EL SEGUNDO HERALD June 9, 2016 Page 7 Sports Shorts AAA Athletics Finish Season as League Champs Girls Softball Team Crowned Champions The El Segundo All-Star 12U girls softball team participated in the “War at the Shore” softball tournament over the Memorial weekend in Redondo Beach. The softball team finished as champions after a five game sweep. They have also been crowned champions at their second straight tournament win in Westlake Village on Tuesday. The team travels to Santee, Ca. June 10, in hopes to The Athletics are your El Segundo Little League AAA Champions. They beat the Giants, 3-2, in comeback fashion. The Athletics were down to there final out when James Baldino hit a walk-off two-run single for the victory. Front: Vinny Baldino, Griffen of continuing its winning streak. The El Segundo All-Star team, front row left to right: Ashley Swartz, Kelly Carignan, Marlee Johnson, Katie Croxall, Krista Cleland and Audrey CdeBaca. Second row left to right: Molly McCoy, Nicole Swartz, Mya Bennett, Hayden McColgan, Erin Graner and Audrey Maloy. Coaches left to right: Steve Cleland, Rob Croxall, Rick Mack and Rob Graner. • Whitener, Nikolas Kvitek, James Baldino, Grady Lubs, Nainoa Breeden, Nicholas Fisher, Connor Ramirez, Liam Quincy, Henry Nieves. Back: Coach David Lubs, Manager Mark Whitener, Coach David Ramirez, Coach Bill Fisher. Champs from page 5 cit, 2-1. In the bottom of the sixth with one out, Nicolas Fisher walked and Henry Nieves singled but runners advanced on an overthrow. After a strikeout, the Athletics were down to their last out with runners on second and third base. James Baldino then lifted a long fly ball that Giants outfielder James Anderson tried to track down. Anderson made a valiant dive in an attempt to catch the fly ball but it dropped for a walk-off two run single scoring both Fisher and Nieves. There were tears streaming down the faces of the Giants one side of the field while the happy dirty little faces displayed that championship smile reserved for 10 and 11 year olds on the other. Griffin Whitner and James Baldino were equally impressive on the mound for the Athletics. Together they combined to strike out seven and limit the Giants to four hits. Major Division Angels head coach Lance Ralls must be doing something right. For the third consecutive season he has guided a team to the championship. For the third season in a row it was the Angels, this time downing the Athletics, 7-2, to capture the league’s Major Division championship. In a game that featured two of the top pitchers in the league the Athletics’ Owen Kirsten and the Angels’ Connor Smith, something had to give. Kirsten’s off speed pitches befuddled the Angels while Smith’s eye-popping fastball was at times too much for the Athletics. The Angels came up with three runs in the second inning to take an early lead. Landon Davis slapped a single up the middle and Duke Sanders reached base on a dropped third strike with two outs. Both scored on a two-run double by Lucas Bonham and Smith’s RBI single made it 3-0. The Athletics countered in their half of the second inning when Nolan Kelly singled and scored on Ryan Smetana double to make it 3-1. Both pitchers settled in and the game went scoreless till the bottom of the fifth. The Athletics Jason McGowan led off the inning with a walk and scored on Kirsten’s triple to right-centerfield to make it 3-2. In the top of the sixth, the Angels scored four runs to essentially put the game away. Davis singled and later scored on Sander’s The Pirates’ Ethan Plouff, who was 3-for-3, celebrates this double that tied the game in the third inning of the AA championship game. Duke Sanders connects for an RBI single in the sixth inning of the championship game. Cooper Stolnack had a single and played flawlessly at shortstop in the championship game. Nick Parisi of the AA Royals drew a walk and later scored. The Royals hung on for a 4-3 win in the championship game. See Champs, page 12 Logan Brooks takes a mighty swing for the Royals in the AA championship game. Angels catcher Lucas Bonham tags out Jason McGowan on a close play at the plate in the championship game.
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