Catcher Joe Pare of West Seattle takes one to the mask after the ball deflected off the bat of PacWest's Alonzo Zaragoza during their game last Friday. PacWest won the game 9-4.
An extended stay at the District 7 Major Little League Tournament of Champions was not to be for the West Seattle Orioles.
They took a 9-4 loss to the PacWest Dodgers on Friday to be eliminated in the opener of the single-elimination tournament.
West Seattle jumped out to an early lead with a run in the bottom of the second inning of the game played at the Normandy Park City Hall fields.
Paul Johnson singled to start it off, then came around on a wild pitch, a stolen base and a grounder to short by Ben Trigg.
The Dodgers team that draws from Burien and SeaTac answered with one in the top of the third as Trenton Brown doubled to left center and came around on a dropped third strike followed by a wild pitch.
Mark McLean then scored for PacWest in the top of the fourth, hitting a single and taking second on a wild pitch that led to two errant throws that brought him on in.
West Seattle jumped out front, 4-2, with two runs in the fourth with the help of base hits by Jackson Sullivan and Trigg sandwiched around a pair of PacWest errors.
But the Dodgers jumped out front again with three in the fifth.
Ethan Weets drew a walk ahead of another double to left center by Brown. Two errors on the same play scored Weets and Brown. John Kemp then singled, advanced as Dylan Shaw was hit by a pitch and scored on a single by McClean.
PacWest racked up four insurance runs in the top of the sixth and final inning.
Tim Elliott walked, Weets singled and Brown walked to load the bases. After back-to-back popouts to first, Shaw walked to bring in a run, McClean singled to drive in one to cap off a 3-for-3 day and Will Roberson reached on a dropped third strike. Alonzo Zaragoza walked to force in the fourth run of the rally.
McClean then capped off two innings of perfect relief for the Dodgers by inducing three straight ground outs. McClean had struck out three straight in the fifth.
West Seattle actually finished with more strikeouts than PacWest by a 16-10 margin.
The Orioles of West Seattle included Chris Frost, Joe Pare, Jack Summers, Jackson Sullivan, Paul Johnson, Eli Dever, Ben Trigg, Corey Zarowski, Greg Cramer and Adam Chin.
