Senior Championship Goes Extra Innings

Two playoff matchups Friday in the Manhattan Beach Senior League both culminated in walk-off hits, looking as if they would be difficult to top. But Saturday’s tilt between Manhattan Beach’s Gray and Green teams provided a third straight stellar game.

It took extra innings, but the top-seeded Gray team picked up a 3-2 win, with the bases loaded. Turner Conrad slid home safely beating catcher Connor Mathews’ tag attempt following an Austin Yamada wild pitch.

“Two walk-off wins in a row, it feels like Bangor,” Conrad said. “This was a good developmental league. It was great to get the win today. It’s a big rivalry within the league.”

Both teams earned spots in the title game following 2-1 victories and despite being an offensive league for most of the summer, runs were difficult to come by.

The Gray team was able to score in the first inning.

With two outs, David Odle hit a Michael Rumpp pitch, swiping second base. Odle took off again to score the game's first run as cleanup hitter Grant Livornese's seeing-eye single reached the outfield grass.

“I was in a hole, he threw a curveball and I just wanted to get it in play so maybe I could get our guy in. I didn’t hit it hard, but it dropped and was enough,” Livornese said.

The Green team countered with two runs in the second. Jake Lane took Kevin Lopez’s offering into the right field corner for an RBI double, scoring Jared Terry. Mateo Nieto attempted to score from first, but Andy Vasquez tagged him out at home plate.

“I was trying to stay down on it and made good contact,” Lane said.  “Hitting is the toughest thing and I know I am improving.”

The next batter, Michael Roberts, singled in Lane to take a 2-1 lead.

Gray would tie the game in the fifth when Vasquez scored following a sacrifice fly from Lopez.

Relief pitching would be tough—Livornese and Odle combined for three scoreless innings with Odle picking up the win for Gray.

MB All-Stars

Following the championship game, the Manhattan Beach All-Star roster was announced. The selection process consisted of players voting for the top 10 spots and coaches selecting the final six players. 

Conrad, brothers Jackson, Braden and Carter Casady, Trent Hammond and John Hadley are returning from last year’s group, which reached the semi-finals of the Little League Senior World Series in Bangor, Maine.

“I think we are going to be much deeper pitching and as good hitting as last year.  We want to get back to Bangor. We have to be prepared because teams know we made it to Maine last year and will be coming at us,” Conrad said.

Newcomers include Greg French, Cooper Griffith, Kevin Lopez, David Odle, Richard O’Reilly, Christian Reynolds, Jared Terry, Jack Webber, Garrett Wells and Greg Whitaker.

“We have a nice mix from last year’s World Series team. There were some kids who did not make the team that were very worthy as well,” said Carlos Rojas, who manages the All-Star team along with Aaron Medina and Russell Kontos.

The All-Stars’ season will begin with sectional qualifying July 16 at Marine Park.

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