Offensive outburst leads to pair of wins

Sportsworld hitters shifted into high gear this week by scoring 26 runs and bringing home two big wins in Laguna Beach Little League AAA Division action.

On Saturday, Sportsworld rallied to score a 12-11 comeback win over UPS Store.

UPS Store rocketed to a 10-run lead in the top of the second, thanks to some wild Sportsworld pitching and clutch hits delivered by Hunter Johnson and Lucas Blow. Sportsworld answered in the bottom of the second with hits by Jett Rocha and a three-run double by catcher Dillon Gaboury.

Sportsworld ace Blake Pivaroff was handed the ball in the third inning and he responded by allowing no runs over the next three innings, fanning seven batters in the process. Sportsworld came up with another five-run inning in the third as a triple by Pivaroff and hits by Aiden Kidd, Kent Cebreros and Charlie Pillsbury set the stage for a tight finish.

Sportsworld scored the tying and go-ahead runs in the bottom of the fifth on a single by Christian Holm and back-to-back doubles by Pivaroff and Cebreros.

Wednesday night, Sportsworld matched up against third-place Diamond Resorts and came away with a 16-2 win.

Sportsworld bats remained sizzling hot and led to 10 runs during the first two innings. Sportsworld starter Charlie Pillsbury kept Diamond Resorts hitters in check by throwing two shutout innings.

Kuppermann, Curran Hendrickson and Will Lichtenstein led the Sportsworld offensive attack. Closer Wyatt Shipp struck out the side in the bottom of the fourth to lock up the win and provide Sportsworld with a 2 1/2 game lead at the midway point of the season.

— Taylor Pillsbury, Community Correspondent

*

Travel Baseball

El Moro School students Ryan Sveningson and Blake Pivaroff are part of the Rawlings 9-and-under travel baseball team that qualified for the United States Sports Specialty Assn. Elite 32 World Series tournament in August. The two 9-year-olds are in their first year with the team.

Team Rawlings qualified for the upcoming tournament after scoring an 11-1 semifinal victory March 27 over Slammers of Denver, Colo., at the USSA Super NIT tournament March 25-27 at Phoenix, Ariz.

Team Rawlings, based out of Baseball Performance Academy in San Juan Capistrano, will compete in this summer at the Elite 32 World Series at ESPN’s Disney Wide World of Sports complex in Orlando, Fla.