Sportsworld

Team Sportsworld of Laguna Beach Little League knocked off the top team from Saddleback Little League and came within one out of beating South Irvine on Monday before bowing out of the 2011 Tournament of Champions Minors Division playoffs. In its tournament opener Saturday, Sportsworld ace Blake Pivaroff came out firing, striking out nine of the first 10 batters he faced against Saddleback in a 6-4 victory by the locals. In a quarterfinal game Monday, Sportsworld took a five-run lead against the South Irvine Cubs but lost an 8-7 heartbreaker in the bottom of the sixth.

Hobie collected its 11th win of the season by defeating Sportsworld, 5-1, Wednesday in a Laguna Beach Little League Majors Division game at Riddle Field. Jack Wills started the game for Hobie and allowed one hit and no runs in 2 2/3 innings. Jack Loechner threw the next 2 1/3 innings and gave up a run and two hits. Lance Stewart closed out the sixth and didn't allow a hit and was backed by two solid defensive plays by Josh McManus at second base. Christian Herry started the game for Sportsworld and pitched well through three innings.

AAA Division-leading Sportsworld shook off any lingering effects from spring break to notch a resounding, 15-1 victory over Diamond Resort in Laguna Beach Little League action Wednesday at Riddle Field. Sportsworld starter Blake Pivaroff continued to amaze by throwing a perfect three innings, striking out eight of the nine batters he faced. Sportsworld's offense got rolling thanks to a Pivaroff double, and solid singles by Christian Holm and Dillon Gaboury. The knockout blow for Sportsworld came in the bottom of the second inning when Wyatt Shipp hit a two-out grand slam over the center-field fence.

In a big game where a big play would figure to decide an early season showdown between Rotary and Sportsworld, it was Alex Iannotti who delivered the big punch. Iannotti hit a difference-making grand slam in the third inning -- which was the big inning of the game -- as Sportsworld claimed a 6-2 Majors Division victory in Laguna Beach Little League action at Riddle Field. Rotary entered the game holding down first place in the division standings.

Behind the hitting and pitching, Shane Takabayashi and Alek Burk, and an error-free defense, Rotary defeated Sportsworld, 5-3, to create a first-place tie between the teams in the Laguna Beach Little League Majors Division standings. Down 1-0, Rotary tied the score in the second inning as Takabayashi and Travis Sampson each singled. One out later, Brogan O'Bryan and Tyler Kesler each walked to force in the tying run. Rotary took the lead for good in the third inning as Burk singled, Michael Hyden walked and Alec Loechner singled to score both base runners for a 3-1 lead.

Sportsworld staged a sixth-inning comeback Monday night at Riddle Field in defeating Team Hobie, 4-3, in Laguna Beach Little League Majors Division action. Spencer Freidenrich scored on a hit by Alex Bekken in the third inning to give Team Hobie a 1-0 lead. Sportsworld countered with a run in the fourth inning when Stevie Contursi hit a home run. Alex Iannotti also sent a long ball to the fence in the inning, but Team Hobie left-fielder Cody Alter came up with a spectacular catch.

Mike Sciacca Postseason rankings don't seem to faze Sportsworld. Having taken care of third-seed Rotary four days earlier, Sportsworld did a number on second seed Laguna Surf and Sport in a second round game of the Laguna Beach Little League Majors Division playoffs, pulling off an 11-6 upset. Sixth-seed Sportsworld opened up a 5-0 first inning lead and led the remainder of the way en route to setting up a third round match up with top seed and regular season champion VFW on Saturday.

Tuesday night's battle at Riddle Field between Majors Division leaders Sportsworld and Rotary lived up to what a showdown should be, and it was Sportsworld who prevailed, 6-5, in Laguna Beach Little League action. The win allowed Sportsworld to take sole possession of first place in the division standings, with one regular season game remaining on the schedule. Rotary opened the game with two runs in the top of the first inning, with Michael Hyden and Alec Loechner both scoring.

Sportsworld overcame an early 2-0 deficit and rallied to subdue VFW, 11-6, in Laguna Beach Majors Division play at Riddle Field. Alex Bekken picked up an RBI in the top of the first inning as VFW took a 2-0 lead. Steve Contursi began Sportworld's comeback with a hit off the fence in right-center. Two VFW errors led to two runs, and the score was tied at 2-2. By the end of the first inning, Sportsworld had scored two more runs, one coming on a Taylor Preston RBI, to take a 4-2 lead.

In its final regular season game, Sportsworld topped VFW, 7-1, at Riddle Field to lay claim to the Laguna Beach Little League Majors Division championship. The victory gave Sportsworld, which takes on Team Hobie today in a 4:30 p.m. postseason tournament game, a 14-6 record. Sportsworld took command early, as a double by Brian Vail was followed by a triple by Austin Paxson, which scored Vail. Stevie Contursi added to the momentum with a solid RBI up the middle before Alex Iannotti doubled off the wall.

Sportsworld and Zero Trash played a game Tuesday that went to the wire, and Sportsworld prevailed, 7-4, in Laguna Beach Little League AAA Division action. Ryan Anthony, Max Rossi and Will Keary pitched for Sportsworld and was backed by a defense that made several big plays. Caden Capobianco and Luke Smialowicz made a critical double play in the first inning to hold Zero Trash scoreless. Late in the game, Keary, Anthony, Sam Tyrell and Gavin Trevino all made diving catches.

Hobie collected its 11th win of the season by defeating Sportsworld, 5-1, Wednesday in a Laguna Beach Little League Majors Division game at Riddle Field. Jack Wills started the game for Hobie and allowed one hit and no runs in 2 2/3 innings. Jack Loechner threw the next 2 1/3 innings and gave up a run and two hits. Lance Stewart closed out the sixth and didn't allow a hit and was backed by two solid defensive plays by Josh McManus at second base. Christian Herry started the game for Sportsworld and pitched well through three innings.

Joseph Sweet's first home run will be one he is certain to remember. His swing with one out in the bottom of the sixth went for a walk-off home run and lifted Rotary to a hard-fought, 11-10 victory over Sportsworld in Laguna Beach Little League Majors division action at Riddle Field. The back-and-forth battle saw Sportsworld rally for three runs in the top of the sixth to tie the score at 10. Sportsworld took a 2-0 lead in the first inning when Wesley Witteman's single scored Conner Brashier and Blake Burzell.

Rotary used a prolific offense to register a big victory in Laguna Beach Little League Majors Division play March 23 by downing Sportsworld, 12-2, at Riddle Field. It was the second meeting of the season between the teams. Remy Mackel led Rotary with five runs batted in, three of which came on a three-run home run in the bottom of the third inning. Jack Houlahan and Dylan Gaboury each had two RBIs and Justin Holm and Dylan Schreyer each had an RBI. Schreyer also stole home in the third to bring the Rotary run total to 12. Mackel started on the mound for Rotary and struck out seven and kept Sportsworld to only two runs.

Team Sportsworld of Laguna Beach Little League knocked off the top team from Saddleback Little League and came within one out of beating South Irvine on Monday before bowing out of the 2011 Tournament of Champions Minors Division playoffs. In its tournament opener Saturday, Sportsworld ace Blake Pivaroff came out firing, striking out nine of the first 10 batters he faced against Saddleback in a 6-4 victory by the locals. In a quarterfinal game Monday, Sportsworld took a five-run lead against the South Irvine Cubs but lost an 8-7 heartbreaker in the bottom of the sixth.

Team Sportsworld capped off a championship season May 26 by defeating Morgan Stanley, 16-10, in the Laguna Beach Little league AAA tournament championship game at Riddle Field. Sportsworld won both the regular season and postseason titles in the division. Sportsworld enters the District 55 Tournament of Champions with a 18-1 record and a has a first-round bye. The team will put its 12-game winning streak on the line at 3 p.m. Saturday at Riddle Field against the winner of a first-round game between Saddleback and Northwood.

The final regular-season game in the Laguna Beach Little League AAA Division was a close contest between Sportsworld and UPS Store until the final innings, where division champion Sportsworld pulled away to score an 11-2 victory. UPS starting pitcher Conner Sorenson held Sportsworld to three runs in the first two innings, thanks in part to exceptional defensive plays by catcher Jack Casey. UPS threatened in the top of the second with speedy Will Clark scoring on a Timmy Laughlin hit. However, the brief rally was extinguished when Sportsworld's Curren Hendrickson entered the game and promptly struck out the first batter he faced.

AAA Division-leading Sportsworld shook off any lingering effects from spring break to notch a resounding, 15-1 victory over Diamond Resort in Laguna Beach Little League action Wednesday at Riddle Field. Sportsworld starter Blake Pivaroff continued to amaze by throwing a perfect three innings, striking out eight of the nine batters he faced. Sportsworld's offense got rolling thanks to a Pivaroff double, and solid singles by Christian Holm and Dillon Gaboury. The knockout blow for Sportsworld came in the bottom of the second inning when Wyatt Shipp hit a two-out grand slam over the center-field fence.

Sportsworld hitters shifted into high gear this week by scoring 26 runs and bringing home two big wins in Laguna Beach Little League AAA Division action. On Saturday, Sportsworld rallied to score a 12-11 comeback win over UPS Store. UPS Store rocketed to a 10-run lead in the top of the second, thanks to some wild Sportsworld pitching and clutch hits delivered by Hunter Johnson and Lucas Blow. Sportsworld answered in the bottom of the second with hits by Jett Rocha and a three-run double by catcher Dillon Gaboury.

Morgan Stanley and American Legion faced off Tuesday in Laguna Beach Little League AAA Division play at Riddle Field and Morgan Stanley's offensive output in the fourth and fifth innings paved the way for a 16-8 victory. Cameron Garcia started on the mound for American Legion and allowed six runs with seven strikeouts in the first three innings. Morgan Stanley's Cole Fink hit a double in the first to bring home Nolan Smith and Luc LaMontagne. Fink hit another double in the third to score LaMontagne and Josh Mc Manus.