This week’s Falls Church Little League roundup.
A’s 7 – Yankees 2
The A’s recorded their first win of the season thanks to strong pitching by Logan Nesson, who struck out six batters over two and one third innings, Brian Nelson, who struck out seven batters over three innings, and Annie Ferguson, who closed by striking out both batters she faced. Nesson doubled twice, Ferguson hit a double and a single, and Nelson singled twice. Michael Parella added two doubles and a single, and Zach Welch crushed a double to the fence.
Cubs 11 – Nationals 5
Johnny Peterson led the Cubs’ offense with four hits, including a grand-slam homer, while Ned Quill and Daniel Schlitt each added three hits. Casey Lauer had three hits for the Nats, and Vishal Akula contributed an inside-the-park homer. The Nationals also played the Mason District Cubs last week, and had better luck against those Cubs, winning 17-3.
Cubs 12 – Red Sox 2
Daniel Schlitt got the win for the Cubs, striking out eight over five innings, and Nathan Payne came on in the sixth inning to secure the win. Ned Quill had four hits for the 6-1 Cubs, while Johnny Peterson blasted two doubles off the fence and scored three runs. Jacob Plata added three hits for the Cubs.
Orioles 11 – Red Sox 0
Jamie Handley pitched a complete game, earning his second shutout of the season. Handley got plenty of support from his defense, notably from Josh Rankin’s lockdown at third base. Timely hits by Oriole sluggers included a two-RBI double by Nick Armour, a three-run homer by John Anderson, and a three-RBI double by Jake Abruzzi.
Orioles 11 – A’s 0
Anderson and Abruzzi combined to pitch the shutout, and Anderson homered as well; Rankin homered and hit a two-RIBI double.
Angels 12 – Rangers 8
Jacob Audick smashed a home run to give the Rangers a 4-2 lead in the third inning, but Demitri Gamble hit a three-run inside-the-park homer to give the Angels a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the third. The game was still tight when Jay Nesson cracked a double, driving in two runs and capping a five-run fifth to give the Angels the victory.
Scrappers 9 – Sand Gnats 2
Pitchers Ben LeBlanc and Ian Thompson held the previously undefeated Sand Gnats to only two runs on four hits. The Scrappers’ Teddy Coates went two for three, while Ben Salak anchored the defense. For the Sand Gnats, Corey Lauer, continuing a family tradition, turned in a strong performance behind the plate.
Storm 10 – Sand Gnats 6
The Storm were led offensively by Nate Moonis, who hit a grand slam inside-the-park home run, and by Avi Urbach, who had a triple.
Mudcats 8 – Ironbirds 6
For the Mudcats, Mark Comstock had two RBIs, while also snagging a pop-fly for a key out. For the Ironbirds, Jacob Nelson and Daniel Trauberman each went two for two with an RBI.
Bees 7 – Red Wings 0
Andy Borman’s bases-loaded double in the fourth inning broke open a tight game, and Audrey Lindsay and Owen Ossman each went three for three for the Bees.
Bees 15 – Knights 8
Elise Ebert went three for three with three RBIs as the Bees knocked out 23 hits en route to the win. Simon Lundquist drove in four runs on a single and triple, and Andy Borman had three hits. For the Knights, Peter Villa went three for three with a triple, and Caleb Taliaferra knocked in two runs on a third-inning double that gave his team a 6-5 lead.
Rattlers 16 – Knights 5
In a game marked by strong offense by both teams, the Rattlers were able to pull away for the win. Rattlers Jason Harrington, Curran Gilster, Jack Brown and Nick Fiegel each contributed two hits, while the Knights’ offense was led by Peter Villa and Jack Coburn, who each had three hits, and Danny and Ryan McMahon, who added two hits apiece.
Raptors 11 – Rattlers 10
Tensions were high as two undefeated teams battled it out in a thrilling game that came down to the final at-bat. The Raptors’ outfielders were kept busy chasing down doubles by Rattlers Caleb Parnell, Nick Fiegel and Josh Meighan, with Parnell adding a triple. But the Raptors turned in a strong batting performance of their own, and strong fielding plays by shortstop Robert Newton and third baseman Devin Rickels kept the game close until the Raptors’ last at-bat, when Alejandro Martinez drove in the winning run.
Express 13 – Bats 5
The Bats’ offense was led by Tommy Rooney and Peter LeMaster, each of whom went three for three while scoring a run. The Bats also received excellent fielding from Connor Brennan. For the Express, Jack Taylor, Jake Pigeon and Marty Casserly each had four hits.
Express 9 – Red Wings 4
The Express received strong offensive performances by Kirby Kelley, Charlie Langan, and Hunter Benson, with Jake Pigeon helping out on defense. The ’Wings’ offense was led by Vinh Ritter and Casey Scheuerman, both of whom had three hits.
Raptors 4 – Ironbirds 4
The shortstops were busy in the game, with Daniel Wisdom making two plays in the second inning for the Raptors and Holly Nelson of the Ironbirds making a fantastic catch on a line drive.
Mudcats 12 – Muckdogs 2
The Mudcats’ Ethan Siebel and Nick Bradford both had three hits, and Seth Eshraghi and Mark Comstock added two hits apiece. For the Muckdogs, Kailen Jordan had two hits.
