Eastlake All-Stars Heading to Little League World Series

The Eastlake Little League All-Stars from Chula Vista earned a berth in the Little League World Series tonight with a 9-0 victory over their counterparts from the Belmont-Redwood Shores Little League in the West Region Tournament championship game in San Bernardino.

Grant Holman pitched a two-hitter, striking out nine and walking two before a crowd announced at 11,238 at Al Houghton Stadium.

Jake Espinoza drove in two runs and Nick Mora went three-for-three, with a single, double and triple, and drove in a run to lead Eastlake's 12-hit attack.

Eastlake is the 10th San Diego County team to qualify for the Little League World Series and the first since the Park View Little League All-Stars from Chula Vista in 2009, who won the Little League World Series.

Eastlake won three tournaments to qualify for the West Region Tournament and has a 18-1 record. Its only loss came to Belmont-Redwood Shores, 3-2, Wednesday in the final pool play game for both teams.

Eastlake, the Southern California champion, scored in each inning it batted in the 5 1/2-inning game.

Each of its first three batters struck out, but Holman, the third batter, reached first base when Belmont-Redwood Shores catcher Patrick Archer dropped the third strike. Mora followed with a triple to right field, driving in Michael Gaines, the special pinch runner for Holman.

Espinoza's second-inning two-out single drove in Gaines, the special pinch runner for Charly Peterson, who doubled. Micah Pietla-Wiggs scored Eastlake's third run on a wild pitch by Belmont-Redwood Shores pitcher Sean Lee.

Mora doubled leading off the third, advanced to third on on Giancarlo Cortez's single and scored on a passed ball. Bateman, who ran for Cortez, scored on Dominic Haley's ground out.

Pietla-Wiggs singled leading off the fourth, advanced to second on left fielder Zach Wong's error and scored on Espinoza's single.

Eastlake combined singles by Pietla-Wiggs and Holman, Peterson's double and two walks for three runs in the fifth.

The West Region Tournament field consisted of the champions of Southern California, Northern California, Arizona, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah.

–City News Service