Youth Scene

Dick’s wins Majors title

The Dick’s Sporting Goods team scored an 8-4 victory over Arch Bay to capture the Newport Beach Little League Majors Division championship.

Dick’s pitcher Neil Ontiveros ended the game with three strikeouts. Ontiveros also produced an infield single in the final inning to load the bases with two outs and the score tied, 4-4. Shaun Nielson singled in two runs and Grant Joyce followed with another single that scored two. David Berman, who was hit by a pitch, Mark Tenney, who doubled, and Ryan Burgoyne, who was intentionally walked, scored runs for Dick’s.

Arch Bay trailed, 3-0, after two innings, but Will O’Connor and Sam Kobrine provided hits that drove in runs.

— Nick Sherman

RDM grabs AAA title

Losing its first-round playoff game didn’t stop the top-seeded RDM baseball team from winning the Newport Beach Little League AAA championship. In fact, it inspired the RDM team to adopt “Never give up,” as its team slogan for the remainder of its six-game playoff win streak to cap the AAA championship in extra innings and finish with an overall 17-4-1 record.

Double plays from leadoff hitter Will “The Thrill” Cruttenden, Griffin Snider and Matthew McMillen were made at critical points in the game. McMillens’ double play came in the bottom of the seventh in the championship game with the bases loaded.

It was an incredible heads up play and enormous lift that propelled a two-run rally in the eigth inning for the lead and ultimately the championship to allow for the team’s stopper Brandel Turner to close it out for RDM.

During the six-game win streak, pitchers Gabe Katz, John Humphreys, Brandel Turner and Cade Overfelt contributed largely allowing just over four runs per game.

The offense was strong averaging nine runs in the streak as hitters Adam Watson had a two-for-two performance, while Ryan Machoskie had a grand slam to tie the game in the sixth inning of the semifinal game. Arguably the play of the year for the RDM squad.

Defense was a huge factor for the champions as great plays by fielders Garth Blumenthal, Grant Sanchez and Tommy Chila helped in the team effort.

— Brent Overfelt

Verizon takes home AA title

The Verizon team overcame a seven-run deficit to pull off an incredible 13-12 win in extra innings over Plum District in the Newport Beach Little League AA title game.

Verizon, the American League champion guided by Manager Robert Schwarz, trailed, 12-9, in the bottom of the eighth inning. Verizon got on base with Mikey Wein, Bryce Lehner, Sebastien Carrillo and Nico Camacho. Shane Rooney hit a sharp single up the middle to drive in the winning run and grab the championship.

Verizon started out with a tightly wound group of 9-year-olds. Verizon starting pitcher David Adelsberg pitched through to the second inning and was relieved by Landon Andrizzi. Verizon trailed, 9-2, in the fourth.

Verizon pitcher Christian Schwarz came in to steady things in the fifth and held Plum District to two runs.

The Verizon bats exploded for three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning with hits by Zach Wein, Jaden Genova and Mark Redmond.

Schwarz finished his duty in the sixth inning, striking out the side. Verizon came back in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game, 9-9.

Liam Ganion pitched two strong innings for Verizon. After a scoreless seventh inning, Plum District, the National League champion, scored three runs in the top of the eighth inning to go up, 12-9.

Key plays from Sebastion Carrillo, Liam Ganion, David Adelsberg and Bryce Lehner along with a strong pitching performance from Mikey Wein helped seal the victory for Verizon.

— Robert Schwarz

Killer Whales too much for Gators

In South Coast Swim Conference action, the Newport Hills Killer Whales traveled to Fountain Valley to take on the Greenbrook Gators June 11. It did not take long to get the tenor of the meet, as the Killer Whales displayed their team depth by winning the first 10 medley relay events, which were also the initial races of the day. When all the swimming had stopped, it was a solid Killer Whale victory over the Gators, 712.5-519.5.

Three Newport Hills swimmers were three-time winners in individual events. In the 7-8 girls, Bianca Bays grabbed the blue ribbon in the 25-yard freestyle, 25 breaststroke and 25 butterfly. Conner McManigal, in the 9-10 boys, earned first-place ribbons in the 50 breaststroke, 50 backstroke and 100 individual medley, while Madeline Musselman, in the 11-12 girls, was the winner in the 50 free, 50 fly and 100 IM.

There were also three Killer Whales swimmers that were two-time individual event winners. Ryan McManigal, in the 7-8 boys, was victorious in the 25 breaststroke and 25 fly, Taylor Cortens, in the 13-14 boys, won the 50 breaststroke and 50 back and Hollace Barden, in the 15-18 girls, earned first place in the 50 back and 100 IM.

Individual event winners for Newport Hills included Olivia Krotts (25 freestyle), Ava Axelson (25 breaststroke) and Alessandra O’Brien (25 fly) in the under-6 girls, Luke Wallace (25 fly) and Auggie Laster (25 back) in the under-6 boys, Kate Madigan (25 back) and Lauren Hughes (50 free) in the 7-8 girls, Speedy Laster (25 free) and Grant Loth (50 free) in the 7-8 boys, Chloe Harbilas (50 free winner on her birthday), Anna Wilde (50 breaststroke), Sara Cargile (25 fly) and Sophie Wallace (100 IM) in the 9-10 girls, Kaveh Moaddeli (50 free) and Jake Bays (25 fly) in the 9-10 boys, Lauren Openshaw (50 breaststroke) in the 11-12 girls, Henry Wilde (50 fly) and JT Russell (50 back) in the 11-12 boys, Brianna Daboub (50 free), Sabrina Alford (50 breaststroke), Madison Chen (50 fly) and Natalie Wilde (50 back) in the 13-14 girls, Matt McKinnon (50 free), Brett Greenlee (50 fly) and Danny Robertson (100 IM) in the 13-14 boys, and Devon Greenlee (50 free) and Audrey Light (50 breaststroke) in the 15-18 girls.

Newport Hills Coach Michelle Sperling was most pleased at the number of different swimmers that swam to first-place finishes in each of the age groups, as there were four winners in the 9-10 girls, the 13-14 girls and the 13-14 boys, and three champs for the Killer Whales in the under-6 girls, the 7-8 girls, the 7-8 boys, the 9-10 boys and the 15-18 girls.

— Reader submission