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Mayhem rolls to championship

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The Costa Mesa Mayhem, a 16-and-under baseball team under the banner of Costa Mesa Pony Baseball, went 4-0 on Saturday and Sunday to claim the age 15-16 wood bat division of a four-team tournament at The Yard in Fullerton.

Kaz Akamatsu threw a seven-inning no-hitter in a 3-0 pool-play victory over Venados of Paramount on Saturday, one of three complete-game wins for Mayhem pitchers. Akamatsu struck out nine and walked one.

Evan Larsen, a Costa Mesa resident who plays at Corona del Mar High, struck out seven and allowed six hits in a 4-1 title-game win over Venados of Paramount on Sunday.

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Drake Wood was two for three with a home run, a double and two runs batted in to pace the Mayhem offense in the championship game, in which Isaiah Lara was two for three with a run batted in and Garrett Molnar also drove in a run.

In a 6-2 semifinal win over the Rawlings Prospects on Sunday, Michael Manzer pitched five strong innings to earn the victory. He struck out four before Ozzy Vasquez fanned two in one inning to nail down the save.

In the semifinal, Kyle Koerth was three for three with a double and one RBI for the winners, for whom Lara was two for three with a double and an RBI and Costa Mesa resident Daniel Morales drove in a run and had two stolen bases.

Morales, who plays at Calvary Chapel High, struck out 10 in a six-inning complete-game to help the Mayhem open the tournament with a 7-3 win over the Rawlings Prospects.

In the opener on Saturday, Wood drove in three runs and went two for three. He had a triple and one stolen base.

Keith Marshall had an RBI and a stolen base in the opener, in which Lara had an RBI. Molnar and Morales both doubled and stole a base, while Lucas Rocha also stole a base.

In the no-hit win, Koerth, who injured his hamstring in the semifinal and did not play in the final, had two RBIs, while Wood also drove in a run and Lara had a double.

Lara was seven for 11 for a .636 average and he drove in three runs in the tournament.

Marshall, a Costa Mesa resident who plays at Newport Harbor High, was six for nine in the tournament (.667) with one double, one RBI and two steals.

Wood was four for 11 and finished with six RBIs. His four hits amounted to a cycle for the tournament.

Koerth was three for seven (.429) with three RBIs in the tournament.

Akamatsu was three for eight at the plate (.375) and Molnar was three for 10 in the tournament.

The Mayhem next compete in the Perfect Game Southern California qualifying tournament over the Labor Day weekend at sites and opponents to be determined.

— Barry Faulkner

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