Ocean View shows Laramie no mercy, 13-1

Mike Sciacca, Independent

The Road to Williamsport, home of the Little League Baseball World

Series, seemed a bit closer to the Ocean View Majors All-Star team late

Wednesday night.

Ocean View made its debut in the Western Regional tournament in grand

style Wednesday, needing just four innings to put a Mercy Rule spanking

on Laramie (Wyoming), 13-1, in San Bernardino.

Starting pitcher Dallas Walters was needed for just two innings, and

the right-hander struck out six of the seven batters he faced (he walked

the other).

“Dallas pitched a great game, and we really hit the ball well,� Ocean

View Manager Yun Conger said early Thursday morning from the Western

Regional complex, where he team is staying throughout the tournament.

“It’s a great start to the tournament, and we hope to continue playing

this way.�

Ocean View also played in Thursday’s tournament nitecap, where it was

to meet New Mexico (a 3-2 winner over Northern California Wednesday) at 8

p.m.

Wednesday’s game, also scheduled for an 8 p.m. start, didn’t get

underway until 9 p.m. But the one hour delay did little to derail Ocean

View.

Jeff Van Doornum kicked the Ocean View offense in gear in its first

at-bat with a leadoff double. Walters then aided his own cause in a big

way, as he delivered a two-run home to left-center field. If that wasn’t

enough, Hank Conger followed Walters with a solo home run, and Ocean View

went on to take a 4-0 lead after one inning of play.

Ocean View padded the lead over the next few innings, with home runs

by Trey Valbuena and Conger - his second of the game, among the

highlights. Walters also came up with another big hit and nearly joined

Conger in the two home run club, but his blast to right field bounced off

the top of the fence and fell back into play. His double, however,

cleared loaded bases.

Ocean View had built a 13-0 lead before Laramie got on the scoreboard.

Valbuena relieved Walters and struck out three in one inning of work,

and Van Doornum spelled Valbuena for one inning, before Greg Gonzalez

pitched the fourth inning.

The Western Regional, a double-elimination tournament featuring 14

teams, runs today through next Thursday, Aug. 17, The winner will advance

to the Little League World Series on Aug. 20-26 in Williamsport, Pa.

To reach the Western Regional tournament site, take the 215 Freeway

north to the Palm/Kendall offramp, turn right at the bottom of the ramp,

and left on Little League Drive.