Crescenta Valley 9-10 All-Stars win District 16 title
TUJUNGA — It’s something that the Crescenta Valley 9-10 All-Stars baseball team’s coaches have stressed all summer. The coaches on the Little League District 16 team have told their players to be aggressive on the basepaths to capitalize on miscues.
Crescenta Valley’s players listened to the instructions Saturday in the championship game of the District 16 Tournament.
Crescenta Valley scored its first five runs on wild pitches and received an outstanding pitching performance from its two hurlers in a 9-3 victory against Jewel City/Jewish War Veterans-Tujunga at the Tujunga Little League Field.
Manager John Risso’s Crescenta Valley squad advanced to the Section 2 Tournament, where it will play the District 51 representative at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Montrose Park in an opening-round game.
“We talk all the time about taking advantage of opportunities and that includes errors,” said Risso, whose team began the tournament with a 5-4 win against Jewel City/Jewish War Veterans-Tujunga on Wednesday. “We capitalized on them. We work on being alert in practice. We prepare them, we work them on the scenarios so they can make quick decisions.”
Crescenta Valley’s aggressiveness on the basepaths allowed its pitchers to relax on the mound. Crescenta Valley starting pitcher Andrew Miller limited Jewel City/Jewish War Veterans-Tujunga to one hit through four innings and relief pitcher Joseph Risso surrendered just two hits. Miller and Risso combined to strike out 11.
“Andrew Miller pitched an incredibly solid game,” Risso said. “He was consistent. He was thoughtful and he was deliberate today. He threw hard. And then Joseph came in and maintained his composure and delivered solid pitching, as well.”
Jewel City/Jewish War Veterans-Tujunga scored first after Chris Cotton tripled to center field and came home on a fielder’s choice in the first inning. It was the only hit Jewel City/Jewish War Veterans-Tujunga had until the sixth inning, when it trailed, 9-2.
Crescenta Valley took advantage of Jewel City/Jewish War Veterans-Tujunga’s pitching in the second inning when Jake Rendo and Tyler Cofre each came home on two wild pitches. Holden Deitch and Jake Mucic scored in the third inning to give Crescenta Valley a 4-1 lead.
Deitch was two for three with three runs scored, including two on wild pitches. Rendo’s single to center field in the fifth inning plated Miller and an error allowed Cofre to score his second run in the fifth inning. Sean Sommer also had a run scored for Crescenta Valley.
Rendo and Miller added two hits apiece.
“We saw good pitching and hit them,” said Deitch, whose team-high three hits led Crescenta Valley to a 13-2 victory against Foothill on Thursday. “We were aggressive and hitting the ball well.”
Shade Schaefer and Sebastian Rodriguez each scored a run for Jewel City/Jewish War Veterans-Tujunga, which also received a hit from Ryan Reisner.
“This is their fifth game in a row,” Jewel City/Jewish War Veterans-Tujunga Manager Jason McCubbin said. “They were tired. They gave it their all. That’s all that we can ask of them.”