Junior World Series Has Howard’s Stamp All Over It : Little League: He hits two three-run homers in Thousand Oaks’ 20-3 title-game victory.

Kevin Howard got Thousand Oaks to the Little League Junior World Series championship game with his pitching and he led them to the title with his hitting.

Howard, the team’s starting shortstop when not on the mound, went three for three with two three-run home runs and six runs batted in as Thousand Oaks took the 13-and-under title in a 20-3 rout over Hamilton, Ohio.

Thursday, Howard pitched a complete-game five-hitter to beat this same Ohio team, 5-2, and get Thousand Oaks into the final.

“This is the greatest feeling,” said Howard, who was six for 12 with seven RBIs and 2-0 from the mound in the series. “I couldn’t believe it when I hit the second home run. In the World Series!”

Both teams expected a tight contest--Thousand Oaks and Ohio were clearly the two best teams in the eight-team field, and Thursday’s game was closely played.

But by the second inning Saturday under threatening skies, the only drama left was whether or not Chris Strauser could complete a no-hitter and if the rain would make the clay-based field unplayable.

Howard’s first home run, which cleared the fence in right-center in the top of the first, made it 3-0. After Strauser singled and Kris Palomeres walked in the second, Howard hit another fastball even farther over the right-center fence to make it 6-0.

Thousand Oaks scored 10 times in the fourth on four walks and five hits to lead, 17-0. By the seventh inning, the skies had cleared and the Californians took the Sheridan Community Field scoreboard to unfamiliar territory. Zeke Morrow’s RBI single gave Thousand Oaks 20 runs and flipped the score back to zero on the board.

“We were ready to bust one,” said Thousand Oaks coach Craig Frazier. “They worked their butts off. And Ohio had to play five days in a row.”

After losing to Thousand Oaks Thursday, Ohio had to rally from a 6-1 deficit in the sixth inning against a team from New York the following day to get out of the losers’ bracket and into the final. To win the title, Ohio would have had to beat Thousand Oaks twice Saturday.

“After those two home runs, I figured we weren’t going to come back,” said Ohio Manager Bob Jackson. “We came back (Friday), and it took a lot out of us. Our hands were slow, our bats were slow. People don’t realize what a grind this series is.

“Their pitcher was throwing real hard, and we couldn’t get around. He pitched a great game. Second-best in the world isn’t bad.”

Thousand Oaks had 15 hits and received 15 walks from three Ohio pitchers. Starter Phil Bell didn’t make it out of the third inning after giving up seven runs. Relievers Andy Mignery and Danny Bradner didn’t fare much better. Mignery gave up 10 runs in 1 1/3 innings.

“When I came out to the mound the first time, Andy told me he didn’t want the ball,” Jackson said. “He’s a horse. He always wants the ball, and he was exhausted. I told him to give us one inning and we’d take him out.”

The 20 runs were the most Thousand Oaks scored in any game throughout qualifying and the series itself, and four short of the World Series record of 24 scored by Hawaii in 1987.

“After it was 7-0, I think they kind of gave up,” said Howard, who was walked twice intentionally. “Everybody was more relaxed at the plate, and they waited for their pitches.”

Strauser, whose effort was almost overlooked by the offensive carnage, kept his no-hitter deep into the sixth inning, when Bradner singled to right with two out. In the seventh, Phil Bell doubled, advanced on an error and scored on a wild pitch to break up the shutout.

“Did I have a no-hitter?” asked Strauser, who struck out seven and walked two. “I didn’t even know it.”

Right fielder Wes Munyon had a double and two walks, scored twice and made a nice running catch at the warning track. Catcher Doug Hutton was two for four and had four RBIs. Second baseman Matt Rodgers and first baseman Jon Shepard each scored three runs.

After the game, Munyon and Hutton gave Frazier and Manager Ed Kitchen a Gatorade bath on the infield grass. Upon being presented the four-foot tall championship trophy, the team took a Stanley Cup-style run around the outfield, holding it aloft.

“Southern California is the baseball capital of the world, and we just wanted to maintain that tradition,” Frazier said as he wiped sweat and Gatorade from his forehead. “I just want to go home so I can shave this damn goatee off.”