The all-star team from the Santa Margarita National Little League will seek its second victory in the West Regional tournament Monday in San Bernardino, facing its counterparts from the San Ramon-based Canyon Creek Little League.
Rancho Santa Margarita-based Santa Margarita defeated the all-stars from the Summerlin South Little League, 7-2, Sunday night. Monday’s game will be the first for the Northern California champion in the six-team modified double- elimination tournament.
Santa Margarita has a 13-0 record in its four tournaments. Canyon Creek is 11-2 in its three tournaments.
Bobby Gray limited the Nevada state champions to one hit over the first five innings, struck out 10 batters in 5 2/3 innings and did not walk a batter.
Santa Margarita broke open a 1-0 game with six runs in the bottom of the fifth inning on three singles, three walks and three Summerlin errors.
Santa Margarita opened the scoring in the top of the first. Leadoff batter Tyler Ankrum led off with a walk, advanced to third on a wild pitch by William Sullivan and scored one out later on Drew Rutter’s single.
Las Vegas-based Summerlin scored both its runs in the sixth and final inning.
Pinch-hitter Bryce Alleman, the inning’s first batter, was hit by a pitch, moved to third on pinch-hitter Nicolo Guevara’s one-out double and scored on George Holt’s single. Reese Lueck’s ground out drove in Guevara from third.
Gray’s final pitch to Guevara was his 86th of the game, exceeding the 85- pitch limit, forcing him to be replaced. (A pitcher exceeding the limit does not have to be removed until the batter completes his at-bat.)
Tommy Woods induced Michael Albanese to ground out to end the game.
The only hit Gray allowed before the sixth was a single to Sammy Fredrich leading off the fifth. Gray retired the first 12 batters he faced, striking out seven and not allowing a ball to be hit to the outfield.
All six of Santa Margarita’s hits were singles.
Santa Margarita qualified for the West Regional by winning the Southern California championship, defeating the Chula Vista-based Eastlake Little League all-star team, 10-8, in last Sunday’s championship game.
Santa Margarita is the first Orange County team to win the Southern California championship since 2012 when the all-star team from the Orange Little League won. San Diego County teams had won each of the past four championships.
The tournament is set to conclude Saturday, with the winner advancing to the Little League World Series, which is played in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
The West Regional is being played at Al Houghton Stadium in San Bernardino. All games through Wednesday will be televised by the ESPN3 broadband network. Games Thursday through Saturday will be televised by ESPN.
Seven Orange County teams have won the West Regional, most recently in 2011 when the all-star team from Huntington Beach’s Ocean View Little League went on to become the first team from the county to win the Little League World Series.
–City News Service