Crescenta Valley 10-11 baseball falls back into familiar role
SIERRA MADRE – In a contest that featured 25 runs and 10 errors, effective pitching late separated the Crescenta Valley and San Marino 10-11 Little League Baseball All-Star teams in the opening game of Wednesday’s Section 2 Tournament.
District 16-champion Crescenta Valley was shut out over the game’s last two innings and surrendered the contest’s final eight runs in a 15-10 defeat to District 17 champion and host San Marino at Heasley Field.
The loss drops Crescenta Valley into Thursday’s elimination bracket game back at Heasley Field at 4:30 p.m. versus either Section 40 titlist Sherman Oaks or Section 51 champion Quartz Hill.
San Marino advanced to Thursday’s championship bracket action at 7.
Wednesday’s loss marks the second straight postseason tournament that Crescenta Valley has opened with a defeat.
“I just got through telling the guys that we scored 10 runs and that should have been more than enough to win,” Crescenta Valley coach Kevin Deitch said. “We played uncharacteristically poor on defense. Too many dropped fly balls and too many mental mistakes and we’re just going to have to clean that up for [Thursday] afternoon to hopefully have a better outcome.”
San Marino scored runs in three of five innings, while plating eight runs over the final two frames to erase a 10-7 deficit heading into the bottom of the fourth inning.
The host squad put the game away in the bottom of the fifth inning as it led, 11-10.
San Marino’s first three batters all collected hits with Jayan Anvekar driving in a run on a single. A sacrifice fly from AJ Campana (two runs batted in and two runs scored) and a huge two-run single from Benjamin Hughes (four RBI and a run) completed a four-run fifth as San Marino took its largest advantage, 15-10.
While Crescenta Valley’s sixth-inning rally started well enough with a single from Joe Risso (one RBI and one run), San Marino coach Steve Park countered by bringing in his closer, Ryan Park.
The reliever didn’t allow a ball to leave the infield as the next three Crescenta Valley batters were retired in order.
The win showed off some versatility from San Marino, which trailed by scores of 3-0 and 10-7.
“We’ve been swinging the bats well, especially from the last tournament,” Steve Park said. “We knew we were going to put some runs up in the game and when we got down, we kept playing. It got tough there in the middle of the game, but we kept fighting back with runs.”
Crescenta Valley opened the contest with a three-run top of the first inning highlighted by run-scoring singles from Risso and Will Nyhan (two RBI).
The 3-0 advantage was short-lived, however, as San Marino sent 11 batters to the plate in the bottom of the first and scored seven runs on seven hits and was aided by three errors. The big blow was a two-run double from Thomas Lieb, who finished two for two with a double, triple, three runs and two RBI.
Crescenta Valley fought back with three runs in the second inning that included a two-run single from Holden Deitch to climb within 7-6.
After 1 1/2 innings of scoreless baseball, Crescenta Valley retook the lead, 10-7, in the fourth with a four-run frame that included only one hit — a scoring single from pinch-hitter Andrew DiPietre.
Unfortunately for Crescenta Valley, its offense dried up after that half inning, while San Marino’s caught a second wind.
San Marino took the lead for good with four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning as its first four hitters all reached safely and crossed home plate as the home team went ahead, 11-10.
A Crescenta Valley team that had scored in three of the first four innings was subsequently held scoreless in the final two frames.
If there is solace for Crescenta Valley, it’s not in an unfamiliar position.
The squad is perhaps best in elimination mode as it is 3-0, having rallied from a District 16 Tri-Cities Tournament opening loss to Glendale Vaquero by winning the last three games and the title.
“That will be message that we’re up against it and we have to win,” Deitch said, “but I’m sure that whoever we’re playing, they’re going to be saying the same thing.”
