Little League 10-11 All-Stars: Walnut Creek Downs Lafayette in Opener

Score: Walnut Creek 5, Lafayette 1

Records: Walnut Creek 1-0, Lafayette 0-1 

The Star:  Cullen Kafka started the game for Walnut Creek and pitched a solid 5 1/3 innings, but couldn't pull out the complete game. He was pulled in the sixth when a blister opened on his thumb.

The Turning Point: Lafayette starter Kevin McComel walked the bases loaded to start the fourth inning before being pulled for Brad Robison. Walnut Creek's Spenser Ellis then hit a single to center, which scored Cullen for an early 1-0 lead. The visiting All Stars would score twice more in the fourth and twice more in the fifth.

The Quote: "The outfield defense was really good. Spenser Ellis made that sensational catch in right field. The outfield must have had a dozen plays and they made them all. I think that was the difference, his pitching, our defense and some key hits," Walnut Creek coach Byron Beckus said.

Who's Next? Walnut Creek advances in the winner's bracket and goes to Antioch on Thursday at 6 p.m. Lafayette drops into the loser's bracket and will play Wednesday against East County in North Oakland at 6 p.m.

The Bottom Line: Walnut Creek continues in the winners bracket and gets a day of rest, but the road become a little tougher for Lafayette, having to play the day after a loss.

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Cullen Kafka showed it doesn't take a strikeout pitcher to shut down a team.

The Walnut Creek 11-year-old All-Star starting pitcher enduced seven ground ball outs, including a crucial double play in the fifth inning with Lafayette trying to comeback, to lead his team to a 5-1 victory in Lafayette Tuesday night.

"The outfield defense was really good. Spenser Ellis made that sensational catch in right field. The outfield must have had a dozen plays and they made them all. I think that was the difference, his pitching, our defense and some key hits," Walnut Creek coach Byron Beckus said.

Kafka also said he didn't let himself get ahead of what should have been in terms of balls and strikes.

"I kept my head in the game when I didn't agree with some of the umpire's calls," Kafka said. "That would be it. I'm looking forward to our team having a good tournament and going all the way."

Walnut Creek took charge in the fourth after both Cullen and Lafayette starter Kevin McComel had retired the opposing side in order in each of the first three innings. McComel walked the bases loaded before being pulled in favor of Brad Robison, who gave up a single to Spenser Ellis which drove in Ryan Graham, giving Walnut Creek an early 1-0 lead.

Jean Chang would score on a fly out by Alan Alltop and Adrienne Lim would score on a Grant Sandberg single to push the lead to 3-0 after four innings.

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Walnut Creek  5,  Lafayette 1

Walnut Creek 000 320 — 5 3 1   

Lafayette 000 001 — 1 5 3 

Walnut Creek — Kafka 2-0-0, Read 3-0-0, Graham 3-1-0, Longmire 2-1-0, Dito 2-2-1, Ellis 1-1-1, Lim 1-1-1, Johansen 1-0-0, Alltop 2-0-0, Sandberg 2-0-0, Stenberg 1-0-0. Totals. 30-5-3

Lafayette — Burdock 3-1-2, Dinerman 3-0-1, Plummer 2-0-0, Ashburn 1-0-0, Robison 3-0-0, McComel 3-0-1, Levy 2-0-0, Sears 1-0-0, McKendell 1-0-0, Jackson 1-0-0, Martinho 1-0-0, Capino 1-0-0, Rembac 1-0-0.

Pitching

Walnut Creek — Kafka 5+ IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 H, 2 K, 0 BB, Graham 1 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 K, 0 BB

Lafayette — McCowel 3+ IP, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 H, 3 K, 5 BB; Robison 1 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 H, 0 K, 0 BB; Ashburn 1 1/3 IP, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 H, 0 K, 1 BB; Levy 2/3 IP,0 R, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 K, 0 BB

Hitting — None