Erik Boal
It was clear from the outset of Tuesday's championship game in the
Little League Section 2 Tournament, that after five consecutive days
of making the more than 200-mile round trip to Scholl Canyon Park,
the Tehachapi Major Softball All-Star team had mentally reached the
end of its line.
Only making matters worse for the District 51 champion was the
fact that Crescenta Valley appeared to just be warming up on its way
to a second straight section title.
The three-time District 16 champion scored the first 11 runs of
the contest and received another strong pitching performance from
Kaela Green to post a 14-2 four-inning mercy-rule victory, advancing
to the Division 3 Tournament, which begins at 6 p.m. Friday in
Westchester.
*--*
BOX SCORE
*--*
*--*
Crescenta Valley 3 0 8 3 -- 14 13 0
Tehachapi 0 0 2 0 -- 2 4 8
*--*
*--*
* Game called because of 10-run mercy rule
*--*
*--*
Crescenta Valley IP H R ER BB K
Green 4 4 2 2 2 2
*--*
*--*
Tehachapi IP H R ER BB K
Kapitzke 4 13 14 7 2 3
*--*
*--*
WP-- Green (3-0).
LP-- Kapitzke (3-1).
2B: CV-Green 3, Johnson 2.
3B: CV-Heurkins.
SB: CV-Sovereign 2, Deunay, Vine; T-Kapitzke.
*--*
"It's just tournament fatigue, and when that sets in, it becomes a
mental game," said veteran Coach Alan Eberhart, who will guide an 11-
and 12-year-old team at the divisional level for a second straight
year, following his success as an assistant on the CV Major Baseball
All-Star squad last summer.
"It's a great advantage [to be in the position we were]. But
[Tehachapi] was awesome. They should be very proud of themselves."
Tehachapi (8-3) battled valiantly to reach Tuesday's final,
winning three straight games in the second-chance bracket following
Friday's 17-3 opening-round loss to CV (6-0).
But after an emotionally draining 7-4 victory against San Fernando
in Monday's second-chance bracket final, Tehachapi came out
noticeably flat from the start, resulting in three first-inning runs
for Eberhart's squad.
"[Scoring three in the first] let me breathe [in the circle],"
said Green (3-0), who, in addition to scattering four hits, collected
three doubles in four at-bats, scoring twice and driving in five
runs.
"And it's really easy to pitch with such a great defense behind
you."
Green led a 13-hit attack for CV, which outscored its sectional
opponents, 41-14, and improved its postseason margin to 81-17.
"Kaela Green was just awesome. She pitched great," said Eberhart,
whose squad collected five hits -- three for extra bases -- and took
