Pinto All-Star team advances to World Series

The Fountain Valley Pinto All-Star team, an 8-year-old Division of

Pony League Baseball and made up of several players from Huntington

Beach, won the Section Tournament championship Monday night to

qualify for the upcoming Pinto World Series.

The All-Stars came from behind to defeat La Mirada, 10-7, in the

title game played Monday in Garden Grove.

That win thrusts the team into the Pinto World Series which will

be begin July 17 in Garden Grove.

“This team never gives up,” Coach Don Smith said. “They were

getting a little down when they were behind in the middle of the game

but we told them to not worry and hit the ball hard.”

Scotty Weaver led the attack with a 3 for 3 performance that drove

in three runs.

Joey De Marco, Wyatt Christensen, Clayton Smith, Nestor Linares

and Jonathan Marriott each had two hits in the game.

The All-Stars began the tournament with a 13-3 whipping of Seal

Beach in a game halted by the 10-run mercy rule. Linares and Brad

Owen each went 3 for 3 and the pitching staff struck out eight.

In a 12-0 rout of St. Hedwig -- another game ended by the mercy

rule -- Smith had two hits to the outfield fence and Josh Mishler led

the way on defense.

In a semifinal game against Placentia, the defensive play of Jacob

Marvos and Jacob Vega preserved a 4-2 victory.

The Pinto World Series will draw eight teams from Southern

California including Los Angeles County, the Inland Empire and San

Diego County.

The Pinto All-Stars also include Jake Armstrong, Sean Finley,

Jacob Fuller, Derek Huynen, Michael Kelly and coaches Jim Owen and

Rick Christensen.