VFW wins Majors postseason tourney

Gabe Stansbury led off the top of the ninth inning with a home run

against Laguna Surf and Sport and his hit proved to be the difference

as VFW claimed the Laguna Beach Little League Majors Division

postseason tournament title.

Stansbury took a full count pitch over the left-center field fence

to give VFW a 3-2 win and its third consecutive postseason tournament

crown.

Right-hander Alex Shusko struck out three of the four batters he

faced in the bottom of the ninth to preserve the win.

Shusko went the distance and allowed just two hits -- both to

Caine Fair who singled and hit a home run.

He pitched the final 6 2/3 innings without giving a hit while

issuing three walks -- including an intentional walk to Fair in the

bottom of the ninth.

Shusko had 16 strikeouts overall.

He and Stansbury have played on VFW’s three tournament-winning

teams.

VFW grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Shusko

walked and scored on Cooper Gwaltney’s two-out single.

Laguna Surf and Sport drew even in the bottom-half of the frame

when, with two outs and the bases loaded, Zach Riegler’s ounder could

not be handled by the VFW infield.

Shusko’s bunt knocked in a run in the top of the third to give VFW

a 2-1 lead but Fair evened the score again with his solo home run in

the bottom of the inning.

Fair also pitched an impressive game. In six innings he gave up

just two hits and two runs, recorded seven strikeouts and made

several key field plays on the mound.

At the District 55 Tournament of Champions:

Tijeras Creek Reds 4, VFW 3

An unearned run by the Reds in the bottom of the fifth inning

broke a 2-2 tie and spoiled VFW’s district tournament opener.

The Reds, the No. 1 team out of Tijeras Creek Little League,

improved to 20-2 overall.

VFW got off to a promising start by taking a 1-0, first inning

lead.

Alex Shusko had a leadoff single and advanced to second base on

Mikey Rubel’s sacrifice bunt. Gabe Stansbury followed with a single

and a double steal led to Shusko scoring on the back end of the

steal.

The Reds gained a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the second with a

two-out rally then combined a walk, an infield error by VFW and a

groundout RBI to score two more runs in the third to take a 3-1 lead.

Stansbury doubled in the fourth and eventually scored on a passed

ball to make it a 3-2 game. In the fifth, Casey Miller singled and,

two outs later, Brian Yale walked. Shusko then hit a flair to

centerfield and Miller beat the throw to home to tie the score at

3-3.

VFW appeared to have grabbed a 4-3 lead when Rubel bunted up the

first base line, but in a close play at first base, Rubel was called

“out” to end the inning and keep the game deadlocked.

VFW, which played in its third consecutive district tournament,

ended the season with an overall record of 15-6. The lineup also

consists of Taylor Blacketer, Drake Dixon, Logan Schoembs and Wyatt

Innins, Manager Mark Stansbury and assistant coaches Steve Dixon and

Alex Shusko.