American Legion State Championship : Mistakes Cost Fullerton a Quick Elimination, 11-4

Their tradition of reaching the American Legion state playoffs didn’t reach far enough Sunday for the Fullerton Dodgers.

The Dodgers looked like anything but a team that had qualified for the state playoffs 11 times since 1973. By committing seven errors, they helped Lodi eliminate them, 11-4, at Borman Field.

Fullerton was the first team eliminated from the tournament, which will end either Tuesday or Wednesday.

“You can’t make that many mistakes and win,” Fullerton assistant coach Seymour Reinstein said. “We’ll minimize all that next time. It’s been a tradition for us to get here and we’re not tired of it.”

Next time was what the Dodgers (29-7) vowed the only other time they were bounced out of the double-elimination playoffs in two straight games. That was 1981. In 1982, they won the state championship.

Could next time mean 1987 and another championship?

“No one can tell if that will be true for next year, but I’d like to think so,” said Dennis Kause, another Fullerton assistant coach.

Dodger coaches took solace in the fact that all 18 players played in both games--the loss to Lodi and a 10-4 loss to Woodland Hills earlier Sunday morning (the completion of a game suspended Saturday because of darkness).

“We’ve got a lot of young players who got some exposure in the state playoffs,” Reinstein said. “Their goal is to come back and redeem themselves next year.”

Eight of the 18 players will return next year, Reinstein said. Only Dean Strong, who will be 19 and therefore ineligible to play, will not return from the eight-man pitching staff.

Lodi catcher Todd Garcia gave his team the lead for good with a two-run homer in the first inning. Lodi added a run in the second, two in the sixth and three apiece in the eighth and ninth innings to pull away.