Baseball: Local All-Stars triumph

The Costa Mesa Mayhem, a Palomino division team representing Costa Mesa Pony Baseball, won the West Zone, Southern California Super Region tournament, completed Sunday at Jackie Robinson Field in Pasadena.

It’s the first Super Region title for the Costa Mesa 18-year-old All-Stars in the league’s 20-year history.

Costa Mesa prevailed in the four-team tournament, defeating the Arcadia Astros, 3-2, to clinch the crown.

Costa Mesa opened the tournament by rallying from an 8-0 deficit to claim a 9-8 walk-off win in 11 innings over Rialto on Thursday.

The locals then rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Arcadia, 5-2, on Friday.

Once again squaring off with Arcadia, Costa Mesa fell, 9-6, on Sunday in the double-elimination format, before winning the if-necessary clash later that night.

James Barton, a recent Costa Mesa High graduate, started the title game on the mound for Costa Mesa and Grady Conner, another Costa Mesa High product, pitched in relief.

Costa Mesa residents Daniel Morales ( a Calvary Chapel High product bound for Cairn University in Langhorne, Pa. ) and Brian Cromwell (a Servite High product) also contributed, while Carter Chapman, who will be a senior next fall at Costa Mesa High, is also a member of the Mayhem roster.

Morales scored the winning run in the dramatic opener, thanks to a run-producing single by Fullerton resident Caleb Choe.

Costa Mesa Mayhem advances to the eight-team West Zone Tournament that begins Thursday and runs through Sunday at the Major League Baseball Urban Youth Academy in Compton.

Costa Mesa opens Thursday against the Colton Nighthawks at 4:30 p.m. A victory would send the Mayhem to a second-round game on Friday at 4:30 p.m. Should Costa Mesa lose its opener, it would play Friday at 1:30 p.m.

The winner of the West Zone Tournament advances to the Palomino World Series, Aug. 4-7, in Santa Clara.

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