An opening salvo
<!--subtitle-->Perennial powers fall early, often on opening night
<!--byline-->J.P. Hoornstra, Staff Writer
<!--date-->Article Launched: 08/01/2008 11:13:10 PM PDT
<SCRIPT language=JavaScript> var requestedWidth = 0; </SCRIPT>
<SCRIPT language=JavaScript> if(requestedWidth > 0){ document.getElementById('articleViewerGroup').style.width = requestedWidth + "px"; document.getElementById('articleViewerGroup').style.margin = "0px 0px 10px 10px"; } </SCRIPT>SAN BERNARDINO - After a trio of one-run games to start the first day of Western Region play, it was time for a good ol' fashioned Little League blowout Friday night.
The victim of the 11-0 rout was the Southern California-based team, always the crowd favorite, from Aliso Viejo. The team on the happy end - and probably not for the last time in this tournament - was Paseo Verde Little League of Henderson, Nev.
Showing off its deep lineup and the strong right arm of pitcher Michael Blasko, Nevada put this one away early, breaking open a scoreless game with seven runs in the second inning and four more in the third, for the 4-inning mercy-rule shortened win.
For a team making its first trip to the regional tournament, did Nevada think it would be this easy?
"No," manager Jim Kelly said succinctly. "I heard a lot of positive things about how tough Southern California was. I know we have a great team. I know the kids came through."
Blasko scattered two hits, walked one and struck out eight.
"I don't feel like a lot of people knew how our team was," Blasko said. "They were all underestimating us. Most of the crowd was cheering for California."
Remarkably, Blasko might have earned more respect at the plate than on the mound. After striking out in his first at-bat, Blasko was walked with the bases loaded to bring home Nevada's third run of the game. Josh McCollum was up next, and he drilled an 0-2 pitch deep into
straightaway center field, a grand slam to make it 7-0.
Still hitless in the game, Blasko was intentionally walked an inning later with Derek Clelan on second base, bringing up McCollum. Aliso Viejo paid the price as McCollum singled, bringing home both runners with the 10th and 11th runs of the game.
"As soon as I got on first base, I saw Josh was up," Blasko said. "I thought, `he can hit a home run here, get a bigger lead.' I was just surprised."
McCollum finished 2-for-3 with six RBI. Cadyn Grenier went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, and Stevie Farmer went 2-for-3 for Nevada.
Pinch-hitter Ryan Goodwin came off the bench to hit Nevada's second home run of the game, a laser over the center-field fence to start the fourth inning.
Kelly said that Goodwin and Clelan had been struggling coming into the game - a scary testament to his team's depth.
"Every kid stepped up," Kelly said.
The defensive play of the game belonged to Aliso Viejo pitcher Calvin Westfall, who leaped off the mound toward third base to field a bases-loaded ground ball. Diving and throwing from the ground, he nailed the Nevada baserunner coming home to preserve the 11-0 score in the fourth inning.
<!--subtitle-->Perennial powers fall early, often on opening night
<!--byline-->J.P. Hoornstra, Staff Writer
<!--date-->Article Launched: 08/01/2008 11:13:10 PM PDT
<SCRIPT language=JavaScript> var requestedWidth = 0; </SCRIPT>
<SCRIPT language=JavaScript> if(requestedWidth > 0){ document.getElementById('articleViewerGroup').style.width = requestedWidth + "px"; document.getElementById('articleViewerGroup').style.margin = "0px 0px 10px 10px"; } </SCRIPT>SAN BERNARDINO - After a trio of one-run games to start the first day of Western Region play, it was time for a good ol' fashioned Little League blowout Friday night.
The victim of the 11-0 rout was the Southern California-based team, always the crowd favorite, from Aliso Viejo. The team on the happy end - and probably not for the last time in this tournament - was Paseo Verde Little League of Henderson, Nev.
Showing off its deep lineup and the strong right arm of pitcher Michael Blasko, Nevada put this one away early, breaking open a scoreless game with seven runs in the second inning and four more in the third, for the 4-inning mercy-rule shortened win.
For a team making its first trip to the regional tournament, did Nevada think it would be this easy?
"No," manager Jim Kelly said succinctly. "I heard a lot of positive things about how tough Southern California was. I know we have a great team. I know the kids came through."
Blasko scattered two hits, walked one and struck out eight.
"I don't feel like a lot of people knew how our team was," Blasko said. "They were all underestimating us. Most of the crowd was cheering for California."
Remarkably, Blasko might have earned more respect at the plate than on the mound. After striking out in his first at-bat, Blasko was walked with the bases loaded to bring home Nevada's third run of the game. Josh McCollum was up next, and he drilled an 0-2 pitch deep into
straightaway center field, a grand slam to make it 7-0.
Still hitless in the game, Blasko was intentionally walked an inning later with Derek Clelan on second base, bringing up McCollum. Aliso Viejo paid the price as McCollum singled, bringing home both runners with the 10th and 11th runs of the game.
"As soon as I got on first base, I saw Josh was up," Blasko said. "I thought, `he can hit a home run here, get a bigger lead.' I was just surprised."
McCollum finished 2-for-3 with six RBI. Cadyn Grenier went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, and Stevie Farmer went 2-for-3 for Nevada.
Pinch-hitter Ryan Goodwin came off the bench to hit Nevada's second home run of the game, a laser over the center-field fence to start the fourth inning.
Kelly said that Goodwin and Clelan had been struggling coming into the game - a scary testament to his team's depth.
"Every kid stepped up," Kelly said.
The defensive play of the game belonged to Aliso Viejo pitcher Calvin Westfall, who leaped off the mound toward third base to field a bases-loaded ground ball. Diving and throwing from the ground, he nailed the Nevada baserunner coming home to preserve the 11-0 score in the fourth inning.
