Ocean View’s Majors reign ended by Fountain Valley

There will be a new District 62 Little League All-Star Majors division

champion in 2001.

Ocean View had its reign as district kingpin come to an end Sunday

when Fountain Valley scored a 5-0 victory in an elimination contest for

both teams.

Seaview, which defeated Costa Mesa National, 6-2, over the weekend to

win the Area 2 bracket, meets Fountain Valley this week in a

best-of-three series to determine the Majors champion.

Fountain Valley was clinging to a 1-0 lead heading into the sixth

inning, when it took command with a four-run outburst in the top of the

frame.

The game featured a pitcher’s duel between Fountain Valley’s Jeff

Spirk and Ocean View’s Troy Davis.

Spirk went the distance and gave up five hits, a pair of walks and

struck out six.

Davis went five innings and allowed five hits while striking out four.

Fountain Valley grabbed a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning when Spirk

doubled and scored on Brian Faust’s single.

In the sixth, Joseph Park relieved Davis and after giving up a leadoff

walk, Ocean View’s defense committed three errors. Ryan Buckles then came

up with an RBI double and Nick McIssac had an RBI single to highlight

Fountain Valley’s four-run sixth inning.

It was the third meeting between the two teams in five days.

Ocean View handed Fountain Valley its initial loss of the double

elimination event by winning 1-0 last Wednesday. Ocean View scored four

runs in the top of the sixth inning to break a 1-1 tie.

Scott Melchert’s RBI single broke the tie and with two out Adrian

Conger hit a two-RBI single and later scored on a passed ball.

Both teams scored in their first at-bat, with Brett Sterbens’ single

scoring Park, who had singled, to account for Ocean View’s early 1-0

lead, but Spirk had an RBI ground out in the bottom of the inning to tie

the score.

Conger finished with two hits and two RBI, Sterbens had two hits and

an RBI, Grothe threw out three base runners, Nick Orendorff provided

strong play at shortstop and Park notched the win by allowing one run on

a single hit.

On Saturday, Fountain Valley evened the score with Ocean View by

rallying from a 4-2 deficit with a three-run fifth inning to post a 5-4

win.

Fountain Valley took a 1-0 first inning lead on Buckles RBI single,

but Ocean View came back in the bottom of the inning to take a 2-1 lead

on Sterbens’ two-run home run. The lead grew to 4-1 in the second inning

when Ocean View strung together four hits, a Steven Martinez single,

Park’s double, Jon Grothe’s RBI single and an Orendorff single.

Fountain Valley rallied when McIssac singled and scored on a passed

ball in the third inning. McIssac also figured in the fifth inning rally

as he doubled and Joel Stanton singled off Melchert, Ocean View’s

starter. Melchert left the game at that point and Fountain Valley went on

to score three runs. A fielder’s choice accounted for the third run and

Buckles continued his hot hitting streak with a two-RBI double.

Grothe finished with three hits and scored twice for Ocean View.

In going 3-1 in tournament play, Grothe led Ocean View with seven

hits, Sterbens had six, Park finished with five and Conger and Melchert

each had four hits.

SEAVIEW WINS THREE STRAIGHT

Seaview has bounced back from an opening round 9-3 loss to Costa Mesa

National to win three consecutive games and earn the right to battle

Fountain Valley for the title.

It began to climb back with a 9-2 win over Robinwood, as Tyler Chapman

and Brad Adams each hit two-run home runs, David McLaughlin had two RBI

singles, Greg Davis, Michael Lucas and Chapman each had an RBI single and

Davis got the win by striking out seven while allowing just one hit in

four innings.

Seaview evened things up with Costa Mesa National in its next game.

Trailing 2-1 after one inning, Carl Eberts hit an RBI single and Adams

had an RBI double during a three-run third inning. Seaview went on to win

4-2. Chapman pitched five innings and gave up three hits while striking

out seven.

In an elimination showdown, Seaview got the best of Costa Mesa

National in the team’s third meeting, winning, 6-2. Again, Seaview

trailed after the first inning, 2-1, but scored the game’s final five

runs.

Seaview gained control in the fourth inning as Bryan Visnoski had a

two-RBI single and RBI singles by Davis, Chapman and anAustin Morgan solo

home run to right field in the fifth inning capped the comeback.

Cort Ross pitched the final 3 1/2 innings and held Costa Mesa National

hitless while striking out seven.