Moorpark’s Survival Simple as 1-2-3

Early Friday morning, as Moorpark was about to embark on the steepest incline any Western Regional team has attempted, assistant coach Gary Sharpe screamed into his team’s collective ear: “You are iron.”

Iron men, or boys, anyway. No question.

Moorpark took the final three steps to the Little League World Series--one victory, two victories, three victories in a single day--capping an astonishing performance with a 2-1 victory over Pearl City, Hawaii, before 8,200.

Moorpark was frustrated until the fifth inning when a bloop double by Aaron Garcia was followed an out later by a high-chopping single over the infield by Matt Davenport to tie the score.

Pearl City’s second baseman made an error on a ground ball by Tommy Gunn to put runners on first and second, and pinch-hitter Robbie Jaegge’s chopper to short was thrown past first base, allowing Davenport to score and causing the huge green-clad Moorpark contingent to erupt in pandemonium.

“When he scored, I said, ‘Our game,’ ” Manager Hector Garcia said.

Mike Lopez retired Pearl City in order in the sixth, and Moorpark became the first Western Regional team to come out of the losers’ bracket and advance to Williamsport, Pa.

The team escaped more peril in a single day than Indiana Jones. After completing a 2-1, 16-inning victory over Issaquah, Wash., in the morning, Moorpark defeated Pearl City, 6-3, in the evening to set up the final. Despite leaving 12 runners on base, despite falling behind, 1-0, despite dipping into the bullpen to a pitcher who hadn’t thrown a single tournament pitch until Friday, the 12-year-olds became the first from Ventura County to reach the World Series.

They will take with them a dugout banner and angel pins in memory of Joel Burchfield, a Moorpark Little Leaguer who drowned trying to cross a swollen drainage ditch in February.

And they will take perhaps the best Little League hitter in the nation, Erik Johnson, who celebrated his 13th birthday Friday in unforgettable fashion.

“We are the comeback kings of Little League,” Johnson said. “This is the most incredible feeling in the world.”

Moorpark also will take a deep pitching staff that includes Lopez, the winner of two games Friday, the first two he has appeared in since the regular season.

“Everybody said we didn’t have any pitching, but it turned out we had plenty,” Garcia said.

Lopez replaced Beto Macias with none out and a runner on second in the fourth, with Pearl City ahead, 1-0. A running catch in center by Johnson for the first out and a diving grab by Gunn in right for the third out thwarted Pearl City.

A solo home run in the third by Jay Egusa put Pearl City on the scoreboard and came one batter after Lopez, the second baseman, made a diving play to take a hit away from Tyler Perkins.

After getting away with walking Johnson intentionally four times in the teams’ first meeting, Pearl City used the same strategy in Friday’s first game--and paid for it.

Johnson scored Moorpark’s first run after being walked to open Moorpark’s first, and when he came to bat with the bases loaded in the second, Pearl City was forced to pitch to him for the first time.

Johnson lined a 2-0 fastball over the right-center field fence for a grand slam, giving Moorpark a 5-1 lead. The homer was Johnson’s fourth of the regional and 12th in tournament play.

David Burckin, who had pitched eight shutout innings in two previous regional appearances, settled down after allowing a run in the first and allowed only two in stifling Pearl City from the second through the fifth.

Shane Briones hit a two-run home run with one out in the sixth for Pearl City’s last runs, but Burckin finished with a five-hit complete game. He struck out six, walked one and received strong defense from infielders Lopez, Blake Sharpe and Justin Pizzola.