continued to just say no to the competition after recording a dramatic 8-7 walk-off win in Friday’s elimination game against Section 2 champion Northridge.
The win advances the Section 7 champions to Saturday’s challenger bracket semifinal game against Section 6 champion San Carlos.
The winner of that game advances to Sunday’s championship game, with a potential double-elimination game scheduled for Monday.
“This was a great win for these boys,” Eastlake manager Adam Villarreal said. “They competed to very last out and found a way play another day.”
Eastlake had to battle back to remain in championship contention in Friday’s contest after Northridge jumped to an early 4-0 lead.
Eastlake’s bats eventually came alive, helped by a three-run home run shot by Hazma Hatahet in the fifth inning to tie the game. Eastlake rolled across five runs in the frame to eventually took a one-run lead.
Northridge managed to tie the game in the top of the sixth inning. The Eastlake defense’s ability to hold Northridge to just one run proved key in determining the outcome of the game.
In the bottom of the sixth inning with runners on first base and second base, Noah Flores’ RBI double brought in the winning run.
The District 42 champions have little time to celebrate their dramatic victory, however. Saturday’s game against San Carlos is scheduled at 11a.m.
Hatahet finished the game with four RBI while Flores went 3-for-4 with two RBI. Josh Alo went 3-for-3
Section 10 champion Huntington Valley doubled up San Carlos, 10-5, in Friday’s winners bracket semifinal to earn a berth in the championship game.
Three teams remain in contention to win the state title: Huntington Valley, Eastlake and San Carlos.
The Eastlake-San Carlos winner will play Huntington Valley in the championship game.
Eastlake can finish no worse than third in Southern California.
Southern California Division III Championship Tournament
10U All-Stars
July 20-30 at Long Beach Little League
Saturday, July 20
Claremont 14, Chula Vista American 4
Sherman Oaks defeated Newmark
Thousand Oaks defeated Eastvale
Torrance defeated Allied Gardens
Monday, July 22
Eastvale defeated Newmark (elimination game)
Chula Vista American 8, Allied Gardens 3 (elimination game)
Ocean View defeated Claremont (winners bracket)
Sherman Oaks defeated Tustin Western (winners bracket)
Tuesday, July 23
Claremont defeated Eastvale (elimination game)
Chula Vista American 6, Tustin Western 0 (elimination game)
Wednesday, July 24
Thousand Oaks defeated Ocean View (winners bracket)
Sherman Oaks defeated Torrance (winners bracket)
Thursday, July 25
Ocean View 4, Chula Vista American 3 (elimination game)
Claremont defeated Torrance (elimination game)
Saturday, July 27
Elimination game: Claremont vs. Ocean View, 3 p.m.
Semifinal game (winners bracket): Thousand Oaks vs. Sherman Oaks, 6 p.m.
Sunday, July 28
Semifinal game (challenger bracket), 3 p.m.
Monday, July 29
Championship game, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, July 30
Double-elimination game (if needed), 6 p.m.
11U All-Stars
July 20-29 at Eastvale Little League
Saturday, July 20
Goleta Valley (Section 1) 13, Upland Foothill (Section 3) 3
Huntington Valley (Section 10) 16, Golden Hill (Section 5) 1
Sunday, July 21
Citrus (Section 8) 5, Orangecrest (Section 9) 3
Eastlake (Section 7) 10, Torrance (Section 4) 5
Huntington Valley (Section 10) 16, Northridge (Section 2) 5
San Carlos (Section 6) 3, Goleta Valley (Section 1) 2
Monday, July 22
Orangecrest (Section 9) 3, Golden Hill (Section 5) 1 (elimination game)
Upland Foothill (Section 3) 6, Torrance (Section 4) 2 (elimination game)
Tuesday, July 23
Northridge (Section 2) 6, Upland Foothill (Section 3) 5 (elimination game)
Goleta Valley (Section 1) 5, Orangecrest (Section 9) 4 (elimination game)
Wednesday, July 24
San Carlos (Section 6) 14, Citrus (Section 8) 12 (winners bracket)
Huntington Valley (Section 10) 11, Eastlake (Section 7) 4 (winners bracket)
Thursday, July 25
Eastlake (Section 7) 5, Goleta Valley (Section 1) 0 (elimination game)
Northridge (Section 2) 9, Citrus (Section 8) 0 (elimination game)
Friday, July 26
Elimination game: Eastlake 8, Northridge 7
Semifinal game (winners bracket): Huntington Valley 10, San Carlos 5
Saturday, July 27
Semifinal game (challenger bracket): Eastlake vs. San Carlos, 11 a.m.
Sunday, July 28
Championship game: Huntington Valley vs. Eastlake-San Carlos winner, 1 p.m.
Monday, July 29
Double-elimination game (If needed) at 6:30 p.m.
12U All-Stars
July 20-29 at Mission Viejo Little League
Saturday, July 20
Tustin Western (Section 5) 6, Temecula (Section 9) 1
Sweetwater Valley (Section 7) 1, Allied Gardens (Section 6) 0
Santa Margarita National (Section 10) 8, Sherman Oaks Southern (Section 2) 1
Moorpark (Section 1) 8, Claremont American (Section 3) 3
Sunday, July 21
Santa Margarita National (Section 10) 7, Manhattan Beach (Section 4) 0 (winners bracket)
Tustin Western (Section 5) 6, Hesperia National (Section 8) 2 (winners bracket)
Sherman Oaks Southern (Section 2) 10, Claremont American (Section 3) 6 (elimination game)
Allied Gardens (Section 6) 4, Temecula (Section 9) 1 (elimination game)
Monday, July 22
Manhattan Beach (Section 4) 5, Allied Gardens (Section 6) 1 (elimination game)
Sherman Oaks Southern (Section 2) 15, Hesperia National (Section 8) 0 (elimination game)
Tuesday, July 23
Moorpark (Section 1) 9, Tustin Western (Section 5) 6 (winners bracket)
Santa Margarita National (Section 10) 4, Sweetwater Valley (Section 7) 2 (winners bracket)
Wednesday, July 24
Sweetwater Valley (Section 7) 6, Sherman Oaks Southern (Section 2) 4 (elimination game)
Manhattan Beach (Section 4) 6, Tustin Western (Section 5) 5 (elimination game)
Thursday, July 25
Semifinal game (winners bracket): Moorpark 5, Santa Margarita National 4 (8 innings)
Elimination game: Sweetwater Valley (Section 7) 8, Manhattan Beach (Section 4) 1
Saturday, July 27
Semifinal game (challenger bracket): Sweetwater Valley vs. Santa Margarita National, 1 p.m.
Sunday, July 28
Championship game: Moorpark vs. Sweetwater Valley-Santa Margarita National winner, 1 p.m.
Monday, July 29
Double-elimination game (if needed), 6 p.m.
Photo Gallery by Jon Bigornia
Southern California Division III: Sweetwater Valley 1, Allied Gardens 0
Southern California Division III:
Santa Margarita National 4, Sweetwater Valley 2
