For the second year in a row, the San Gabriel Valley League all-stars topped the Moore League in extra innings.
The Moore League led 5-1 heading into the top of the ninth inning at the Urban Youth Academy on Saturday night, when the SGVL’s Mark Silva (Paramount High) tripled in three runs off Cabrillo High ace Ramiro Rosales to pull the SGVL to within 5-4.
Gahr’s Josh Cabula then singled home Silva to tie the game at 5-5.
After holding the Moore League scoreless in the ninth and 10th innings, Silva struck again.
The Paramount shortstop laid down a perfect drag bunt off Moore League MVP Jeff Yamaguchi (Lakewood) in the 11th inning.
Yamaguchi attempted to pick off Silva, but the ball went down the first base line and allowed Silva to go from first to third on the play. After striking out Gahr’s Josh Cabula and looking like he’d be evading a jam, Yamaguchi’s curve ball went to the backstop and allowed Silva to score what turned out to be the game-winning run.
Gahr’s Sonny Burgueno came into the game in the eighth inning and it was his ability to induce a fly ball off the bat of a very dangerous Anthony Razo (Lakewood) with two on and two out in the bottom of the 11th that clinched the victory for the SGVL.
Yamaguchi picked up the loss for the Moore League.
Silva was named the SGVL’s MVP after singling, doubling and tripling, driving in three runs and scoring two more.
Hunter Jones (Lakewood) was the Moore League’s MVP after tripling twice and scoring two runs.
Yamaguchi had an RBI ground out in the first inning and struck out twice.
Millikan’s Josh Frye went the first three innings for the Moore League, allowing just one run when Warren’s Daniel Catalan led off the game with a triple and scored on an Alex Jimenez (Downey) sacrifice fly.
Kyle Ritter (Wilson) and Trevor Kellogg (Poly) teamed with Frye to limit the SGVL to just one run over eight innings, but Rosales’ ninth inning proved the bulk of the difference.
Wilson’s Chris Hubbard had an RBI single for the Moore League and Jordan’s Robby Hurtado drove in Compton’s Michael Joyner on a sacrifice fly.
Adan Cabrales (Warren), Jessie Miranda (Paramount), Jeremy Ruiz (Downey), Gene Gonzalez (Warren), Robert Dawson (Downey) and Sonny Burgueno ate up all 11 innings for the SGVL pitching staff.
The SGVL’s win capped a year in which the SGVL went 6-3 in the CIF playoffs and the Moore League went a disappointing 2-4, with both wins coming from Lakewood.