For the first time in three years, there will not be a representative from California District 42 when the Little League West Region championship tournament faces off this weekend in San Bernardino. But it was a close shave.
Eastlake Little League’s 12U All-Star team battled back from the brink of elimination to enter Sunday’s Southern California Division III championship double-header at Long Beach Little League with the opportunity to become the third team from South County in as many years to advance to the regional tournament, which is the final qualifier for the iconic Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pa.
Section 7 champion Eastlake had a tough task on its hand, needing to defeat Section 10 champion Santa Margarita National twice on Sunday to win the Southern California title and punch its ticket to San Bernardino.
Eastlake had dropped a heartbreaking 9-8 decision in eight innings to Santa Margarita in its second game at the Division III tournament to drop to the elimination bracket. But three wins later, Eastlake was back seeking revenge.
But it will be Santa Margarita, not Eastlake, representing Southern California in this year’s West Region tournament after the Section 10 champs prevailed, 10-8, in Sunday’s championship game. By virtue of the win, a championship replay in the 10-team double-elimination tournament was not necessary.
Santa Margarita finished 5-0 in the division tournament; Eastlake finished 4-2.
Both losses Eastlake surrendered in its three summer All-Star tournaments were to Santa Margarita.
It was a close second, however. A throwing error and two hit batsmen with the bases loaded gave Santa Margarita four runs in the teams’ first encounter. Had the score been reversed, Eastlake would have been in the tournament’s proverbial driver’s seat instead.
But it’s history now.
Maybe Eastlake’s coaches, players and fans can look back and say the only team to beat them was the 2017 Little League World Series champions. In this case, it’s time to start rooting for Santa Margarita, which opens play in the regional tournament this Sunday against Nevada state champion Summerlin South.
Sportsmanship, not necessarily winning, is key for Little League Baseball.
All-Star summer
With three Eastlake Little League teams advancing to Division III championship games this summer, which may be an unprecedented feat in district annals (certainly a first at Eastlake Little League), California District 42 administrator Ernie Lucero certainly burned up long distance mileage over the past couple weeks.
With one state champion (Eastlake’s 11s) and two runners-up (Eastlake’s 10s and 12s), he has to be immensely proud of the three teams’ accomplishments this summer.
“Year after year District 42 Little League teams from the South County continue to raise the bar,” Lucero explained. “The momentum seems to grow across all of our leagues. There is a Little League culture in the South Bay that I believe is the impetus behind these teams doing very well. This widespread culture stems from managers, coaches, players and parents who believe in Little League Baseball wholeheartedly. There’s also the history of watching prior teams be successful in winning Western Regional, U.S. and world championships.
“This year’s 2017 Eastlake 12-year-old team should be proud for reaching the finals in the toughest tournament in the United States,” District 42 administrator Ernie Lucero said. “Out of all the teams in Los Angeles and San Diego counties, our Eastlake 12-year-old team was one of only two teams to reach the championship game. This is no small feat.
“Manager Adam Villarreal and his coaches Eddie Espinoza and Michael Lane were great volunteers who brought out the best in their players. Most importantly, they showed their players sportsmanship and a commitment to play hard to the end of the game.
“The combination of these three individuals has been the best I’ve seen during my tenure as district administrator. Their ethics are unquestioned. They are role models to watch, and I’m hopeful that other managers in our lower divisions will emulate them. Their style of managing is the optimal way to run a team. Even though the Eastlake 12-year-olds lost against a good Santa Margarita team, they’re all winners knowing they represented our community well.”
Lucero said Eastlake’s 11U All-Star squad should be proud of winning the Southern California tournament.
“Keep an eye on this team that might possibly be a fifth District 42 South County team to make it to Western Region in San Bernardino,” Lucero noted with an eye on the future. “District 42 will be requesting to host next year’s 12-year-old 10-team tournament, so that hopefully this team or any team from District 42, can stay home in 2018.
Even though our 2017 Eastlake 10-year-old team lost its first game in Palmdale, this team never gave up and made it all the way to the championship game from the losers bracket in this double-elimination tournament,” Lucero added. “The players played with heart and determination reaching the championship game before losing against Santa Margarita. We probably will see these same two teams next year in the finals.
“I especially want to thank all of our District 42 players who allowed all of us to spend time watching them play exciting game of baseball, keeping us at the edge of our seats. The parents are also to be recognized for involving their kids to play Little League Baseball in this community. Their dedication to their kids is amazing. I know how hard it is to take them to all the practices and games even outside of San Diego County at their own cost.”
It will be different not seeing a team from District 42 on television in this year’s LLWS after being treated to thrill-a-minute action from Sweetwater Valley in 2015 and Park View last year.
Maybe we’re just getting spoiled.
Southern California Division III Tournaments
10U All-Star Division
At Palmdale Little League
Friday, July 7
Fontana Community (Section 8) 5, Dos Pueblos (Section 1) 3
Yucaipa Valley National (Section 9) 4, Tustin Western (Section 5) 3
Saturday, July 22
Encino (Section 2) 7, La Verne (Section 3) 3
Santa Margarita (Section 10) 23, Allied Gardens (Section 6) 3
Fontana Community 11, Eastlake (Section 7) 10
Yucaipa (Section 9) 9, Manhattan Beach (Section 4) 1
Sunday, July 23
Winners bracket games: Encino 6, Fontana Community 2; Santa Margarita 10, Yucapia 8
Elimination games: Tustin Western 11, La Verne; Allied Gardens 14, Dos Pueblos 2
Monday, July 24
Elimination game: Eastlake 11, Tustin Western 1
Elimination game: Allied Gardens 11, Manhattan Beach 1
Tuesday, July 25
Elimination game: Eastlake 10, Yucapia Valley National 0
Elimination game: Fontana Community 4, Allied Gardens 1
Wednesday, July 26
Elimination game: Eastlake 13, Fontana Community 7
Winners bracket final: Santa Margarita 5, Encino 4
Thursday, July 27
Elimination bracket final: Eastlake 7, Encino, 5 (loser finishes third in the tournament)
Saturday, July 29
Championship game: Santa Margarita 8. Eastlake 6
Note: Santa Margarita wins Southern California Division III championship
11U All-Star Division
At Upland Foothill Little League
Thursday, July 20
Sherman Oaks (Section 2) 11, La Mirada (Section 5) 3
Eastlake (Section 7) 14, Aliso Viejo (Section 10) 1
Friday, July 21
Thousand Oaks (Section 1) 15, Rivera (Section 4) 7
Encinitas (Section 6) 11, Eastvale (Section 9) 0
Saturday, July 22
Elimination game: Eastvale (Section 9) 9, Rivera (Section 4) 4
Elimination game: Aliso Viejo (Section 10) 8, La Mirada (Section 5) 2
Winners bracket: Eastlake (Section 7) 9, Vineyard (Section 8) 6
Winners bracket: Upland Foothill (Section 3) 15, Sherman Oaks (Section 2) 1
Sunday, July 23
Elimination game: Sherman Oaks 15, Aliso Viejo 6
Elimination game: Vineyard 17, Eastvale 7
Winners bracket game: Eastlake 9, Encinitas 2
Winners bracket: Thousand Oaks 11, Upland Foothill 7
Monday, July 24
Elimination game: Encinitas 7, Sherman Oaks 5
Elimination game: Upland Foothill 5, Vineyard 3
Tuesday, July 25
Elimination game: Upland Foothill (Section 3) 10, Encinitas (Section 6) 9
Winners bracket final: Eastlake (Section 7) 8, Thousand Oaks (Section 1) 2
Wednesday, July 26
Elimination bracket final: Upland Foothill (Section 3) 4, Thousand Oaks (Section 1) 2 (loser finishes third in the tournament)
Thursday, July 27
Championship game: Eastlake (Section 7) 11, Upland Foothill (Section 3) 4
Note: Eastlake wins Southern California Division III state championship
12U All-Star Division
At Long Beach Little League
Wednesday, July 19
Santa Margarita (Section 10) 6, Goleta Valley (Section 1), 2
Northridge City (Section 2) 10, Orangecrest (Section 9) 3
Thursday, July 20
Eastlake (Section 7) 7, Rolling Hills (Section 4) 2
La Verne (Section 3) 5, Southridge (Section 8) 2
Friday, July 21
Santa Margarita National (Section 10) 10, Encinitas (Section 6) 7
Long Beach (Section 5) 11, Northridge City (Section 2) 6
Saturday, July 22
Elimination game: Goleta Valley 8, Southridge 5
Elimination game: Orangecrest 3, Rolling Hills 1
Sunday, July 23
Santa Margarita National (Section 10) 9, Eastlake (Section 7) 8 in 8 innings (winners bracket)
La Verne (Section 3) 12, Long Beach (Section 5) 3 (winners bracket)
Monday, July 24
Elimination game: Northridge City 7, Goleta Valley 3
Elimination game: Encinitas 17, Orangecrest 6
Wednesday, July 26
Elimination game: Eastlake 4, Northridge City 3
Elimination game: Long Beach 9, Encinitas 6
Thursday, July 27
Elimination game: Eastlake 19, Long Beach, 3 (4 innings)
Winners bracket final: Santa Margarita National 8, La Verne 7
Saturday, July 29
Elimination bracket final: Eastlake 11, La Verne 3 (loser finishes third in the tournament)
Sunday, July 30
Championship game: Santa Margarita 10, Eastlake 8
Note: Santa Margarita wins Southern California Division III championship, advances to Little League World Series West Region tournament
Little League World Series
West Region Tournament
Participating Teams
•Chandler National Little League (Arizona)
•Hilo Little League (Hawaii)
•Summerlin South Little League (Nevada)
•Canyon Creek Little League (Northern California)
•Santa Margarita (Southern California)
•Dixie Little League (Utah)
Game schedule
Sunday, Aug. 8
Hawaii 2, Arizona, 1. (ESPN3)
Southern California 7, Nevada 2 (ESPN3)
Monday, Aug. 7
Hawaii 14, Utah 5 (ESPN3)
Southern California 3, Northern California 2 (ESPN3)
Tuesday, Aug. 8
Northern California 5, Arizona 2(elimination game) (ESPN3)
Utah 8, Nevada 5 (elimination game) (ESPN3)
Wednesday, Aug. 9
Utah 13, Northern California 11 (elimination game) (ESPN3)
Thursday, Aug. 10
Southern California 12, Hawaii 8 (winners bracket final) (ESPN)
Friday, Aug. 11
Utah 12, Hawaii 6 (elimination bracket final) (ESPN)
Saturday, Aug. 12
Championship game: Southern California 11. Utah 7 (ESPN)
Note: Santa Margarita advances to Little League World Series
Website: http://www.llbws.org/llbbws/west.htm
LLWS West Region notebook
•Joshua Ward scored on a wild pitch to complete a two-run rally and give Hawaii a walk-off 2-1 victory over Arizona in the opening game of the West Region tournament on Sunday. Kaiman Kuamo’o keyed Hawaii with 16 strikeouts on the mound while teammate Kyson Wada had two hits and one RBI. Joshua Tiederman led Arizona with eight strikeouts on the hill.
•Southern California exploded for six runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and held on to defeat Nevada, 7-3, in an opening-round game on Sunday. Santa Margarita’s Bobby Gray set down the first 12 batters he faced and finished the game with 10 strikeouts while allowing three hits in five-and-two-thirds innings to pick up the win.
•Hawaii got hits from nine different players in storming back from a 5-0 deficit with 14 runs in two innings to earn a 14-5 victory over Utah in a winners bracket game on Monday. Kaynan Kaku Jr. led Hawaii with four RBI while Wailele Kane-Yates struck out 10 Utah batters in four innings.
•Southern California won Monday’s winners bracket game over Northern California, 2-1, on a walk-off suicide squeeze bunt by Garret Strenger. Mason Kellerman scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth inning after first staking the SoCal champions to an early 2-0 lead with a two-RBI double.
•Aidan Camberg and Cade Hannula recorded back-to-back home runs to help lead Northern California to a 5-2 elimination game victory against Arizona on Tuesday. Camberg and teammate Austin Spears led Northern California with two RBI each. Camberg and Arizona’s Angel Morales each had three hits in the contest. Gavin Noreus fanned eight NorCal batters in three innings on the mound.
•Kyler Terry went two-for-three with five RBI while Parker Andrus drove in two and struck out five over five innings in Utah’s 8-5 elimination game win over Nevada on Tuesday. Terry went yard for a grand slam to account for four of his five RBI in the game.
•Utah defeated Northern California, 13-11, in a dramatic seesaw elimination game matchup on Wednesday. In the span of two innings, Northern California saw an early 6-0 lead disappear as Utah assumed a 10-6 lead with five runs each in the bottom of the second and third innings. The teams combined for 29 hits and three errors. Matt McArthur led Utah with three RBI while teammate Jaxon Barden collected three hits.
•Southern California rallied with six runs in the top of the sixth inning to slip past Hawaii, 12-8, in Thursday’s winners bracket final to secure a berth in Saturday’s championship game. Santa Margarita trailed Hilo, 7-6, before turning the tables on its opponent to take a 12-7 lead into the bottom of the frame. Drew Rutter keyed Santa Margarita with four RBI while Bobby Gray knocked in three runs. Both players each had two hits in the game. Joey Gray struck out five Hilo batters in four-and-one-third innings.
•Utah rapped out 13 hits and scored four runs in each of the third, fourth and fifth innings to overcome an early 6-0 Hawaii lead en route to posting a wild 12-6 win in Friday’s elimination game final to earn a berth in Saturday’s championship game. Kean Webb paced Utah with three RBI and recorded nine strikeouts in five innings of work on the mound. Joshua Ward keyed Hawaii with three hits in the loss.
•Southern California champion Santa Margarita punched its ticket to the Little League World Series by holding off Utah, 11-7, in Saturday’s West region championship game in San Bernardino in a game filled with home runs by both teams. Southern California broke out to an early 3-0 lead only to have Utah storm back to tie the score.Southern Californialater took an 8-3 lead only to have Utah score four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to narrow the score to 8-7. Santa Margarita rolled across three insurance runs in the top of the sixth inning to finally put some breathing room between them and the team from Dixie Little League in St. George. Bobby Gray and Joey Gray each belted home runs to lead Southern California. Drew Rutter and Joey Gray each collected three RBI in the contest. Joey Gray had three of Santa Margarita’s 17 hits in the game. Bobby Gray pitched five-and-two-thirds inning with four strikeouts. He recorded 19 first-pitch strikes. Cole Decastro led Utah with three RBI in the setback.
