YOUTH SPORTS

BASEBALL

NEWPORT BEACH

LITTLE LEAGUE

MAJOR DIVISION

Angels 8, A’s 5: The Angels won their American League semifinal, taking the lead early as Rob Rosenast singled and went to second on Cort Hastings’ sacrifice bunt before scoring on a passed ball. Evan Daniele led off the second with a triple, and Caden Stark drove him in with a shot off the left-centerfield wall.

Matt English (three for three) had a base hit and scored on an error in the fourth inning. Later in the inning, Daniele and Chris Evangelatos had back-to-back RBI singles, for a 6-1 lead.

The A’s came back with two in the bottom of the fourth, including an RBI groundout from Alex Stecca. Chase Favreau and Eric Fisher each scored for the A’s in the fifth.

Hastings led off the sixth with a hit, followed by English’s single and Mitch Meleski two-run hit.

The A’s threatened one last time in the sixth on singles from Zach Davis and Jake Favreau. But Meleski caught Stecca’s one-out line drive to center and turned it into a game-ending double play.

Daniele struck out seven for the Angels. Tommy Bubonic added three innings of solid relief, striking out five.

For the A’s, Austin Barvin struck out eight batters in 4 2/3 innings of work.

Angels 9, Cardinals 3: Tommy Bubonic and Evan Daniele held the Cardinals to two hits, as the Angels won the American League championship. Cort Hastings (three for three with a triple and three runs scored) led the offense.

Matt English’s first-inning RBI double scored Hastings. Caden Stark’s double in the third scored Chris Evangelatos, and Hastings and English followed with singles to make it 4-0.

The Cardinals struck back in the bottom of the inning, as Jack Reed and Jeff Garrett each drew walks and Brett Thompson’s double scored Reed. The Cardinals added two more runs in the fourth inning on Scott McGowan’s single.

The Angels, scored five times in the sixth to break it open. Hastings’ triple scored Parker Varner and Rob Rosenast, and Hastings scored on a wild pitch. Bubonic and Daniele added back-to-back doubles.

The Cardinals’ Grant Garrett, Spencer Bruno and Thompson combined to strike out 10. Both teams advance to the District 55 Tournament of Champions, which starts June 6.

NEWPORT HARBOR

BASEBALL ASSN.

Irvine Memorial Day Weekend Tournament: The Corona Del Mar 13-and-under team won the tournament championship by defeating Dana Point in the title game, Laguna Niguel in the semifinals, and Orange in the quarterfinals.

Corona del Mar rallied from a three-run deficit to win the championship game, 4-3, over Dana Point. With one out in the bottom of the seventh inning, Nick Couchot drove in Sandon Griffin for the winning run.

The hitting stars were Couchot, Will Morrow, Brian Ford, Mitch Gardner, Clark Cashion, Kyle Jensen and Andrew Machoskie. Ford, Gardner, Josh Harrison, Brooks Brady, Blake Thomsen and Couchot led the pitching.