3 victories for Hobie

Team Hobie went on a recent tear in Laguna Beach Little League Majors

Division play, as it rolled to three consecutive victories.

The most recent triumph was an 8-1 rout of the San Juan Capistrano

Angels in interleague play at San Juan Sports Park.

Hobie got off to an early lead, thanks to an RBI double by Spencer

Freidenrich in the first inning, a bunt single by Morgan Curry and a

double by Chris Barwick.

Freidenrich finished the game with a three-for-three performance.

Hobie lead-off hitter Jack Pillsbury scored three runs, while

Michael Kimball and Sawyer Pierce each scored two.

Hobie pitching remained strong, as starter Shane Selfridge pitched

3 1/3 innings, allowing one hit and striking out seven.

Alex Bekken and Kimball held the Angels to one run in the final

three innings and were backed by the defense of infielders Curry,

Pierce, Pillsbury and Friedenrich.

In other action:

Hobie, 8; VFW, 2

Hobie racked up another eight runs in its first big offensive

output of the 2005 season.

Spencer Freidenrich hit his first career home run at Riddle Field,

a two-run shot that gave Hobie a 2-0 lead.

Friedenrich also took the mound and pitched a solid five innings,

allowing only two hits -- singles by VFW’s Matthew Neev and Santi

Pierini.

He struck out eight.

Hobie scored six runs in the fourth inning, thanks to run-scoring

hits by Cody Alter, Kirk Knott (who went two for two) and Chris

Barwick.

Hobie, 2; Sportsworld, 1

Team Hobie, which dropped a season-opening game to Sportsworld in

a 10-inning affair on opening day earlier in the month, rebounded to

win this defensive battle.

Hobie scored its only runs of the game in the first inning when

leadoff hitter Jack Pillsbury drew a walk, Shane Selfridge singled,

and with two out, Spencer Freidenrich drove home both runners with a

single to left-center.

Hobie starter Alex Bekken held Sportsworld scoreless, struck out

six, and allowed only one hit through four innings, which was a

leadoff single by Brian Vail.

Travis Clauson of Sportsworld singled home Andrew Wheeler in the

fifth, but the Sportsworld scoring threat was ended on a defensive

gem at the plate, as catcher Jack Pillsbury recovered a wild pitch to

tag Vail on his attempt to steal home.

The Sportworld pitching duo of Stevie Contursi and Austin Paxson

allowed only three hits, two by Freidenrich, and recorded 10

strikeouts.

Closer Michael Kimball finished the game for Hobie by retiring the

side in the sixth.