Dodgers’ King is grand in victory

The Dodgers ran away with a 17-5 victory over the Angels in a Costa Mesa American Little League Majors Division game Saturday.

The Dodgers scored four runs in the bottom half of the first inning. The runs came after No. 2 hitter Johnny Blommer reached base on a single, Daniel Morales followed with a triple to right field that scored Blommer, Morales scored on a single by Evan Larsen and Frankie Rodriguez hit a two-out, two-RBI double to center field.

The Angels scored a run in the top of the second on a lead-off double by Elliot Valles who went on to score on an infield grounder by Chris Richarson. The Angels pitching staff struggled to find the strike zone in the bottom of the third inning. The first four Dodger batters reached base on walks and eventually scored on passed balls. With bases empty again, James Barton and Leiby drew walks and Rodriguez reached base on a mishandled ground ball to load the bases. Paul King then stepped to the plate and worked a 2-2 count before hammering the next pitch over the left-field fence for a grand slam.

It was King’s first career Little League home run. He was greeted at home plate by his celebrating teammates.

The Angels scored four runs of their own in the top of the fourth after King, in relief duty for the Dodgers, had trouble finding the strike zone. The runs came after King gave up three walks, an RBI single to Richardson and a three-RBI double to Carlos Rosales.

The Dodgers added five more runs in the bottom of the fourth and the game was called due to the exceeded 10-run mercy rule.

— Jack Morales

QUITE A TIE

The Angels and Yankees accounted for 20 runs in their Costa Mesa American Little League Minor A division game April 1 yet neither team could emerge victorious.

The teams played to a 10-10 tie in a game called because of darkness.

The Yankees struck first when Orion Carter hit a two-out, inside-the-park home run for a 1-0 lead in the top-half of the first inning. It became 2-0 when Joseph Stukkie singled in Omar Munoz who reached base on a walk. In the bottom of the inning, the Angels tied the score when Branden Thompson and Antonio Leal walked and Jack Christensen singled to load the bases before Thompson and Leal went on to score.

The Angels took their first lead (3-2) in the bottom of the second when Damian Olmos hit a lead-off single and went on to steal home. The lead didn’t last long, however, as the Yankees came back with two more runs in the top of the third. Caden Schobel started the two-run rally with a single and scored on a bases loaded walk and Carter scored by stealing home on a passed ball to give the Yankees a 4-3 lead.

The Angels pulled ahead again in the bottom of the third with a five-run outburst to take an 8-4 lead. Their at-bat began with Keaton Wilson drawing a walk followed by a double by Dylan Phillips. Thompson then tripled home Wilson and Phillips. David Reta singled to score Thompson and Matthew Swartz closed out the rally with a two-run triple that scored Reta and Ray Welsher.

The Yankees got a run back in the fourth to move to within 8-5, then scored five more runs in the fifth to regain the lead at 10-8.

In the fifth, Schobel had a lead-off double and was followed by another home run by Carter which narrowed the score to 8-7. Hits by Raphael Cruz, Stukkie and Antoine Jackson led to three more runs and a 10-8 lead.

The Angels drew even again by scoring twice in the bottom of the fifth. Thompson singled and Leal walked before Christensen brought both runners home with a double to right-center field to tie the score at 10-10.

The game was called after five innings due to darkness.

— Wade Kerley

Basketball

Lightning’s solid run

The Newport Lightning Basketball Club’s boys’ 10-and-Under (fourth-grade) team went 2-1 at the Southern Pacific Amateur Athletic Union Shootout last weekend at Anaheim.

The 2-1 finish was good for second place in the division.

The Lightning lost to the Irvine Warriors in their first game, 30-17, but bounced back to record big wins over HoopStars Basketball Club of Fullerton (28-21) and ELA of Menifee (39-22).

The Lightning was led by the strong post presence of Kevin Kobrine and JT Schwartz who dominated the paint with both defense, rebounding and scoring. Ben Coffman and Jake Hamilton ran the offense and made precision passes while scoring key buckets throughout the tournament. Morgan Cortens, AJ Stefano and JT Murphy all played big minutes and provided scoring and solid defense.

— Reader submission

Lightning tryouts coming

The Newport Lightning Basketball Club is holding spring club basketball team tryouts for young men interested in playing on competitive teams at the 9-and-under to 14-and-under age group (third to eighth grade).

The tryouts will be held Sunday and April 18 from 3 to 6 p.m. at Sage Hill School’s Gym, 20402 Newport Coast Drive in Newport Coast.

Grades third through fifth tryouts will be held 3-4:30 p.m. and grades sixth through eighth 4:30-6 p.m. on Sunday and April 18 at the same venue.

The Newport Lightning Basketball Club is a comprehensive, fundamentals-based youth basketball development program targeting players who would like to compete at the next level.

The Newport Lightning Basketball Club operates multiple teams including high school boys and girls varsity programs and competes in regional club/AAU tournaments during the spring and summer months.

For more information, contact the club at [email protected] or visit its website at www.newportlightning.com.