LA VERNE LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL: Minor Division American All-Stars Nip Nationals 8-6

All-Stars enjoy their moment in the sun before the start of the 2012 game.

On an exciting night for baseball at Pelota Park in La Verne, the American League Minor Division All-Stars nipped the Nationals 8-6 in front of a packed house of proud parents, grandparents and friends.

The American Leaguers got on the board early with a two-run, two-out rally in the first. After a walk to Tommy Robles and a double by Logan Cortwell, Jaxon Brunk cashed in both runners with a single to give the Americans a 2-0 lead.

In the bottom half of the inning, the Nationals struck back with four runs after sending 10 batters to the plate. Starting the frame, Matt Bustos, Dean Curley, Jason Armendariz each singled. After Jeff Plumley was hit by a pitch, David Tolan laced a two-run double. Morgan Smith followed with an RBI single. American League pitcher Chloe Medina was finally called in to put out the fire and restore order, holding the score to 4-2.

In the top of the second, Plumley took the hill for the Nationals and promptly struck out the side. In the bottom of the inning, the American’s Robles also set the Nationals down in order.

In the top of the third, the Americans evened the score at 4-4. After Medina was hit by a pitch, Christian Brown singled, and Seth Wrightstone was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Tyler Holley grounded to short for a force at second, but runners Medina and Brown, off at the crack of the bat, alertly came around to score.

Meanwhile, in the bottom of the third, new American League pitcher Cortwell gave up only a single to Amaendariz in the four batters he faced.

In the top of the fourth, the Americans reclaimed the lead on an RBI single by Jacob Truex. Cortwell and Nick Heaton also singled in the inning, but the Americans left the bases full without any further scoring.

In the bottom half of the inning, it was Truex time, as he struck out the side after surrendering a lead-off single to Morgan Smith.

In the top of the fifth, the Americans expanded their 5-4 lead to 8-4. Again it was the bottom of the order that got the rally started. Medina singled sharply to left. The hot-hitting Brown followed up with a double. Then Wrightstone grounded just inside the third-base bag for a stand-up two-run double. Holley’s ground out scored Wrightstone with the inning’s third run.

The Nationals rallied for two in the bottom of the inning on singles by Julian Arenal, Matthew Dalrymple and Dean Curley, but the two runs fell two runs weren’t enough to catch the Americans, who held on for the 8-6 victory.

The all-star contest was a great capstone to an outstanding season and served ample notice that the city of La Verne, home of the 2012 CIF Champion Bonita Bearcats, has a lot of future baseball talent waiting in the wings.

Video highlights forthcoming ….