Live-blogging the Little League World Series: Huntington Beach v. Billings, Montana!

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Update: For today’s game (Saturday against Montana) click here!

Dylan Palmer and Nick Pratto

For nearly a fortnight now, all eyes in Orange County have been focused on our new heros, the 11-12 year olds of Huntington Beach’s Ocean View Little League, as they sweep gracefully from triumph to triumph at the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, central Pennsylvania.  We have watched them kick ass.  We have seen them taking names.

Awestruck, we witnessed their 11-0 victory Friday against Cumberland, Rhode Island.  The LA Times’ Diane Pucin observed this game as a masterpiece of teamwork – no stars, no home runs, but “11 hits against Rhode Island and three pitchers combining for the shut out.”

Jeff Pratto [manager and father of player Nick] said he has been watching most of the kids on the Ocean View team playing for various Southern California teams for four or five years. Some have been stars from the beginning, he said. Some have blossomed more recently.

“Jack Furry, Dylan Palmer, Ryo Takada,” Pratto said, “have always been in the leagues, but they got a whole lot better when they made the 11-year-old team last year.”

Furry is a 5-foot-8, 131-pound pitcher and outfielder who is the tallest player on the roster. Takada is a 5-foot-6, 167-pounder. Palmer is 5-feet-2 and 132 pounds and is one of the quickest players on the roster.

One of the newest members to the group was Ocean View’s winning pitcher on Friday, Braydon Salzman.

“Salzman’s only been in our league two years,” Pratto said. “He actually lived in the Ocean View district but had a waiver to play in Robinwood League near Marina High. In the 9- and 10-year-old league, he was the only pitcher to beat us in the district. But we ended up beating his team finally and then he wanted to be at Ocean View.”

With amusement and pride we saw them dealing humbly with the stardom, the adulation of fans, the 30-year old Pennsylvania women who want their autographs.  Manager Pratto says, “It’s kind of funny.  I still try to figure out what anyone would want with a 12-year-old’s autograph. I guess there’s some value to somebody.”  Pitcher Hagen Danner, who can throw consistently over 70 mph, observes, “It’s been pretty cool. I feel like kind of a pop star or something. People are always coming up to me. Sometimes there’s a big group around us.”

Ocean View’s visibility in the tournament has been high since its first game, with Braydon Salzman pitching. Little did he know he’d soon by identified by one of the defining highlights of the Little League World Series so far.

Braydon Salzman hit in head by ball

“It’s been really great having little kids come up to us and ask for autographs,” Salzman said. “They ask me if I’m the kid who got the ball hit off my head. That’s me. It’s very crazy.”

The brim of Salzman’s hat saved him from disaster in the opening game. Keeping things in perspective could be the key to that Wednesday.

Our hearts beat a little faster as we watched in amazement their second game – a 10-0 victory against La Grange, Kentucky, on Sunday.

Ocean View had a five-run second inning and a five-run fourth inning and was in control even though starting pitcher Hagen Danner had an early stretch of wildness, walking three and throwing two wild pitches in the first two innings.

Even though it has scored 21 runs in its first two games, Ocean View has not hit a home run. Instead, it has relied on stretches such as the one it had in the the second inning Sunday, when it hit five singles and took advantage of an error by La Grange.

And yesterday we nodded our heads sagely and smiled as the team decided to spend their last day before the final game, not swinging and pitching and sweating, but hiking through the verdant Pennsylvania woods.  For life is short when you’re a “tween,” and who knows when these youths will be able to see such lovely Appalachian countryside again?  As Christian Cataño remarked, “We had a barbecue Monday.  It definitely helps us to be able to chill out and refocus. Then, we’ll get back to business.”

Ocean View coach Jack Pratto has his team walking the narrow line between vacation and business, helping them fight the fatigue that has kept most of the players from sleeping in their own beds more than once over the last three weeks.

So instead of practicing Monday, the team went for a hike in the Central Pennsylvania hills, exposing the team to things they’ve never seen before.

“It was cool. This is the other side of the country, and it’s cool to see it,” Jack Furry said. “There are just so many more trees here.”

So today – there’s nothing that can keep us from our ESPN – 5PM – don’t miss the final game between Huntington Beach’s Ocean View and their (actually friendly) nemeses from Billings Montana! And if you have to miss it, watch this space for some live-blogging – with my limited sport vocabulary I’ll try to keep you abreast of the excitement!

5PM -Each player names off their favorite player – one said “Eva Longoria” but I didn’t catch who.

First inning … no score with HB up

5:19 – Billings up – Danner pitching now… struck some Montana kid out…

5: 40 … more strike-outs from Danner … score still 0-0 as second inning ends…

It’s been observed by legendary announcer Brent Musburger that HB in their two previous games, although they scored 11 and then 10 runs, never scored in the first innings.  They just gradually warm up…

Third inning, 5:44 – Hagen Danner hits single (first HIT of game!)  Another hit by (?) he gets tagged at first, but Danner makes it to second … Kotkosky gets tagged at first … still tied at 0-0.

5:50 HB pitcher throws another strikeout – and another – a Montana kid gets to first despite being accidentally tripped by an HB kid – that counted as an obstruction.

4th inning ok I’m paying better attention now

6pm Anthony Martinez pinch-hitter strikes out;  Dylan “Dill Pickle” Palmer at bat… he gets to first…  Salzman up …  hits, gets tagged at first, but Dill Pickle gets to third!  Eric Anderson up with two out and Dylan at third …

Cole McKenzie, Montana’s pitcher, is really good.  Although he JUST walked Anderson.  Anderson at first, Dylan at third, two outs.   Pinch-hitter Jack Furry up now.  Damn.  Inning over, still zero to zero.

Pitching for HB – Nick Pratto – has 8 strikeouts so far!  ooo – whoops – Cole McKenzie, Montana’s pitcher, just hit a double.

These two teams really got to make friends back in San Bernardino and said “Wouldn’t it be cool if we both got to the finals?”  And now here they are, playing against each other.

ANOTHER hit by Montana – a single, and McKenzie gets to third.  Uh-oh…

PRATTO’s NINTH STRIKEOUT – 4th inning over.

5th inning

Montana’s McKenzie still pitching…  Kokotsky up ….  hit … damn… inning over, that was quick

Salzman pitching now .,, a few Montana hits, all tagged out

6th inning

McKenzie still pitching … 2 outs … now a new Montana pitcher, Shawn Jones … three HB players walk, bases loaded … but damn, a great HB hit gets caught and it’s all for nought

Montana hits a double Nick Pratto is kicking ass on first base… I have had internet trouble and lost everything from the earlier inning .. let me try to re-create

7th inning

Shawn Jones still pitching for Montana … walks Windish (sp?) .. Pratto up, hits, gets caught ..    then Kotkosky hits a single, but Windish gets tagged … Takata up … strikes out.

MONTANA HITS HOME RUN.  First one, by either team, in this series.  Damn.

Tomorrow night, HB plays “elimination game” against the Home Pennsylvania Team.

I need to get a sports correspondent for the blog who can do this better.  I thought it was all over with tonight’s game.

 


About Vern Nelson

Greatest pianist/composer in Orange County, and official political troubadour of Anaheim and most other OC towns. Regularly makes solo performances, sometimes with his savage-jazz band The Vern Nelson Problem. Reach at vernpnelson@gmail.com, or 714-235-VERN.