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SAN BERNRDINO — Able to focus on a pebble, Gavin Cruz is the rock for Eastvale Little League.
Cruz hurled a two-hitter with nine strikeouts as the Southern California 12-and-under champions opened the Little League West Region baseball tournament with a 4-0 victory over Arizona at Al Houghton Stadium on Sunday night.
Southern California pitcher Gavin Cruz, (#13), delivers a pitch against Arizona in an opening round game of the Little League Baseball West Region Tournament, at Al Houghton Stadium, in San Bernardino, Ca., Aug. 4, 2024. Eastvale Little League defeated Litchfield Little League 4-0 to win their opening game.(Contributing Photographer/John Valenzuela)
Southern California’s Cameron Villamil (#23), is tagged out at the place by Arizona’s Owen Heller, (#27), in an opening round game of the Little League Baseball West Region Tournament, at Al Houghton Stadium, in San Bernardino, Ca., Aug. 4, 2024. Eastvale Little League defeated Litchfield Little League 4-0 to win their opening game.(Contributing Photographer/John Valenzuela)
Southern California pitcher Gavin Cruz, (#13), delivers a pitch against Arizona in an opening round game of the Little League Baseball West Region Tournament, at Al Houghton Stadium, in San Bernardino, Ca., Aug. 4, 2024. Eastvale Little League defeated Litchfield Little League 4-0 to win their opening game.(Contributing Photographer/John Valenzuela)
Southern California’s Gavin Cruz, (#13), celebrates after hitting a double, as Arizona’s Ambrose Vallejos (#3), applies a late tag, in an opening round game of the Little League Baseball West Region Tournament, at Al Houghton Stadium, in San Bernardino, Ca., Aug. 4, 2024. Eastvale Little League defeated Litchfield Little League 4-0 to win their opening game.(Contributing Photographer/John Valenzuela)
Southern California’s Gabe Gutierrez Jr., (#2), tosses the ball to Carson Tatum, (#30) as they turn a double play against Arizona in an opening round game of the Little League Baseball West Region Tournament, at Al Houghton Stadium, in San Bernardino, Ca., Aug. 4, 2024. Eastvale Little League defeated Litchfield Little League 4-0 to win their opening game.(Contributing Photographer/John Valenzuela)
Southern California Preston Erickson (#7), field the ball throws to first ball against Arizona in an opening round game of the Little League Baseball West Region Tournament, at Al Houghton Stadium, in San Bernardino, Ca., Aug. 4, 2024. Eastvale Little League defeated Litchfield Little League 4-0 to win their opening game.(Contributing Photographer/John Valenzuela)
Southern California’s Evan Carpenter (#17), and Gavin Cruz (#13), celebrate after defeating Arizona 4-0, in an opening round game of the Little League Baseball West Region Tournament, at Al Houghton Stadium, in San Bernardino, Ca., Aug. 4, 2024. (Contributing Photographer/John Valenzuela)
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Southern California pitcher Gavin Cruz, (#13), delivers a pitch against Arizona in an opening round game of the Little League Baseball West Region Tournament, at Al Houghton Stadium, in San Bernardino, Ca., Aug. 4, 2024. Eastvale Little League defeated Litchfield Little League 4-0 to win their opening game.(Contributing Photographer/John Valenzuela)
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“I calm myself down by focusing on a pebble, like a little rock pebble,” Cruz said. “If I’m able to focus on that for a few seconds then I can calm down.”
Playing in front of more than 4,000 fans, the hard-throwing right-hander allowed just four base runners as Eastvale LL (1-0 overall), Riverside County’s first Little League representative at the West Region tournament, won its eighth consecutive game overall.
“What fuels these young men is definitely the community,” Eastvale LL manager Corey Tatum said. “We have huge support and these kids feed off of it.”
Added Cruz: “It was awesome. I was nervous at first but after the first inning I was able to settle down and I felt better.”
SoCal will take on Hawaii on Tuesday at 2 p.m., with the winner advancing to the West Region championship game on Friday.
“These kids have been playing their tails off and it’s just getting better and better,” Tatum said. “They’re clicking on all cylinders (and) are playing to their highest level.”
Carson Tatum produced the game’s only run-scoring hit, driving in Preston Erickson with an infield single in the second inning as Eastvale LL grabbed the lead.
“I was nervous because there were a lot of people here but I knew all I had to do was put it in play,” said Tatum, who also had a game-winning RBI hit during the state tournament.
Cruz struck out two batters in each of the first four innings and got a 6-4-3 double play – “I let my teammate help me out,” he said – and another strikeout to put Arizona away in the fifth.
He also had a double, a single and reached three times for SoCal, which put runners on base in every inning to apply pressure before scoring three more times via wild pitches.
“We play together. That’s the main thing,” Cruz said.
Evan Carpenter singled, walked and added a run, and Michael Lontajo also singled and scored.
Roman Romero, who reached on an error and scored in the fourth, made two difficult catches in right field – including a diving snag to end the game in the sixth – as SoCal finished off its third consecutive shutout.
Originally Published: August 5, 2024 at 12:45 a.m.
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Courtesy : https://www.pressenterprise.com/2024/08/05/eastvale-little-league-baseball-team-wins-opening-game-at-west-region-tournament/
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