Little League: Costa Mesa shown no mercy

Steve Virgen

WESTMINSTER - There was not much words to say after the Costa Mesa

American Little League All-Stars lost, 11-1, in four innings to Fountain

Valley in the District 62 Majors Tournament Saturday at Johnson Middle

School. Simply put, Fountain Valley played defense, and Costa Mesa

didn’t, Mesa’s Manager Ted Spoulos said.

No, it wasn’t because of the early start (9 a.m.) of the game. It

wasn’t because of first-game jitters. Fountain Valley was just a good

team and Mesa made the Fountain Valley All-Stars better because of

mistakes.

“We just hurt ourselves,” Spoulos said. “Luckily this is not a single

elimination tournament. We can come back on Tuesday and we know we can

play better than this.”

As if three errors and two wild pitches weren’t enough of an advantage

for Fountain Valley, its All-Stars consisted of some of the best players

in District 62.

Three of the Fountain Valley All-Stars, Jeff Spirk (one run scored),

Nick McIsaac (double and two RBIs) and Jordan Brown (single, one RBI, one

run), were on the title-winning Tournament of Champion Marlins team,

which defeated Costa Mesa National Little League’s Marlins. Two other

Fountain Valley All-Stars, Kevin Smisko (single, one run) and Alex Moreno

(single, two runs), were on the Devil Rays, which ended its TOC run in

the semifinals, losing to the CMNLL All-Stars.

In the first inning, Fountain Valley built momentum from its defense.

First, McIsaac, the shortstop, completed a remarkable play when he

dove to stop a grounder, rose to his feet and threw out Skylar Crane, who

was approaching second base. Then, Moreno, the first baseman, recorded a

double play when he caught a line drive and tagged out hard-luck Andrew

Millian at first.The Fountain Valley All-Stars then scored five runs in

the second, and five more in the fourth to put the game away.

“There were a couple of calls that didn’t go our way,” Spoulos said.

“But that is no excuse. That didn’t matter in the game. The mistakes --

that’s what it comes down to.”

The CMNLL All-Stars scored one run in the second. Cody Waldron led off

with a single and Kyle Thorsness later brought him in with a base hit to

right field.