Mariners master of Majors

Bryce Alderton

They play golf together, they are best friends, they each coach two

sons on Little League teams.

The Mariners, coached by Brian Freeman, and Angels, guided by Bart

Thomsen, used different paths to get to the championship game of the

Newport Beach Little League Majors Division Thursday, but nonetheless

met with all the marbles on the line. The Mariners proved up to the

challenge, scoring four runs in the first inning, which was more than

enough to defeat the Angels, 4-0, at Boras Field on the campus of

Lincoln Elementary under cloudy, drizzly skies.

Excluding the first inning, the offenses remained cool, but

pitching for both teams took over for both teams.

Thomsen and Freeman rode each of their 12-year-old starters the

full six innings, using mound mastery Greg Maddux and Randy Johnson

would appreciate.

Nick Freeman got out of bases-loaded jams in the third, fourth and

sixth innings, striking out four while allowing only two hits. His

counterpart, Hunter Alder, threw exceptionally well after a shaky

first inning, striking out eight and only allowing two hits the final

five innings.

Alder used only 13 of his 84 total pitches to retire the side in

order the final two innings.

Freeman tossed 100 pitches, the maximum allowed by league rules,

with the final toss resulting in a fly out -- hit by Alder -- to left

fielder Michael Hay, giving the Mariners (14-10) the title with their

fourth straight victory.

“I was just trying to throw strikes and get out of the jam,”

Freeman said. “I was a little nervous with the bases loaded the first

time, but besides that, I felt great.”

The right-hander struck out the last two batters in the third

inning, the first coming when the Angels’ Michelle Zucker and O.T.

Mitchell stood at second and first, respectively. Scott Frazier beat

out a dribbler in front of the plate for an infield hit to load the

bases before Freeman struck out the final hitter on four pitches.

“The Angels had a great year ... Nick just threw a special game

[Thursday],” Brian Freeman said of his son. “He made the big pitches

when he had to. With Nick and Hunter ... two 12-year-olds, you want

your biggest kids on the mound when the game is on the line. They

both were great.”

Walks to Armani Ferrante and leadoff hitter Scott Ely, along with

Jamie Heinecke reaching base when a throw from the second baseman

pulled the first baseman off the bag, loaded the bases once more for

the Angels in the final inning, but Freeman got the final fly out.

“Hunter hit a nice drive in the last inning, but it just wasn’t

enough,” Thomsen said. “We kept loading the bases where key hits

could have been the difference. We battled hard and never gave up.”

The key hit for the Mariners came off the bat of Nick’s

10-year-old brother, Chris.

The third baseman lined the second pitch he saw mere feet inside

the left-field line for a three-run double to score John Doering,

Parker Werline and William Ham. Doering and Werline both reached with

singles, while Ham was safe at first after the Angels (14-8) caught a

runner in a pickle along the third-base line, but the Mariner was

able to slide back safely.

“It was a high one, my favorite kind of pitch,” Chris Freeman

recalled. “I just turned on it.” Chase Ross followed with a

line-drive single into center field to plate him.

Werline and Chris Freeman each had two hits while Chad Morabito,

Chase Nugent, J.D. Abbott and Lee Cowan all saw action.

Alder had the only other hit for the Angels besides Frazier -- a

two-out single in the fourth inning. Ely, Scott Thomsen and Blake

Thomsen all walked while Nick Flamson, David Weiland and Craig

Jackson each hit the ball.

The Angels won their side of the National Division tournament and

finished the regular season in third place.

For Thomsen, it was his third consecutive loss in a league

championship game.