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Costa Mesa American sweeps for Mayor’s Cup

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The start of the Mayor’s Cup for the Costa Mesa American Little League Majors Division All-Stars looked almost as bleak as the weather. Dark clouds hovered and there was the threat of lightning.

Before the rain came on Saturday afternoon, Costa Mesa National Little League poured it on the hosts, scoring seven runs and the game hadn’t gone two innings yet. One pitch after Nolan Churan’s three-run home run made it 7-0, the umpires stopped the first game because of nearby lightning.

The timing couldn’t have come at a better time for Costa Mesa American Manager Jeff Ellis.

“The break was good,” Ellis said. “We needed a break.”

Play resumed on Sunday afternoon and the weather wasn’t a problem at Costa Mesa American. The deficit, which grew to eight, wasn’t too much of an issue for Costa Mesa American either.

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Costa Mesa American stormed back, taking the opener, 12-11, at Costa Mesa High. JJ Perez capped a six-run fifth inning with a two-run homer run to left-center field, giving Costa Mesa American its first lead.

Trey Wilborn and Ryan Juncker made sure Costa Mesa American stayed ahead. Wilborn induced two groundouts to Perez at first base and Juncker relieved him, recording the final out via strikeout.

Wilborn, who went 2 1/3 innings, earned the win and Juncker the save. Ellis said the rally gave Costa Mesa American the confidence it needed to win the Mayor’s Cup for the second time in three years.

The two sides played the second game on Monday night on Costa Mesa National’s field at TeWinkle Intermediate School, where Costa Mesa American prevailed, 13-10, to sweep the best-of-three series. Todd Cowley, the president of Costa Mesa American, said 2004-06 was the last time Costa Mesa American claimed the Mayor’s Cup twice in three years.

The archrivals have been competing in the Mayor’s Cup since 1997, and Costa Mesa National leads the series, 12-7. At one point, Costa Mesa National won it six years in a row. Costa Mesa National hasn’t been able to win it in consecutive years since that streak ended two years ago.

“These kids have been fighters all year long,” Ellis said. “For most of them, it’s their last chance to play Little League.”

For nine of the 11 players from Costa Mesa American, their final two Little League games turned out memorable. The comeback began in third inning, when Costa Mesa American scored its first three runs, two on a double by Juncker, who went three for three with three doubles and three runs batted in.

Costa Mesa American added three runs in the fourth inning. Jacob Schultz drove in two runs with a double to cut Costa Mesa National’s lead to 11-6.

The fifth inning is when Costa Mesa American doubled its run total. Wilborn, who went two for three with three RBIs, and Matt Kehoe each produced two-run doubles before Perez blasted a two-run shot to put Costa Mesa American ahead, 12-11.

“The kids were charged up,” said Ellis, who had nine 12-year-olds and two 11-year-olds on the team. “They never really calmed down after JJ hit the home run.”

The momentum spilled into the second game, helping Costa Mesa American take a 7-1 lead in the top of the third inning. Costa Mesa National’s lone run came on a homer by Beto Sotomayor in the first inning.

Juncker escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first inning by recording his third strikeout. The offense responded in the second inning, as Schultz went on to single in a run, James Crowell’s sacrifice fly brought in another, and Raul Villalobos doubled in two more. Kehoe’s solo homer in the third gave Costa Mesa American a six-run lead.

Costa Mesa National responded with a four-run third inning, but in the fourth, Costa Mesa American pushed its advantage back to six. Crowell doubled in a run, Villalobos, who went two for four with three RBIs, singled in another, and Simon Ingram singled in two.

After Sotomayor stole home in the fourth, second baseman Cameron Ellis turned an unassisted double play to get Costa Mesa American out of a precarious spot with two runners onboard. An inning later, with Sotomayor up, Costa Mesa American couldn’t prevent Sotomayor from making it a two-run game.

Sotomayor belted a three-run home run to left-center field, his second homer of the game. That’s as close Costa Mesa National got. Kyle Anderson’s two-run double extended Costa Mesa American’s lead to 13-9 in the sixth inning. Kehoe picked up the win, throwing 3 1/3 innings.

“We played them a couple of weeks ago at the District 62 tournament in Fountain Valley, where we got out to a big lead and we had to hang on for a 12-11 win, so I knew they could come from behind,” said Costa Mesa National Manager Mike Townsend, adding that Jack Moyer, Chris Hall and Easton Townsend played well. “All three games between us have been high-scoring and tight games. This last game was the first we weren’t up big.”

Costa Mesa American Little League All-Stars

Kyle Anderson

James Crowell

Cameron Ellis

Joshua Gough

Simon Ingram

Ryan Juncker

Matt Kehoe

Dylan Oliver

JJ Perez

Jacob Schultz

Raul Villalobos

Trey Wilborn

Manager Jeff Ellis

Costa Mesa National Little League All-Stars

Easton Townsend

Beto Sotomayor

Jack Moyer

Nolan Churan

Nick Peralez

Tyler Bird

Chad Gordon

Dillon Manchester

Owen Lecours

Chris Hall

Conner Beneville

Manager Mike Townsend

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