Little League All-Stars On a Roll

[Editor's Note: The following game summary was provided by team spokesperson Julie Craft]

By Julie Craft

Belmont Redwood Shores Little League (BRSLL) 10-11 year old All-Star team under Manager Rudy Lopez and All-Star coaches Kevin Lee and Peter Anderson continue their winning streak on Saturday as they beat San Lorenzo by Mercy Rule in just four innings in game one of the Section 3 All-Star tournament.

Lefty Ryan Anderson, lead-off batter for BRSLL, smacked a line drive to center for a single. Coupling errors and his lightening speed he ultimately stole second, third, and home for the first run of the first game in the tournament.  Taylor Douglis and four other teammates battled hard at the plate, ending the top of the first inning, 1-0.

In the bottom of the first, Brad Shimabuku was ruling the mound throwing heat to all-star catcher Josh Fong.  This dynamite duo couldn’t be stopped as Fong threw off his mask and snatch a foul-tip ball for the first out. The number three hitter crushed the ball over the fence landing two runs batted in (RBIs). With razor reflexes, Sean Lee at short and Ryan Anderson at first seamlessly caught consecutive fly balls shutting down the first inning with BRSLL trailing in a neck-and-neck ballgame, 1-2.

The second inning was straight up, straight down with both teams giving up no runs, igniting a rally as they moved into the top of the third.  The BRSLL bats were on fire in the second inning, as they went through their entire batting order almost twice.  Lead-off Anderson nailed a single, quickly stealing second, followed by Luke Bugbee laying down a perfect bunt and as the pitcher overthrew it to first, Anderson raced like the wind across home plate, leaving Bugbee safe at second. Nicolas Lopez and Shimabuku were both walked setting the perfect table for powerhouse hitter Lee to crush the ball over the fence for a grand slam home run moving BRSLL into the lead with no-outs and a 6-2 ballgame.  Wong and Fong were both walked. Evan Jones was locked and loaded as he set the ball sailing into centerfield for a stand-up double and two RBIs. Daniel Friis had a nice at-bat driving in Jones for an RBI, followed by home-run hitter Lopez doing his thing, slamming a home-run over the fence for two more RBIs, giving BRSLL an admirable lead, 11-2. 

In the bottom of the third, with bases loaded and no outs, Anderson was put in to relieve Shimabuku at the mound. The tension mounted as a run came in with only one out and bases still loaded. All-star catcher Fong dove behind the plate, snatched the ball, and whipped it to pitcher Anderson who was poised at home plate to snag the tag for the second out. Zach Wong in right field made a miraculous catch for the third out, ending the inning, 11-3.

In the top of the fourth, Jones smashed the ball to center and on errors made it safely to second where Sammy Bean was put in as a pinch runner.  Friis landed a single, Bugbee hit a single for another RBI and the home-run king, Lopez, scores again with an all-star repeat, flawlessly delivering his second home run of the game driving in three more RBIs, ending the top of the inning, 15-3. With a favorable lead, the pressure was on BRSLL to hold San Lorenzo at two or less runs to end the game in Mercy Rule.  With bases loaded and no outs, Bugbee was put on the mound, walking one batter and relying on his all-star defensive team behind him to quickly shut down the game. Lee at short turned two while Jones at second sprinted and glided, performing a breath-taking swan dive to catch the fly ball behind first base for the third out, leaving two runners stranded, and ending the game in a 15-5 Mercy Rule. 

Come out and cheer on BRSLL as they play their next game Sunday at 11 a.m.

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