La Verne 12-Year-Old All-Stars Catch Magic Again with Dramatic Late-Inning Rally; 12-9 Victory Over Moorpark Both Sizzling and Scintillating

Kenny Walter scores La Verne's first run after some daring baserunning. La Verne wouldn't score again until the dramatic sixth inning, when it scored six runs with one out to tie the game 7-7 and take the game into extra innings.

In perhaps their most improbable victory yet, the La Verne 12-year-old All-Stars rallied from a six-run deficit in the top of the sixth to tie the score 7-7 before winning in extra innings, 12-9, over a stunned Moorpark team at the Encino Park Little League Complex on Sunday afternoon.

The pivotal sixth inning started harmlessly enough. Leading off, Isaiah Carranza floated a single to left center field. Jake Tilton then flied to center, meaning La Verne was two outs away from going home for the summer. After two consecutive walks to load the bases, Danny Gelalich singled to bring the score to 7-2. Another free pass was issued to lead-off hitter Garrett Weiss to make the score 7-3. With the sacks still full, Tanner Diebold cleared the bases by belting a grand slam. In a blink, they were back from the brink. The score was 7-7, and the momentum was all La Verne’s.

Sensing a knock-out, La Verne’s Robert Peterson and Justin Gomez continued the offensive outburst by stroking solid singles. However, Carranza, who started the clutch rally and has been Mr. Everything in the post-season for La Verne, grounded into an inning-ending double play to finally end the threat.

Despite the twin-killing, the impossible had become possible for the second time in less than a week, or has one proud La Verne parent proclaimed, “The Cardiac Kids, II” was now playing.

After Cordell Smith held down Moorpark in the bottom of the sixth, La Verne was back for more in the top of the seventh. Smith nursed a walk, Tilton was hit by a pitch, and Halabrin singled to load the bases. Gelalich followed with an RBI single. Then Diebold and Peterson cracked scoring doubles. Carranza finished off the assault with another single.

Every run was needed because Moorpark scored two more in the bottom of the seventh before Stewart, resorting to his off-speed pitch, induced Moorpark’s two most dangerous hitters, Blake Chiaramonte and Trey Bair, to hit comebackers to the mound to end the game.

“I don’t know what was a better game, the Hacienda Heights game or this one,” said Manager Bobby Diebold. In the Hacienda Heights contest, La Verne was down to its last strike before finding the magic.

Diebold had nothing but praise and respect for Moorpark’s starting pitcher Terramonte, who had to finally exit the game due to his high pitch count, per Little League rules.

“The pitch count certainly played in our favor,” Diebold said. “That pitcher had us off balance. He was very good.”

For their part, the early battery of pitcher Joey Halabrin and catcher Tanner Diebold were exerting tremendous effort in a stifling heat that was taking its toll on both players.

“Tanner and Joey both said they felt like they were getting dehydrated out there,” Diebold said. “Neither felt nauseous, but both were kind of dizzy. It was 100 degrees out there. But the adrenaline starts to pump in a spot like that, and you forget about how tired you are.”

Relieving Halabrin was Smith, who kept the lid on the game after Moorpark bolted to what seemed an insurmountable 7-1 lead on the strength of a six-run fourth inning. Moorpark’s six-running was even more deflating for La Verne because it had come just after La Verne had manufactured a run to tie the game at 1-1 in the top of the fourth. The run was set up by a walk to Smith, a pinch steal by Kenny Walter who advanced to third on an overthrow, and an infield out by Halabrin to bring in Walter with the tying run.

Cordell Smith decides to look one over.

Although Halabrin was roughed up in the bottom of the fourth, with the defense also taking a brief siesta, Diebold never lost faith in his work horse and big-game hurler .

“We leaned on Joey,” Diebold said. “Joey’s probably recorded more innings than any of the pitchers on our team. This was a good hitting team. They were on him tonight, and that’s going to happen at this level, but again you saw all the ways he contributed to our victory.”

Both teams had the option to put on the misters to cool things down in the dugout. When Moorpark didn’t, La Verne also decided to tough it out. “I told the kids, ‘If they’re not using the misters, were not using the misters, they’re playing in the same heat were playing in’” Diebold said.

With the heat on, La Verne’s typically top-notch defense wilted for a spell in the bottom of the fourth. Twice it failed to turn double plays. Before the inning was over, Moorpark took a commanding 7-1 lead, aided by two errors, three walks and a pair of two-run homers. It didn’t look pretty.

On the plus side, La Verne maintained its aggressiveness and never gave up hope of a rally of their own.

“We came back and scored out first run with some of the best base running all year with Kenny Walter,” Diebold said. “He’s so aggressive. That’s what it’s going to take at this level.”

Catching his breath, Diebold dared to look ahead to La Verne’s next contest, Monday, July 27, against Quartz Hill at 5 p.m. at the Encino Little League Complex on Havenhurst Avenue.

‘We’re going to have to play some small ball,” Diebold ventured. “The make-up of this team is such that we can go big some innings and then play National League ball, if you would.”

American League ball or National League ball … La Verne doesn’t care as long as it’s playing ball somewhere, and right now, somewhere is Encino, Calif. (Peter Bennett reporting, July 26, 2009)

Jake Tilton always extends every ounce of effort to help put La Verne over the top.