Yankees hold off Red Sox, 5-3, in OV Little League

The Yankees scored early against the Red Sox Saturday and the fast start allowed them to even the Major Division season series between the teams in Ocean View Little League action.

The Yankees raced to a 5-0 lead in the first two innings and then held off a late Red Sox rally to post a 5-3 victory.

With the win, the Yankees improved to 5-1 which ties them with the Orioles for first place in the division. It also avenged a 5-2 loss to the Red Sox in a season opener. The loss dropped the Red Sox to 4-2 and prevented them from grabbing a share of the lead in the division.

The Yankees opened the game with consecutive singles by Andrew Bentley, Gavin Kells and A.J. Hurtado. With one out in the inning, Dominic Riola singled in Bentley for the first run of the game. Dylan Villanueva brought home Kells on a fielder’s choice, and Matt Jones capped the scoring in the opening inning when he singled in Hurtado.

The Yankees added two more runs in the second when Bentley delivered a home run to right field with Jack Pirooz on base. Bentley’s blast was his second of the season and gave him the team lead for homers. Hurtado and Jake Alvarez each have one home run.

With Hurtado dominating on the mound for much of the game, the five-run deficit proved to be too much for the Red Sox to overcome. Hurtado pitched 4 1/3 innings striking out eight and allowing only one run on three hits.

The Red Sox made things interesting late by scoring once in the fifth and twice in the sixth. They put the potential tying run on base in the sixth before Kells, in a relief role, recorded the final two outs to end the game.

Ethan Idnani led the Red Sox with two hits including a double.

— Reader submission