La Verne 11-Year-Old All Stars Flash the Leather and Their Championship Smiles
Meet your new 11-year-old District 20 champions from La Verne.
Trailing 6-4, the La Verne 11-year-old all-stars rallied for three in the bottom of the fourth and two more in the bottom of the fifth to defeat a determined Claremont team, 9-6, and claim the District 20 Championship at Marchant Park in San Dimas on Friday night.
After La Verne starter Anthony Cascarano surrendered a run in the top of the first, La Verne put up four quick runs courtesy of five straight walks issued to Cascarano, AJ Woodall, Nate Schneider, Graydon Smith and Nick Johnson. La Verne also flashed some heads-up base running. When walked, both Cascarano and Woodall ran hard to first and never stopped until reaching second. Also, by dancing off the third base bag, Woodall induced the Claremont pitcher into an errant pick-off attempt at third allowing two runs to score. It turned out La Verne would need all of those first-inning runs to win the game. The only hit in the inning was a lead-off single by Nick Peifer.
In the top of the second, Claremont edged closer, 4-3, scoring two more runs on three hits before Woodall relieved Cascarano to get the final out. With one out in the bottom half, Peifer singled again and Will Guerra dropped down a perfect bunt, but then Claremont shut the door.
In the top of the third, Claremont went on top 6-4 on a three-run home run. The score might have been 9-4, if La Verne’s Chris Spencer didn’t run down another ball at the left field fence to end the inning in dramatic fashion. Spencer’s game-saving grab was just the first of many for La Verne.
Upfront, from left, are defensive stars Chris Spencer, Nick Johnson and Nate Schneider. The big bopper behind them is Logan Zylstra who hit a two-runner homer to give La Verne a little extra breathing room.
After Peifer held Claremont scoreless in the top of the fourth, La Verne responded with three runs in the bottom frame, the big blows coming on a two-out, one-run double by Cascarano and a two-run single by Woodall.
In the top of the fifth, La Verne flashed the leather again, when a backpedaling Nick Johnson snagged a high pop headed to right field’s Bermuda Triangle. Had the ball not been caught, Claremont likely would have scored two runs to regain the lead.
Still clinging to a 7-6 lead in the top of the fifth, third baseball Logan Zylstra tomahawked a two-run homer over the 191-foot left field fence, giving La Verne a little added insurance. It turned out it wasn’t needed when Peifer set down Claremont in order for the only time in the game, aided by a great catch by catcher Schneider.
“I knew tonight we were in for a battle,” said La Verne manager Kevin Smith. “Claremont was a confident team and they came to play. Our pitching was a little off tonight, and Claremont came out swinging. But we made the plays when we had to. Chris Spencer’s had a great catch in the outfield, Nate Schneider had one behind the plate and Johnson at second had another one for us.”
Now La Verne returns to Pelota Park, which is hosting the sectional playoffs.
“The kids are pumped up, the parents are pumped and the parents are good,” Smith added.
It’s all good!
With the win, La Verne seemed to float across the diamond, elevated by their great play.
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