Vaquero has no trouble in first round

Mirjam Swanson

TUJUNGA -- This All-Star Little League business can be cutthroat.

If you don’t show up ready to play -- and play hard -- chances are you

won’t be playing for long in the double-elimination District 16 Major

Baseball Tournament.

The 11- and 12-year-olds on the Verdugo League team realize as much

now, having lost to the Vaquero League squad, 10-0.

Tuesday’s game was called in the fifth inning on account of the 10-run

mercy rule, despite Vaquero only having gotten five hits at Tujunga

Little League Field.

Vaquero next plays at 5 p.m. today at Babe Herman Field against

Tujunga, which had a first-round bye.

Verdugo -- which features players from a league that is three teams

strong -- tries to extend its all-star life at 5 p.m. Saturday at

Montrose Park against a team to be determined.

“They’re going to get a lot of discipline now,” said Verdugo Coach Sal

Ojeda of his squad dressed much like the major league all-stars, in the

uniforms of their respective regular season teams.

“If you commit errors and give up so many walks and passed balls,

you’re going to lose games.”

Vaquero proved Ojeda’s point, taking advantage of Verdugo’s errors

(there were only three), passed balls/wild pitches (there were six

combined), walks (six) and hit-batsmen (four) on its way to 10 runs.

Then, when Vaquero -- which incorporates players from its league’s

four teams -- was on the field, its defense gave pitcher Johnathan Solis

all the backing he needed. He struck out eight and allowed only one hit

and three baserunners.

“[Solis] threw strikes, and that’s all we can ask for.” Vaquero

assistant coach Juan Zuazola said.

Solis didn’t allow a batter to reach base until the third, when Robert

Nalbandyan -- Verdugo’s shortest player at 4 feet 7 -- drew a walk.

Solis didn’t hurt his cause at the plate, either. He was one of three

Vaquero players -- in addition to shortstop Eric Montano and center

fielder Denny Jaco -- to reach base three times.

“I was just trying to win it,” Solis said. “I thought I was going to

pitch a no-hitter.”

Verdugo’s Arel Buford broke up the no-hitter with an infield single in

the fourth. Regardless of the setback, Verdugo’s players think they can

keep postseason alive.

“We’re a pretty good team, you know,” Nalbandyan said. “We’ve just

gotta practice harder and play harder and we can do it.”

BOX SCORE

Verdugo*2*3*0*2*2*x*--*10*5*3

Vaquero*0*0*0*0*0*x*--*0*1*1

VERDUGO*IP*R*ER*H*BB*K

Sainz*2*5*0*3*4*0

Lopez*3*5*3*2*2*0

Total*5*10*5*6*0

Solis*5*0*0*1*1*8

WP-Solis (1-0).

LP-Sainz (0-1).

SB: Va-Montano, Solis.