Youth Scene: VFW scores 11-1 win

Cutter Clawson pitched 4 2/3 innings of one-run baseball and Laguna Beach Little League’s VFW used a 16-hit attack Wednesday to defeat the visiting Laguna Hills Outlaws, 11-1, in Majors Division action at Riddle Field in Laguna Beach.

Jaden Rae was the offensive standout for VFW with a double, walk and a home run to end the game (mercy rule) in the fifth inning. Rae swatted a high fastball over the center-field fence for his first league homer. John Phelan started the scoring with a perfectly placed bunt in the second inning, which drove in the first run. Ashton Embury followed with a sacrifice to score the second run and VFW never looked back.

Nolan Smith provided two hits and solid pitching relief for VFW.

In a Majors game played April 12, VFW bats contributed 15 hits in an intercity game against the Laguna Hills Angels, and all players made significant contributions in a 16-4 victory. Grady Morgan pitched five innings of flawless, no-hit ball. Smith’s triple in the fifth inning broke open the game. Morgan, Nate Magers, Rae, Christian Holm, James Loughlin and Charlie Pillsbury all had multi-RBI games. Embury stole two bases and scored two runs as did Phelan.

Magers was the defensive standout for VFW.

VFW also edged Newport Beach Pelican Hill, 5-4, on April 9. VFW won a hard-fought game with Pelican Hill of Newport Beach by scoring three runs with nobody out in the bottom of the sixth, to pull out a 5-4 victory. Both teams had great pitching performances, with Pillsbury and Morgan leading the way for VFW.

Loughlin had three RBIs and was bolstered with multi-hit games from Holm and Morgan. Noah Haymond had several key plays in left field.

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AAA Division

An exciting game took place under the lights at Riddle Field on April 12, the night that Crescent Bay Advisors and Gapp Construction played to a 4-4 tie.

Ryan Magers (Gapp) and Paxton Burzell (CBA) were the starting pitchers and both went three solid innings and limited the opposition to minimal runs. Scotty Plowden relieved Magers and Booker Frith relieved Burzell, and both closed out the final three innings for their respective teams.

CBA was down, 4-1, in the fifth inning but came back with three runs to tie the score. Maddox de Bretteville and Jake Cutter led off the inning with singles. Frith hit a mammoth shot to right field for a triple to drive in the two runners. Nolan Naess followed with a double to score Frith with the tying run.

Gapp was led on offense by Plowden, who finished with three hits. Ashton Rea with two hits and Chase Hall had a hard-hit double.

Both teams showed great sportsmanship in an exciting game for the fans to enjoy.

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Weekend schedule

Friday

AA Division: Bushards vs. McKenna Audi, 4:15 p.m.

AAA Division: Zero Trash vs. UPS, 6:45 p.m.

Majors Division: Rotary at Laguna Hills Thunder, 7 p.m.

Saturday

A Division: Ventura Foods vs. Laguna Five-O, 9 a.m.; Drs. Gigiovanni & Cook vs. Tuvalu, 11 a.m.; McKenna Porsche vs. Ebell, 1 p.m.

Rookie Division: Javiers vs. McKenna BMW, 9:30 a.m.; Nick Alexander Imports vs. Gapp Construction, noon; Team Hansen’s vs. La Sirena Grill, 2:30 p.m.

T Ball Division: Red vs. Big Fish and Kya, 9:30 a.m.; McKenna BMW vs. Orange, 11 a.m.; Maroon vs. Casey’s Cupcakes, 12:30 p.m.; Rip Curl vs. Light Blue, 2 p.m.; Auction.com vs. Purple, 3:30 p.m.

AA Division: Laguna Hills Bulldogs vs. Lumberyard, 9: 30 a.m.; American Legion at Laguna Hills Surf, 4 p.m.

AAA Division: Laguna Hills Mavericks at Gapp Construction, 12:30 p.m.; Crescent Bay Advisors at Laguna Hills Hawks, 3 p.m.

Majors Division: VFW vs. Hobie, 3 p.m.