West Anaheim Lions Club Tournament : Middlebrooks Keeps Canyon Off Balance; Fullerton Wins Title

Baseball experts say that good pitching beats good hitting every time. This is exactly what happened for Fullerton High School as it defeated Canyon, 5-0, Tuesday to win the 12th Annual West Anaheim Lions Club baseball tournament at La Palma Stadium.

The Indians got a standout performance from junior left-hander Jeff Middlebrooks, who allowed two hits over seven scoreless innings. Middlebrooks was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

“I was scared the first couple of innings but felt comfortable the rest of the way,” Middlebrooks said. “This was my first full-out outing, and I’m pleased by beating a good Canyon team.”

As it turned out, Fullerton needed only one run, and it got it in the first inning. T.J. Richards led off with a double to right-center and moved to third when shortstop Steve Moore flew out to deep center. The next batter, Jeff Bailey, singled to deep short to score Richards.

The Indians scored two more in the fourth. The big hit was second baseman Steve Pearson’s hot grounder that deflected off third baseman Jim Restivo into left field. That scored designated hitter Brett Reater to make it 3-0.

Fullerton Coach Dave Torres wasn’t completely happy with his team’s effort. “We came out flat in the early going,” he said. “Mentally, we were not ready, but Middlebrooks had it all together, and that helped.”

Torres had planned to use Middlebrooks only three innings, but with the way Middlebrooks kept Canyon hitters off base, there was no reason to take him out. Middlebrooks relied mostly on off-speed breaking pitches.

Hi Lavalle, Comanche coach, said he knew Middlebrooks would give his team trouble. “He beat us last year in the opening round of the tournament and was in complete command tonight. He did a good job,” Lavalle said.

Fullerton had some fine defensive work. Center fielder Richards made a diving catch in shallow center, and second baseman Pearson dived to his left to rob Canyon players of hits.

Torres was excited about his defense. “Tonight it was contagious,” he said. “And it gave our team a big lift. It made it special because it was our first-ever Lions title.”

Fullerton (8-2) scored another run in the sixth and its final run in the seventh.

Mike Townley (3-3) took the loss for Canyon, which is 6-4-1. Townley gave up four runs on eight hits in five innings.

Fullerton had two players other than Middlebrook on the all-tournament team: left fielder Curt Daggett and pitcher Stathy Papadatos.

Shortstop Mike Sliemers and pitcher Wayne Elmore of Canyon were also on the team.

Other players on the all-tournament team were Kennedy second baseman Glen Mares, Riordan shortstop Paolo Dellabordella, Woodbridge catcher Paul Rodriguez and Apple Valley outfielder Steve Timok.

In the third-place game:

Woodbridge 8, Riordan (SF) 8--Riordan was awarded the victory on the basis of total bases, 56-54, when the game reached a predetermined 2 hour and 15-minute time limit. The Warriors (5-5-2) scored once in the sixth inning when Mike Filia doubled and was driven in by Paul Rodriguez, who went 2 for 3 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBIs. But Woodbridge wound up leaving the bases loaded. Dave Padilla had a bases-loaded triple in the fourth for the Warriors. Riordan’s Daryl Michael was 3 for 3 with 2 runs scored.

In the consolation championship:

Kennedy 7, Apple Valley 7--Fighting Irish freshman Steve Rath drove in the tying run in the sixth inning, and the Fighting Irish were awarded the victory on the basis of total bases, which they led, 44-41. Kennedy is 4-7-2.

In other tournament games:

Long Beach Poly forfeit to Savanna--The Jackrabbits failed to appear for the game.