Conejo Valley Advances to World Series With Win

Danny Leon’s sore right arm kept him anchored to first base again Thursday night. Thankfully for the Conejo Valley Little League All-Star team from Thousand Oaks, his bat allowed him to roam free.

Leon hit two home runs in the Western Region championship game in San Bernardino, giving his team the breathing room it needed in an 8-5 victory over Green Valley of Henderson, Nev.

Conejo Valley advances to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa., where it will open play next Friday night against the still-to-be-decided New England Region champion.

Conejo Valley is the first Southland team to advance to Williamsport since Cypress Federal in 1998.

Leon, who came into the game with a team-high 28 hits in 53 postseason at-bats, drilled the ninth pitch from Green Valley starter Cameron Harper about 50 feet over the left-field fence for a 2-0 lead.

With two out, Conejo Valley scored two more runs on a double by John Lister and an infield single by James Brady.

Conejo Valley took a five-run lead into the fourth inning. But Green Valley cut it to 6-5 on a three-run homer by Chad Whiteaker and a run-scoring triple by Cory Welch. Conejo Valley Coach Tom Ginther summoned Tyler Karp to relieve starter Cody Thomson.

Karp struck out Harper to preserve the lead.

Leon gave Conejo Valley some cushion in the bottom of the fourth, lining a solo home run that just cleared the center-field fence.

It was the third home run in the last two games for Leon, who hit three in the first 15 postseason games.

Leon, who pulled a muscle in his throwing arm in his team’s final pool-play game last weekend and will be limited to first base in Williamsport, said he was just happy to be on the field.

“I thought I wasn’t going to be able to play for the rest of the tournament,” he said.

Karp, who had taken Leon’s place at shortstop, gave a stellar effort in relief. With Leon injured, Jordan Brower coming off a five-inning effort two days earlier in the semifinal and Thomson out of the game after 89 pitches, Karp was Ginther’s next-best option, despite pitching only seven of 90 postseason innings going into the game.

After escaping the fourth, Karp gave up a leadoff double in the fifth, but retired the next six hitters in a row, including three by strikeout.

“I usually don’t pitch in games like this,” Karp said. “[But] I felt confident in my curve. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”