SGV all-stars are victorious

GLENDALE — Playing in front of a lively crowd that was mostly against them didn’t sidetrack the members of the San Gabriel Valley Babe Ruth 16-18 All-Star team.

A clutch first-inning home run and some solid pitching helped San Gabriel Valley to a 5-2 victory against host Watsonville in a winner’s-bracket contest of the Pacific Southwest Regional Tournament late Sunday night at Watsonville High.

Cody Regis continued his torrid hitting with a first-inning home run and pitcher Bryce Rutherford scattered two hits in a complete-game performance to send San Gabriel Valley into today’s 5 p.m. championship game against Watsonville or Modesto for the right to advance to the World Series in Washington later this month. Watsonville and Modesto played late Monday night in an elimination game. If San Gabriel Valley, which features five Crescenta Valley athletes, loses the championship game, an if-necessary title game would follow immediately.

“We beat a good team, and it was a big thing getting that home run from Cody,” said San Gabriel Valley Coach Phi Torres, who also coaches Crescenta Valley High. “It relaxed us and got us going.

“It’s nice to get rolling early.”

Regis, a freshman shortstop at UCLA, hit his third home run in a two-game span. San Gabriel Valley, which has won the Babe Ruth World Series three times since 2004, opened the tournament Friday with a 6-5 victory against East Sacramento before cruising to a 13-0 win against Utah on Saturday.

Rutherford, a right-hander out of Arcadia High, stepped up again for San Gabriel Valley after he picked up the victory that helped San Gabriel Valley capture the Southern California championship July 21.

“Bryce executed his pitches well,” Torres said.

San Gabriel Valley built a 4-0 advantage before Watsonville responded with a pair of runs in the fourth to cut the lead to 4-2. However, San Gabriel Valley tacked on an insurance run in the fifth on an infield hit by Crescenta Valley’s Eddie Lee.

San Gabriel Valley will now turn its attention to today’s contest.

“Both Watsonville and Modesto are good teams,” said Torres, the reigning All-Area Coach of the Year. “We are probably not going to be changing anything.

“We’ll take batting practice and then go over and play. They understand they are a win away to play another week.”