Mayor’s Cup: Costa Mesa American completes sweep

In proportion to his modest height and build, the baseball glove with which Zach Mascarenas does his diamond business is almost awkwardly oversized.

One could say the same for his ability.

Mascarenas came within two outs of a complete-game shutout on Monday to lead the Costa Mesa American Little League All-Stars to a 9-0 triumph over Costa Mesa National to sweep the best-of-three Mayor’s Cup series that goes to the annual Majors Division crosstown champion.

Mascarenas, a crafty left-hander who earned the victory with two scoreless relief innings in a 5-3 win on Saturday, worked 51/3 innings without a run on Monday at Costa Mesa High. He allowed four hits, walked two and struck out seven to earn yet another win. He exited the game having thrown 82 pitches, three shy of the maximum allowed by Little League rules in a single outing.

For good measure, Mascarenas was two for three with two doubles, a run batted in and three runs scored to finish four for six with four runs and two RBIs in the series.

Yet this was anything but a one-man show for Costa Mesa American, which collected its second straight Mayor’s Cup trophy behind a handful of sparkling performances.

Shortstop Dylan Matian homered and was two for two with a walk on Monday and was three for three with three walks and four runs in the series.

Luke Jones, who notched a save in Game 1 and closed out Game 2 by recording the final two outs via strikeouts, was two for three with a two-run home run, a triple, three RBIs and three runs Monday. He went three for five with three RBIs and four runs for the series.

Center fielder Zach Kerkhoff was one for two with a double on Monday and caught four fly balls for the winners. He was three for four with one walk and one run in the series.

There were other heroes, as well for Costa Mesa American, which was defeated, 2-1, by Costa Mesa National in their first meeting, during the District 62 All-Star Tournament.

Costa Mesa American had nine hits and all but two of its runs were earned against three pitchers on Monday.

“It was good to see the boys finally get some balls that fell in,” said Costa Mesa American Manager Johnny Harmer, whose squad had only one extra-base hit in Game 1, but posted six in the clinching contest.

Jones’ triple caromed off the top of the fence in right-center field and back onto the outfield grass, while Mascarenas’ double to start a two-run rally in the first inning bounced over the fence in left-center for a ground-rule double.

“They did [show some power Monday],” Harmer said. “I think they’ve been a little bit worried about trying to hit a ball into a hole, rather than just trusting their hands and letting the ball fly off the bat. We worked on just having them trust their hands, let them go, and good things will happen.”

A two-out error that allowed two runs to score was another good thing that happened for Costa Mesa American, though it needed no help the rest of the way.

Matian opened the American second inning with a homer to left-center and, two outs later, Jones cleared the fence in right-center to cap a four-run inning.

Jones’ near-dinger drove in a run in the fourth and he scored on Jesse Ambrose’s RBI groundout to up the lead to 8-0.

A double by Kerkhoff and an RBI single by Robby Crowell finalized the scoring for the designated hosts, who also had a hit from Sydni Griffin, the lone girl on either team.

Shortstop J.J. Kibin was two for three with a double to highlight Costa Mesa National’s five-hit attack. He went three for five in the series.

Catcher Josh Gordon and outfielders Kayden Kahkosko and James De La O added singles Monday, while pitcher-infielder Chris Hall and pitcher-first baseman-ourfielder Ta’ita’I Uiagalelei both were two for five in the series to join Kibin as the only National players with multiple hits.

Uiagalelei, who started on the mound, struck out six in 32/3 innings, while Hall fanned three more in his two innings on the bump.

Second baseman Joshua Gough, the only player to play for the last two Mayor’s Cup winners, made a deft defensive play to record the first out of the sixth. He shuffled to his left to backhand a sharply hit ground ball and threw accurately to first to record half of the outs his team registered via ground balls.

Jones also sparkled defensively in right field. He ranged near the line to nearly make a sliding catch on Kahkosko’s single to open the National’s third inning. Jones then quickly pounced on the ball that had caromed just a few feet away and threw a strike to Matian covering second to nail the runner trying to advance by 15 feet.

“We were outmatched, obviously,” Costa Mesa National Manager Chad Gordon said. “I give all the credit in the world to [Costa Mesa American]. They outplayed us, badly, two games in a row.”