Reds win Major Championship
Shut out Astros 2-0
Heads-up baserunning and a solid outing on the mound by Jonathan Mosqueda won the Reds a championship in Monday’s 2-0 victory over the Astros in the Porterville Little League Major Division Championship game at Burton Ball Fields.
Mosqueda was nearly untouchable on the mound. He pitched all six inning with no runs allowed on one hit and one walk while striking out nine. He had a nohitter through four innings before giving up a lead-off double to the Astros’ Colton Isom in the fifth.
“He’s been a work horse all season long,” Reds’ head coach Robert Vargas said. “Honestly I can say I have two aces with Aiden Celedon — who we maxed out on Thursday — and Jonathan Mosqueda. Both of them, they’ve led the team on pitching. They’ve been phenomenal all season long, I couldn’t ask for anything more from both of them.”
Johnny Goss was the Astros starting pitcher and went three innings with two runs allowed on four hits before being relieved by Isom in the fourth. Goss finished with a total of six strikeouts.
The Reds got on base in every inning except the sixth, but a leadoffwalk to William Tree in the top of the third got things started for their game-winning inning. After Tree was walked, Matthew Vargas hit a pitch to center field and when the throw went to third base to get Tree, Vargas went to second. Seeing Vargas running, the Astros went to throw him out a third which allowed Tree to score and Vargas to reach third.
Goss was able to retire the next batter but Celedon hit a pitch to deep right field to bring in Matthew Vargas. Celedon reached base in all three of his at-bats with a fielder’s choice, Rbisingle and a walk, to lead the Reds.
“We started off a little rough but once we got some runners on I knew we could do some damage with our hitting,” Robert Vargas said. “Our pitching was phenomenal so with a couple runs that we gave for support, it was more than enough
for them.”
In relief, Isom went three innings with no runs allowed on two hits, one walk and four strikeouts.
On defense the Reds didn’t commit a single error, however they turned two double plays — their first of the season.
“We really have a good defense but double plays at this level with it being 60 feet away, it’s hard to turn double plays,” Robert Vargas said. “But today it was amazing to finally see it be done. We work on that in practice all the time but to see them do it in a game, especially a championship, it was good to see.”
To advance to the championship game, the Astros beat the Giants 6-3 in a quarterfinal game and the Yankees 5-3 in a semifinal game last Thursday. The Reds advanced by shuting out the Dodgers 1-0 and beating the Angels 5-4.
“Every year that I’ve coached, it’s been tough,” Robert Vargas said. “But this year — and it’s not because we actually won it this year — it’s actually been fun. Every year you kind of wait for the season to end because you get burnt out but this year it’s been one of those seasons where you don’t want it to end. It’s been a lot of fun...they work hard and it’s just been enjoyable.”