Ocean View splits first two at Section 5

After getting off to a slow start in the Section 5 Tournament two days earlier, the Ocean View Little League 9/10 All-Star team stayed in contention for the title Sunday by eliminating West Garden Grove, 11-3, at Little Lake Park in Norwalk.

On Friday, Ocean View had started the tournament with a 10-2 loss to Laguna Niguel.

Ocean View 11, West Garden Grove 3

District 62 champ Ocean View combined 10 hits, nine walks and three hit batters to score 11 runs in eliminating District 46 winner West Garden Grove in the double-elimination tournament.

Grant Mayeaux and Zachary Gates each had two hits to lead an Ocean View attack that featured hits from Casey Hayes, Dane Perkins, Jacob Caron, Luke Fell, Jake Bauers and David Feirstein.

Gates pitched three innings and held West Garden Grove to just one hit and an unearned run while striking five. Caron, Gibbs and Drew Stanfield each pitched an inning to complete the victory. Ocean View’s defense also turned an infield double play to get out of a bases loaded jam in the third inning.

Ocean View broke the game open in the top of the third by sending 10 batters to the plate. Hayes drew a lead-off walk, Gates singled to left, Gibbs walked and Bauers hit an RBI single to left field. After Kevin Engesser walked to load the bases again, a West Garden Grove error led to another run. Mayeaux followed with an RBI single into left field as Ocean View scored five runs to go on top, 5-1.

In the fourth inning, Gates hit a lead-off single and Gibbs walked before Perkins singled to load the bases. Bauers, Feirstein, and Patrick Shearer each drew walks to force home three more runs to extend the lead to 8-1.

West Garden Grove struck for two more runs in the bottom of the fourth but Ocean View got both back with a two-run fifth.

Walks to Hayes, Gibbs and Dakod Muta preceded an RBI single to left by Luke Fell delivered an RBI single and an RBI single up the middle by Feirstein made the score 10-3.

The final Ocean View run was scored in the sixth when Caron and Mayeaux each singled to start the inning and Hayes had a sacrifice fly to right field to score Caron.

“Our kids were much more disciplined at the plate, and that shows in the hitting and walks we got today,” Ocean View Manager Gorden Gates said. “West Garden Grove scored 40 runs in their district championship run, but our pitchers kept the ball down and got the job done.”

Laguna Niguel 10, Ocean View 2 Ocean View couldn’t hold on to an early two-run lead in dropping its tournament opener Friday to District 55 representative Laguna Niguel.

Ocean View took a 2-0 lead through 1 1/2 innings, but Laguna Niguel rattled off six singles and a walk to score five runs in the bottom-half of the second to take a 5-2 lead. Laguna Niguel put the game away in the fifth by scoring five more runs, three on a home run by Dane McFarland.

Ocean View, whose offense hit and scored at a torrid pace in winning the recent District 62 All-Star tournament, was held in check by Laguna Niguel’s Nick Hsieh. He threw a complete game four-hitter and shut down the middle of the Ocean View lineup.

Jacob Caron went two for three with a double to pace Ocean View and Jake Bauers and Max Gibbs singled.

“We came out flat as a team, and if you do that in Sectionals against district champion teams, they will put you away,” Gates said. “Unfortunately, we were on the losing end of this one and will have to work our way back through the elimination bracket.”