Youth Scene: CBA comes out on top

During the regular season, Crescent Bay Advisors and Gapp Construction finished as the 1-2 teams in the Laguna Beach Little League AAA Division race.

Wednesday at Riddle Field, it’s how the teams also ended up in the division’s postseason tournament.

CBA secured the league’s top seed in the District 55 Tournament of Champions Minor Division bracket by defeating Gapp Construction, 11-3, in the league’s tournament final. CBA went 4-1 in the tournament. It defeated UPS twice and won two of three against Gapp Construction including the final two meetings.

Gapp Construction also is moving on to the Tournament of Champions, which starts Saturday.

CBA was led by Jeremy Hayes on the mound who threw nearly four innings. Booker Frith and Nolan Naess each pitched an inning in relief to secure the win.

Offensive stars for CBA were Adam Kerfoot, Aidan McDennon, Cooper Noriega and Ben Kelly each with a couple of hits. Paxton Burzell drove in three runs with a bases-clearing triple.

Gapp was led by the dynamic duo of Ryan Magers and Scotty Plowden on the mound. Kaden Herr pitched a nice inning in relief, as well.

In District 55 Tournament of Champions Minor Division first-round games Saturday, CBA will take on Northwood (Irvine) at 8:30 a.m. at Riddle Field, and Gapp Construction will face Laguna Hills at 3 p.m. at Crown Valley Field (Rancho Niguel Little League host).

The CBA players are Jake Cutter, Maddox de Bretteville, Brandon Lindsey, Will Compton, Cooper Noriega, Aidan McDennon, Booker Frith, Ben Kelly, Nolan Naess, Adam Kerfoot, Paxton Burzell and Jeremy Hayes. Manager: Coby Naess. Coaches: Dave Frith, Kevin McDennon. Team Mom’s: Auben Frith, Patti Compton.

— Reader submission

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In other postseason championship action:

AA Division

Lumberyard took the division’s postseason championship by turning back Bushards, 9-7, Tuesday at Riddle Field.

Lumberyard scored one run in the first inning and Bushards scored its first run in the second inning. Bushards’ momentum was halted by Lumberyard catcher, Jett Hamil when he threw it to third baseman, Griffin Naess, who tagged out runner for the second out of the inning.

Hamil had been stung by a bee on the palm of his hand two hours before Tuesday’s game. He played catcher for three innings and moved to second base for two innings.

Bushards scored four runs in the third inning aided by key singles by Bryce Ford and Joey Capobianco. Lumberyard responded by scoring a run in the bottom of the third but despite loading the bases in each of the first three innings, it trailed, 5-2.

Lumberyard finally broke through in the fourth inning to score five runs (the maximum runs allowed in an inning) before an out had been recorded. The rally was capped off by an inside-the-park grand slam on a shot ripped up the third base line into the corner by Micah Chavez. The hit gave Lumberyard a 7-5 lead heading into the fifth.

Bushards came right back to tie the score, scoring two runs on RBI walks with two outs. JD Dix and Aaron Childs led off the Lumberyard half of the fifth and each hit singles and went on to score on sacrifice RBIs by Isaac Davis and Naess. In the top of the sixth, Naess, who closed on the mound for Lumberyard, walked the first batter before striking out the next two. With two outs and the potential tying run at the plate, Lumberyard catcher Boden Gillette threw out a Bushards runner attempting to steal third base for the final out.

Manager Cam Hamil said the plays by Gillette and Jett Hamil were big stops for the Lumberyard defense and “crucial to our victory.”

Davis went two for three, scored a run and produced the game-winning RBI. Naess also went two for three with an RBI. Dix had a hit and scored the winning run, Childs, in addition to his hit, walked and score twice. Leo Davis had an RBI sacrifice which scored his twin brother, Isaac, Gillette led off the Lumberyard fourth with a single to start a rally and later scored when Quade Blanchard (RBI) drew a walk.

Davis Dix, twin brother of JD, Hunter Baldwin and Blanchard, all scored on Chavez’s home run.

Twelve of the 18 outs recorded by Lumberyard came by strikeout. JD Dix started the game and pitched two-plus innings, struck out four and gave up three runs. Ben Neufeld, nephew of Bushards Manager Orin Neufeld, pitched two-plus innings of middle relief, struck out five and allowed four runs. Naess pitched 1 1/3 innings and struck out three and earned the win.

Ford finished two for three and Mathias Crawshaw went two for two with a walk and scored three runs for Bushards. Capobianco walked and scored twice in addition to his RBI single, and Dylan Weeks had a hit, walked and scored once. Catcher Noah Neufeld had a strong game behind the plate for Bushards.

Lumberyard finished in third-place and Bushards was fourth during the AA regular season.

Lumberyard defeated McKenna Audi and regular season champ American Legion in its first two postseason games before capping an undefeated tournament run with Tuesday’s win over Bushards.

Bushards topped Streaming Media in its tournament opener, lost its second game to American Legion but bounced back to knock out McKenna Audi and American Legion to get to the division final.

“It was a terrific season with an amazing team of wonderful boys who put their hearts and souls into winning this championship,” Cam Hamil said.

In addition to Hamil, Lumberyard is coached by Justin Blanchard, Coby Naess and Shawn Baldwin. Team Mom: Jill Dix.

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Tournament of Champions

In addition to Crescent Bay Advisors and Gapp Construction representing the AAA Division, VFW and Hobie Majors) and Wells Fargo (Juniors) will carry the Laguna Beach Little League banner into the District 55 Tournament of Champions. All three teams play Saturday at Chapparosa Park in Laguna Niguel.

In Majors action, Hobie takes on Aliso Viejo No. 2 at 9 a.m. and VFW meets Irvine No. 2 at 1 p.m.

Wells Fargo challenges Laguna Niguel No. 2 in a 10 a.m. Juniors first-round game.

The tournaments run through June 9. The Minor Division championship game will be played at 4 p.m. on June 9 at Riddle Field.

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Fiesta Night

Laguna Beach Little League is hosting its annual Fiesta Night celebration from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at Riddle Field. The event will include closing ceremonies, trophy presentations, a home run derby, music and the fourth annual chili cook-off.

Final tournament scoreboard

(double elimination)

AAA Division

UPS 14, Sportsworld 2

Gapp Construction 4, Zero Trash 3

Crescent Bay Advisors 10, UPS 3

Zero Trash 12, Sportsworld 6

Gapp Construction 9, Crescent Bay Advisors 8

UPS 12, Zero Trash 7

Crescent Bay Advisors 7, UPS 3

Crescent Bay Advisors 12, Gapp Construction 6

Crescent Bay Advisors 11, Gapp Construction 3

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AA Division

Bushards 13, Steaming Media 3

Lumberyard 6, McKenna Audi 5

American Legion 11, Bushards 1

McKenna Audi 20, Streaming Media 8

Lumberyard 7, American Legion 5

Bushards 15, McKenna Audi 14

Bushards 9, American Legion 7

Lumberyard 9, Bushards 7

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Saturday’s schedule

Rookie League

9:30 a.m.: McKenna BMW vs. La Sirena Grill

Noon: Javiers vs. Gapp Construction

2:30 p.m.: Team Hansen’s vs. Nick Alexander Imports

T Ball Division

9:30 a.m.: Light Blue vs. Rip Curl

11 a.m.: Purple vs. Auction.com

12:30 p.m.: Big Fish and Kya vs. Orange

2 p.m.: Red vs. McKenna VW

3:30 p.m.: Casey’s Cupcakes vs. Maroon

A Division

9 a.m.: Tuvalu vs. Drs. Digiovanni & Cook

11 a.m.: Ebell vs. McKenna Porsche

1 p.m.: Laguna Five-O vs. Ventura Foods