Sweet start turns sour as Mariners fall in opener

Bryce Alderton

Not having played in 10 days, Costa Mesa American Little League

Mariners Manager Phil Bagby attempted to recharge his team by giving

them candy bars before Tuesday’s opening-round clash against the

Robinwood Red Sox in the majors division of the District 62

Tournament of Champions.

But it was the Red Sox that had the sweet taste of victory -- a

6-4 decision at the Huntington Valley Little League fields -- to

improve to 15-6 and end the Mariners season.

The Mariners (13-8), the CMALL majors champions, jumped to a 3-0

lead after the first half inning. But when the sugar rush subsided,

the Red Sox took the reins and rode the victory train.

“The sugar got them going a little bit,” Bagby said of the pregame

chocolate. “I should have given them extra bars. They were not the

perky guys we normally have.”

Three members of the Mariners attended a school party at Wild

Rivers water park in Irvine until about 2 p.m. Tuesday, Bagby said.

The Mariners’ ship encountered some rough seas in the bottom of

the second, when the Red Sox, who finished second in their divisin,

tied the game, 3-3.

It remained that way until the fourth, when Cody Straud ripped a

2-2 fastball over the fence in left-center for a two-run home run,

taking the wind out of the Mariners’ sails.

“One home run can make or break not only the game, but the

attitudes as well,” Bagby said.

Brian Frattali, who missed the previous six games with a broken

finger on his right hand, returned to the Red Sox lineup Tuesday and

went 2 for 2 with an RBI single to right field for the team’s final

run.

The Mariners did not quit, scoring once in the fifth on center

fielder Austin Bagby’s second RBI single of the game to plate first

baseman Ryan Boulger. Boulger knocked in Gute for the Mariners’ first

run and also scored in the first inning on a Bagby single.

Catcher and leadoff hitter Chris Gute lined a two-out single down

the first-base line in the sixth. Boulger hit a chopper back to the

pitcher, who overthrew the third baseman in attempt to get the

sliding runner. Gute went 2 for 3 with a walk while Mike Molina

singled, walked and plated Boulger in the first.

Gute smothered many pitches in the dirt and kept several balls in

front of him. With a runner sprinting toward the plate in the fifth,

Gute raced to the backstop to retrieve a wild pitch and flipped to

Molina, who made the tag on the sliding runner.

“[Gute] is a workhorse behind the plate,” Phil Bagby said.

Molina pitched the final three innings in relief of starter Adam

Gardner and struck out three, including two to end the third inning

when the Red Sox had runners at first and second with no outs.

Gardner played for the Angels during the regular season, but was

called in to fill the 12-man roster. He struck out two in two

innings.

Mariners pitchers issued six walks while the Red Sox allowed only

two.

Four of the eight Mariners’ hits came in the first inning while

the Red Sox used four of their nine hits to score three runs in the

fourth.