Ocean View Loses

Ocean View got a big dose of its own medicine Thursday night and its Little League World Series dreams ended on the basepaths.

Two pitchers from Hazel Dell Little League of Vancouver, Wash., combined to no-hit the Huntington Beach team and thereby earn a trip to Williamsport, Pa., with a dramatic 3-2 victory at the Western Regional final in San Bernardino.

Hazel Dell becomes the first team from Washington to advance since 1982, when Kirkland upset Taiwan to win the title. Ocean View, the fifth Orange County team to reach the Western Regional since 1995, finished the playoffs with a 17-2 record and a lot of what-ifs.

“I thought they were going to get four or five hits tonight,” said winning pitcher Greg Peavey, who allowed only one runner to reach second base in three innings of work.

Peavey also had a hand in putting the game away.

Trailing, 3-0, Ocean View loaded the bases with none out in the bottom of the sixth and final inning against pitcher Jay Ponciano, and scored twice thanks to a wild pitch and a ground out.

But after Ocean View’s Chris Palmer drove in the second run with a ground out to shortstop for the second out of the inning, Ocean View baserunner Jeff Van Doornum attempted to move from second to third and was thrown out to end the game on an accurate throw from first baseman Korey Dunkel to third baseman Jeremy Dunham.

For most of the season, Ocean View’s pitching had been outstanding, but Thursday night it was just better than average.

All three of Hazel Dell’s runs were unearned, the result of passed balls, wild pitches and two hit batsmen.

“The passed balls killed us,” Ocean View Manager Yun Conger said after the game. “It was one of those nights.”

After striking out the leadoff batter in the first inning, Ocean View starting pitcher Chris Palmer gave up a bloop double to Jackson Evans when the ball eluded the glove of Jeff Mollica near the center-field fence. But Palmer struck out Dustin Corl and got Josh Hash on a check-swing ground out to third base.

Peavey walked Hank Conger on four pitches to open the bottom of the first inning, then struck out the side.

It remained scoreless until the top of the third. Palmer struck out the first two batters, but hit Ponciano with a 3-2 pitch. Ponciano advanced to second on a passed ball by catcher James Kang and scored when the left-hand-hitting Evans came up with his second hit, a grounder through the hole and into right field.

Peavey was sailing along when Conger came to the plate again in the bottom of the third and when he pitched around Conger, walking him a second time, Ocean View’s fans booed.

Conger came out to pitch in the top of the fourth and he struck out the side. In the bottom of the inning Peavey was lifted in favor of Ponciano, who set down Ocean View in order.

Then came the fifth. Conger walked leadoff batter Jesse Boehm, who advanced to second on Conger’s wild pitch. After Dunham struck out, Ponciano lifted a pop fly over first base. Palmer, who took over the position when he was removed as pitcher, made the catch as he was back-peddling and he tripped and fell. That allowed Boehm tag up and move to third base, and he scored on a passed ball charged to Kang.

Hazel Dell got another run in the top of the sixth without the benefit of a hit. With one out Conger hit Josh Hash in the back with a pitch and he advanced to second base on another passed ball. Peavey struck out, but Alex Gordon bunted Hash to third base, and he scored when Conger threw another wild pitch.