The Phat Monkees

Registration for the 2008 Fall Ball program is now open for baseball players ages 9-14 as of 4/30/2009 (or age 8 with at least two years of Cal) and for girls playing softball ages 8 through 12 as of 12/31/2008. Go to -

http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1619441

for all the details.

Dennis Kane

dennisjkane@yahoo.com

Thursday, July 26, San Bernardino - The Manhattan Little League 9 & 10 Softball All Stars captured the Southern California state championship by defeating Apple Valley American Little League on Wednesday by a score of 18 to 8 in extra innings and on Thursday by a score of 5-3, completing a sweep in the best-of-three finals. This marks the second consecutive 9 & 10 year old state championship for Manhattan Little League, with an entirely different team roster than last year’s team. In Wednesday’s opening game in San Bernardino, Manhattan’s offense started quickly. In the first inning, the first three Manhattan hitters, Brooke Feld, Lindsay Salem and Jenna McKinney, loaded the bases with a single, single and walk. Cleanup hitter Lauren Farkas came to the plate, and on a 1-2 pitch drilled a line drive over the centerfielders head for a base-clearing double. In the second inning, Manhattan loaded the bases again, and who else but Farkas came to the plate. She drove the first pitch into the left-center gap for yet another 3-RBI double. Manhattan’s offense tried to keep the momentum going, but couldn’t push any more runs across the plate in the next four innings, despite a 4th inning double by Alicia DeMartini and a 6th inning triple by McKinney. Manhattan pitcher Kasey Hutton (winner of five tournament games heading into the finals) and her fielders held Apple Valley scoreless over the first three innings. Apple Valley then began to creep back into the game, scoring once in the 4th inning on a bunt single, a walk, a sacrifice bunt, and a fielder’s choice. Then, in the 5th inning, Apple Valley pushed across three runs, but their rally was stifled on a pop-up for the third out with the bases loaded. Other key defensive plays in the 5th inning were shortstop Mia Mason recovering a grounder deflected off Hutton’s glove and throwing to first for the out, and third baseman McKinney charging a bunt and wheeling to throw to Mason at third to force out the lead runner. With the score 6 to 4, Apple Valley mounted another rally in the bottom of the 6th inning. Two infield singles followed by a single to centerfield and a groundout to first scored one run and left the tying run at third and the winning run at second with only one out. Taylor Balen came in from right field to replace Hutton as pitcher. Balen walked the first batter, loading the bases, then struck out the next batter for the second out. Hutton then returned to pitch to the next batter, who hit a hard grounder toward second base. Second baseman Mary Dawson went to her knees to backhand the ball, unable to throw to first or second but keeping the ball from going into the outfield. The tying run scored from third, but Dawson quickly rose to her feet looking for the lead runner. The Apple Valley runner from second, representing the potential winning run, rounded third but her third base coach grabbed her arm to keep her from going home – which automatically resulted in the third out and ended the sixth inning in a 6 to 6 tie. When the game moved into extra innings, Manhattan’s offense wasted no time in responding decisively to their opponent’s rally. Following is the sequence for the first nine (yes, the first nine) hitters in Manhattan’s top of the 7th – Single, Walk, Strikeout, Double, Single, Single, Triple, Single, Walk. And the inning kept going from there. By the time the third out was recorded on a force-out, Manhattan had scored 12 runs and sent 18 batters to the plate. Each of the nine girls in the batting order scored at least one run in that single inning. Buoyed with a 12-run lead, Brittany Werre came in to pitch the bottom of the 7th. Apple Valley managed two runs but never mounted a serious threat. When the third out came at about 10:15 pm, Manhattan had won by the final score of 18 to 8. Farkas ended the game with 9 RBIs, on her two doubles, one triple, one walk and one hit-by-pitch. Other players with multiple hits in the game included Salem, McKinney and Feld (despite suffering a pre-game hand injury). On Thursday afternoon, the two teams returned for the second game under the scorching San Bernardino sun and 100+ degree temperatures. Not surprisingly, the Apple Valley pitcher didn’t give Lauren Farkas too many good pitches during the game, walking her the first two times on nine total pitches! Nonetheless, Manhattan built a lead once again. In the 2nd inning, Farkas scored the first run from third on a groundball by Mary Dawson. In the 4th inning, Manhattan scored four runs to take a 5 to 0 lead on a double by Jenna McKinney, another walk to Farkas, singles by Mia Mason and Olivia Rodberg, a walk to Mary Dawson, a hit-by-pitch of Taylor Balen, and a fielder’s choice by Brittany Werre. On defense, Mary Dawson pitched a complete game, striking out 12 Apple Valley hitters (giving her a total of 30 strikeouts over 16 1/3 innings of Division and State tournament pitching). Manhattan’s fielders played solidly, especially against Apple Valley’s bunts. Apple Valley’s biggest threat came in the bottom of the 5th inning, when the top of their order started the inning by scoring two runs on a defensive error, a walk and a single to the outfield. But Dawson slammed the door shut with three consecutive strikeouts The game entered the bottom of the 6th with Manhattan ahead 5 to 2. The first batter advanced to second on error and then third on a stolen base. The next batter bunted and was thrown out at first, allowing the run to score to make it 5 to 3. But that would be all for Apple Valley, as Dawson struck out the next batter and then induced a pop-up that second baseman Brittany Werre cradled to clinch the championship. Following is the complete roster of the 2007 9 & 10 Year Old State Champion All-Star Team: Taylor Balen Mary Dawson Alicia DeMartini Lauren Farkas Brooke Feld Kasey Hutton Mia Mason Jenna McKinney Olivia Rodberg Keala Rusher Lindsay Salem Brittany Werre Manager: Greg Werre Coach: Steve Salem This is a very special accomplishment by a tremendous group of girls. Be sure to give these girls a hearty congratulations when you see them!!!
Sunday, July 22 - Alhambra, CA: The Manhattan Little League 9 & 10 Softball All Stars defeated Metro Pioneer Little League (Santa Fe Springs) by the score of 3 to 1 to take the Division III North title on Sunday night. Manhattan took an early lead in the top of the first inning when Lindsay Salem singled to left, advanced to third on a walk to Jenna McKinney and a stolen base, and then scored on an infield hit by Lauren Farkas. Later, Alicia DeMartini led off the third inning with a single. Pinch runner Brooke Feld then moved to third on a single by Jenna McKinney. When McKinney then stole second, Metro Pioneer threw short to the shortstop but the return throw home was too late to catch Feld sliding across home plate. In the fifth inning, with bases loaded, Mia Mason ripped a line drive that the Metro Pioneer pitcher snagged for an out. The pitcher then tried to double off Lauren Farkas at first but the throw got past the first baseman, enabling Lindsay Salem to score from third base. In the field, Manhattan played strong defense throughout the game, with both the infield and the outfield making key plays. Starting pitcher Mary Dawson threw a complete game, striking out nine, including the final two batters of the game. Metro Pioneer’s one run came in the bottom of the fifth inning, the only time Metro placed a runner beyond second base. Metro’s top of the batting order combined two singles and Manhattan’s lone error of the game to score one and leave runners at second and third with one out. Dawson ended the rally by inducing a pop-up to third and a groundout to second. The MB Stars now advance to the Southern California state finals in San Bernardino on Wednesday and Thursday. Their opponent is Apple Valley American Little League, winners of the Division III South title. The format is best-of-three games, with the first game at 7 pm on Wednesday. The second game will begin at 5:30 pm on Thursday, with the third game (if necessary) being played immediately afterward at 8 pm Thursday. The field is located at Blair Park (intersection of Roberds Ave and 33rd St) in San Bernardino, just off the 215 freeway. July 19 - Alhambra, CA: In a 3 hour marathon, Manhattan Beach fought back from an 8 to 1 deficit to win 22 to 13 against Temple City. At the start, Manhattan Beach played sluggishly allowing 8 runs in the first inning. But the team refused to give up and slowly fought back, taking a decisive lead in the fifth inning. Patience at the plate resulted in several walks. Additionally, several MB all stars ended up with 2 or more hits including Lauren Farkas, Brittany Werre, and Lindsay Salem. Mia Mason provided the defensive highlight of the game at shortstop diving to her right to catch a low line drive that ended a Temple City rally. Mary Dawson pitched in relief for the win, giving up only three runs in 4 1/3 innings. You can watch Manhattan Beach play for the Division III North Championship on Saturday in Alhambra. Game time is 7pm. ___________________________________________________________________________________ July 18 - Alhambra, CA: MANHATTAN BEACH 9 & 10 YEAR OLD SOFTBALL ALL STARS PREVAIL IN DIVISION III NORTH TOURNAMENT OPENER In a close game, the MLL 9 & 10 Softball All Stars scored 2 runs late to overcome a stubborn Metro Pioneer Little League team by the score of 4 to 2. Metro Pioneer scored in the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. In the top of the second with Kasey Hutton on base, Taylor Balen hit a deep home run to left field allowing the MB Stars to take a 2-1 lead. After Metro Pioneer tied the game, Mia Mason attempted to steal second base in the fifth inning. An overthrow from the catcher skipped past the center fielder allowing Mason to score. In the bottom of the fifth with Metro Pioneer threatening to score, Jenna McKinney backhanded a hard hit grounder to third and threw the runner out at first to snuff the rally. The Manhattan Stars scored an insurance run in the sixth inning when Jenna McKinney's hit scored Olivia Rodberg who had reached base on a walk. Kasey Hutton pitched a complete game striking out 5 batters. The MB Stars now take on Temple City Thursday in Alhambra. Game time is 8pm. ___________________________________________________________________________________ July 15: Manhattan Little League's 9 & 10 Year Old Softball All Stars won the section 4 title game with a hard-fought 3 – 0 victory over a talented Westchester team. The Manhattan Stars were led by another dominating pitching performance by Kasey Hutton who struck out seven and walked three over six innings. Manhattan’s three runs came on a passed ball, a fielder’s choice and a key hit by Lauren Farkas. The MB Stars continued to benefit from excellent defense and timely hitting by Brooke Feld and Alicia DeMartini. Westchester also demonstrated strong pitching and a solid defense in limiting MB1 to its lowest run output to date. The 9 & 10 Softball all stars now go on to compete in the Division III/North Sub-Division tournament beginning this Wednesday, July 18th in Alhambra. __________________________________________________________________________________ July 13: MLL's 9 & 10 Softball All Stars secured an exciting 9-2 victory over a strong Culver National LL team. The Manhattan Stars were led by a strong pitching performance by Brittany Werre who went five innings and allowed just two runs and Taylor Balen who pitched a scoreless 6th inning in relief. The MB1 squad benefited from some excellent defensive plays by Mia Mason and Mary Dawson and timely hitting from Jenna McKinney who hit a solo home run in the 4th inning. Lauren Farkas caught another strong game throwing a runner out at second base to snuff an early rally by Culver National. The Manhattan Stars now play in the Tournament Championship game at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 15 at Marine Complex Center - East Field. ___________________________________________________________________________________ July 11: With a truly team effort, the Manhattan Beach 9 & 10 all star team opened with a 12 to 4 win over West Torrance in Sectional play. Kasey Hutton pitched the distance striking out 12 batters, 5 in a row at one point. Offensively, Manhattan Beach once again demonstrated an ability to hit from every spot in the batting order. Lindsay Salem crushed her third home run in as many games. Several girls produced a multi hit game. On defense, the infield did not commit a single error over the course of 6 innings. Next up is a 7:30 game on Friday at Marine East. Come out and support your softball all stars! ____________________________________________________________________________________ 9 & 10 Softball All Stars Win District and Move on to Section 4 Tournament DISTRICT 36 GAME RESULTS AND ARTICLES July 8: MLL's 9 & 10 Softball All Stars won the District 36 title with a convincing 14-0 victory over North Redondo on Sunday. The Stars were led by another strong pitching performance from Kasey Hutton who allowed only one hit and struck out seven over three innings. Taylor Balen then finished the game off by striking out the side in the fourth inning. The MLL 9 & 10 Stars benefited from consistent hitting from the entire line-up with special mention to Lindsey Salem for hitting her second home run of the tournament and Jenna McKinney who went 4 for 4 at the plate. The 9 & 10 squad looks to maintain their momentum as they prepare for the Section 4 tournament beginning this Wednesday at 6:00pm. at Marine West. _________________________________________________________________________________ July 7: MB2 Fever loses a close game to N. Redondo with a score of 16-14 _________________________________________________________________________________ July 6: MB1 Wins in a Battle of the Two Manhattan 9 & 10 Softball All Star Teams MB1 turned in another strong performance with a 30-5 victory over the MB2 Fever squad. MB1 received a strong pitching performance from Brittany Werre and timely hitting from the entire team. Highlights of this game included Lindsay Salem's homerun to dead center field and three triples from catcher Lauren Farkas. The Fever, Manhattan's all 9 year old squad, mounted an early threat in the first inning to close the gap to 6-3 and swung the bats well throughout the game. Come out to cheer on MB2 Fever at their next game against N. Redondo at 12:30pm, Saturday, July 7th at Marine West. ___________________________________________________________________________________ July 5: MB1 9 & 10 Softball All Stars Cruise to a Big Win in First Round Game MB1 opened their District 36 tournament with a convincing win over Redondo Beach 20 to 1. MB1 was led by a dominating pitching performance by Kasey Hutten who gave up only 1 run over three innings and also Taylor Balen who struck out the side in one inning of relief work. MB1 benefited from consistent hitting up and down the line-up but especially from Brooke Feld who recorded three hits and a two run triple from Brittany Werre. The Redondo Beach squad kept the game relatively close for the first two innings before MB1 broke the game open with a 9 run third inning. Redondo Beach played hard the entire game and demonstrated good sportsmanship throughout. The MB1 team plays the MB2 team next on Friday, July 6th, at 5:00pm on the Marine - West field.

The Austin Family The Ferrin Family The Gaudiano Family The Geffner-Mihlsten Family The Gibbons Family The Glaze Family The Harger Family The Harry Family The Hilton Family The Kane Family The Kim Family The King Family The Kitaen Family The Lipps Family The Loudermilk Family The Narasaki Family The Pahl Family The Spilsbury Family The Wagner Family

July 21, 2007 - The 95ers turned in one of their more complete games of the tournament beating Quartz Hill 17-3 behind Kelsey Woodhouse's stellar pitching performance. Woodhouse kept the QH batters off balance all day with a good array of inside/outside pitches and off-speed stuff to rack up 7 Ks while allowing only 6 hits. She also held the fort defensively making several quick put outs on comebackers, including snaring a line shot up the middle to snuff out a possible QH rally. Woodhouse's battery mate, Sara Chamberlain, kept the QH runners that got on from going anywhere by not allowing a passed ball and by making two snap throws to second on feigned steals that kept the QH runners wary of her arm all day. Meanwhile, the 95ers offense got on a roll early getting a quick 7-0 lead in the first two innings behind the aggressive baserunning of Carly Wagenbach and Meghan Murphy helped along with singles by Sara Chamberlain and Meagan Raffery. The 95ers blew it wide open in the top of the fifth scoring 9 runs on two trips through the batting order. Notable appearances at the plate were turned in by Montana Hunter and Caralynn Fish. Hunter, coming to the plate twice with the bases loaded, recorded 5 RBIs in the inning with a single and a double. Fish smartly laid down two perfect bunts in the inning and with her speed was almost past first base before the QH defenders picked up the ball. Fish not only moved runners over on each bunt, but eventually stole 3 bases and scored on each trip. With a 14 run lead going into the bottom of the 5th, Woodhouse quickly shut down the QH batters and the mercy rule ended the game. The 95ers now travel to Grand Terrace for the State Division Finals starting on Tuesday, 7/24, at 6:00 pm. __________________________________________________________________________________________ July 19, 2007 - 95ers Win A Squeaker to Open Division Play The 10/11 year old All-Stars won their opener 6-5 in the Divisional championships against a tough hitting Quartz Hill LL squad. The 95ers were led by another strong 10 strike out pitching performance from Brooke Taylor who kept Quartz Hill off the board through the first 3 innings. The 95ers opened the game by scoring 5 runs in the bottom of the first behind the aggressive baserunning of Meagan Murphy and Carly Wagenbach, and the timely hitting of Sara Chamberlain, Carley Muller and Meagan Rafferty, helped along with a great bunt by Montana Hunter. After the first, both pitchers settled in to keep the game at 5-0 through 3 innings despite a long blast by Kelsey Woodhouse which was somehow caught by QH's right fielder. The 95ers defense was impressive. Carly Wagenbach took a line shot down the third base line and turned it into a routine out at first. Carley Muller made a great put out from her knees at first to end the 3rd inning thanks to help from hustling cover on the bag by Sarah Gurbach. Throughout the game, catcher Sara Chamberlain kept the Quartz Hill runners attached to their bases with good glove work and a dangerous arm. In the 4th, Quartz Hill scored one run. In the 5th, the Quartz Hill batters came alive with several shots to the gaps to score three runs. Then the Quartz Hill clean up hitter caught one flush for a home run over the left field fence tying the game at 5 (at this point, the girls wanted their manager to re-check the batter's birth certificate!!). The 95ers were not discouraged and recorded the final two outs to keep the score tied at 5. In the bottom of the 5th, Carley Wagenbach led off with a walk, stole second, and was moved to third after tagging up on Sara Chamberlain's fly out to center field. Carley Muller then drove another shot deep to right, but again the deep playing right fielder reeled it in. Wagenbach, however, had an easy tag up and scored the run for the 95ers to go ahead 6-5. In the top of the sixth, Brooke Taylor recorded another clutch performance. Quartz Hill's first batter got on with a squeaker down the third base line. Taylor came back by fanning the next batter. QH's lead off hitter then grounded out to Muller at first. QH's #2 hitter drew a walk and then got the free pass to 2nd base. Finally, with two out and runners on second and third, QH's free-swinging #3 came up. Taylor got her to chase two high fastballs for strikes. With an 0-2 count, Taylor then froze the batter with a screwball on the inside corner for a called third strike! Game over. The 95ers play Quartz Hill Saturday at 4:00 pm at Almansor Park for the Div. South Championship. ___________________________________________________________________________________ July 16: The 95ers completed their sweep through the elimination bracket to defeat No. Venice 11-0 to win the Section 4 Championship. The 95ers were inspired by the return of their teammate Amanda Newell from the hospital to watch them from the sidelines. Amanda received a nice ovation from all the fans upon her reaching the bleachers. Manhattan Beach's first 10/11-year old Sectional Champions mercied No. Venice after 5 innings behind another strong outing from Brooke Taylor who gave up only two hits to the No. Venice batters. Taylor was assisted by the resolute 95ers' defense. In the 3rd inning, with one out and runners on second and third, leftfielder Caralynn Fish made a running grab of a line drive and doubled up the runner off third base to end the inning. In the fourth, with a runner on second, Carly Wagenbach speared a shot down the third base line and calmly threw the runner out at first to end the inning. Some form of voodoo curse against Manhattan Beach catchers was in place, however, and Sara Chamberlain, while retreving a live ball off her glove, was struck in the hand by the batter taking an untimely practice swing. Sara was replaced at catcher by the 95ers ultimate utility player, Meghan Murphy, who received the game ball for not only providing two fine innings behind the plate, but also went two for three at the plate. The 95ers' offensive attack and speed game was too much for the No. Venice squad as almost every batter scored a run. The 95ers now play in the Div. 3 championships beginning on Thursday, 7/19, at 8:00 pm at Almansor Park in Alhambra. ____________________________________________________________________________________ July 15: In an incredible come from behind victory, the 95ers staved off elimination by beating No. Venice 12-10 on their home field. The 95ers played this game with the #47 on the arms in tribute to their fallen teammate, Amanda Newell. After the 95ers spotted No. Venice a five run lead in the first and another two runs in the second, things looked grim with Sara Chamberlain taking a hard foul ball off her shoulder at catcher, and Montana Hunter taking a shot to the ribs in a collision with the first baseman. But the girls rallied knowing that Amanda needed good news, and started their comeback. For the next three innings, the 95ers gave up only one run, while making seven put outs at home plate - two forces and five tag outs between Sara Chamberlain and pitcher Kelsey Woodhouse. Meanwhile, the offense got the No. Venice pitcher's timing down and started to pound the ball. Brooke Taylor and Kelsey Woodhouse both had long shots to the fence, and Caralynn Fish and Meghan Murphy continued to give the opposition fits by stealing four bases a piece. After climbing back to an 8-6 deficit by the top of the sixth, the stage was set for the big rally. Kelly Woodhouse started it off with a single up the middle, followed by singles from Carly Wagenbach and Meghan Murphy to load the bases. Carley Muller, already 2 for 3 on the day, battled off several foul balls on a 3 and 2 count. Finally, she got the pitch she wanted and drove a shot to the gap scoring three runs. Meagan Rafferty followed with another single to put runners on second and third. Up to bat came Montana Hunter, who drove a 2 and 2 offering up the middle to score two more runs. Not done yet, Sarah Gurbach and Brooke Taylor both followed with hits to drive in Caralynn Fish (running for the injured Hunter) for a six run rally. Although up 12-8, the 95ers needed to shut down the No. Venice offense to end the game. Things started off slowly with two walks to put runners on first and second. Kelsey Woodhouse settled in and fanned No. Venice's No. 2 hitter for the first out. No. Venice's No. 3 hitter responded with a single, but Carley Muller was johnny on the spot and held the runners at first and third. Then came the defensive play of the game. With the outfield slighty deep, No. Venice's No. 4 hitter lifted a ball to center field, too shallow for Muller to reel in but deep enough to freeze the runner. Muller came up throwing and and hit Sara Chamberlain on the fly three feet up the third base line just as the No. Venice runner was trying to make it home. Chamberlain won the collision hanging on to the ball for the put out. The crowd, which had now swelled due to the action packed tension on the field, roared with approval or disappointment depending on which side they were on. No. Venice did not want to give up. A single by the next batter put the score at 12-10. Woodhouse hung tough and got the next batter to fly out to Rafferty at short and all that was left was the pile up on the mound. Gutsy win for the 95ers! The 95ers play No. Venice again on Monday night at 5:30 pm for the Sectional championship. We'd appreciate all the Manhattan Beach support we can get. No. Venice had a huge vocal crowd at the game and the 95ers would love to see their league behind them! ____________________________________________________________________________________ July 14: The 95er's roll on! Good and bad news for the 11 year old Softball All-Stars. First the good news. The 95er's posted a 5-0 win today in their elimination game against Westchester LL behind a dominating 1-hitter from Brooke Taylor. Brooke kept the Westchester team off balance all day with a dazzling array of fastball and off speed pitches. The 95er's defense supported Brooke by playing error-free defense the entire game with Carly Wagenbach, Sarah Gurbach and Sara Chamberlain all turning in clutch plays. Brooke had a no-hitter through 5 and 2/3 innings when a bloob single with eyes landed in right center. Brooke calmly retired the last batter with a K to end the game. Carly Muller, Amanda Newell, and Caralynn Fish all contributed big hits to keep the offense rolling. So far in the tournament, speedsters Caralynn Fish and Meghan Murphy have almost a dozen steals each and have yet to be thrown out. The bad news is that the 95er's lost one of their star players, Amanda Newell, for the rest of the tournament. While stealing home (and she was safe), Amanda caught her cleat which forced her foot under her body and she broke her leg. Paramedics arrived and asked what happened and were told she broke the leg sliding. The paramedic said "sliding?" Amanda looked at the paramedic and said, "I need to work on it." Cracked us all up. She is a great kid and will be missed by her team Sunday when the 95er's play No. Venice LL in the first of two possible games for the Sectional championship at 1:00 pm. Time to win one for the Gipper! ____________________________________________________________________________________ July 13: Friday the 13th was not so lucky for the 11 year old All-Stars. The 95er's unfortunately spotted No. Venice with a large early lead due to a number of bizarre plays and mishaps that went the opposition's way. The 95er's were gamers, however, and never let up in their assault to get back in the game behind some great power hitting by Montana Hunter, Amanda Newell and Sara Chamberlain, and an endless assault on the base paths by speedsters Meghan Murphy and Caralynn Fish that caused No. Venice fits. In the bottom of the 6th, the 95er's closed the gap to 13-10 and were still pounding the ball. Unfortunately, No. Venice had the better luck in positioning their defensive players. Carley Muller crushed one to right, but the No. Venice rightfielder, playing back almost to the fence, did not have to move a step and caught what otherwise would have driven in two runs. In the same inning, with two runners on, Carly Wagenbach blistered a line drive which also would have driven in two, but the No. Venice 2nd baseman made a great grab. The 95ers play Westchester Sat. at 1:00 pm in an elimination game, but intend to win 3 in a row to advance. __________________________________________________________________________________ July 12: The Manhattan Beach 11 year old All Stars won a 4-2 nailbiter over Westchester Little League in their Section 4 opener played at No. Venice LL. The team, affectionately known as the 95er's, opened with an early 2-0 lead. Behind the stellar pitching of Brooke Taylor and a very stingy defense led by shortstop Meagan Rafferty, the 2-0 lead held through 5 innings. In the bottom of the 6th, Westchester scored two runs to tie the game, and the 95er's had to get the last two outs with the bases loaded. Undaunted, the 95er's scored 2 in the top of the 7th behind the clutch hitting of Sarah Gurbach and Carley Muller. In the bottom of the 7th, Kelsey Woodhouse, in her All-Star pitching debut, shut down Westchester with two runners on to preserve the 4-2 victory. The 95er's play No. Venice Friday night (7/13) at 5:30 pm.

July 19 - Alhambra, CA: Mandi Yamada pitched 4 scoreless innings before tiring to give up 4 runs in the bottom of the 5th inning, and Montana Morgan went 3-4 with a Home Run to propel the Major All Stars to a convincing 7-4 win over a strong Metro Pioneer LL team in the Division III Tournament in Alhambra Thursday night. Sarah Lucenti, emerging as the team’s bulldog closer, shut the door in the bottom of the sixth to preserve the win for Yamada. The game once again was dominated by the MB Stars steady defense. Rachel Humphrey continued to her always steady play at catcher, building the pitchers’ confidence as the game progressed and holding runners in every inning. With a runner on base in the bottom of the 6th inning, Kellie Wesser and Meghan von Behren once again turned in spectacular defensive plays to keep the tying run from reaching the plate. The offense featured balanced hitting with eight MB Stars getting hits, including multi-hit performances and big extra base hits from Montana Morgan and Brooke Winterhalder. A key double by Lauren Winterhalder in a big 5 run 3rd inning helped MB eventually build a 7-0 lead on its way to this impressive win. The MB Stars next play at 7 p.m. on Saturday night against the loser of East Alhambra and San Marino game to be played on Friday. ___________________________________________________________________________________ July 18 - Alhambra, CA: Major Softball All Stars Suffer First Defeat The Manhattan Little League Major Softball All Stars suffered a heartbreaking loss in the first round of the Division III Tournament in Alhambra Thursday night, losing 5-4 to San Marino LL softball all stars. The MB Stars led 4-2 going into the bottom of the 6th inning, behind the outstanding pitching of Kellie Wesser. But with two outs in the bottom of the 6th and the bases loaded, San Marino mounted a rally scoring three runs to hand the MB Stars their first loss in tournament play. The MB Stars faced a very tough San Marino pitcher with a blazing fastball. But MB hit the ball hard all night, and pushed across 4 runs behind the clutch hitting of Brooke Winterhalder and Breanna Kelly who went 3-3 at the plate. The team shined defensively having committed only one error in the game, with Meghan von Behren contributing a number of web gems at shortstop. The MB Stars learned after the game that their pitcher, first baseman and clean up hitter, Breanna Kelly, suffered a sprained wrist sliding into third late in the game. Breanna is now day to day. We are all hoping to see her back soon. The MB Stars will play Thursday night at Alhambra. ___________________________________________________________________________________ July 15, 2007, Manhattan Beach, California: The Manhattan Little League Softball All Stars (the Major's 11 & 12 Year Old All Star Team) rode the arm and tenacity of pitcher Kellie Wesser to defeat a tough Westchester all star team 7-5 on Sunday to capture the Section 4 Championship. Kellie pitched a complete game for the victory, scattering 9 hits over six innings with no walks. Nikki Gialketsis' clutch, three-run triple with 2 outs in the top of the 5th inning proved to be the key hit in the game. Sarah Lucenti, who leads the team in hitting for the tournament, had another great day at the plate with a 2 for 3 performance. Breanna Kelly continued to show her offensive prowess by contributing two more hits, her third game in row with 2 hits or more. The MB Stars showed once again that it is a team deep in talent with any player, at any given time, being capable of providing the key hit or stellar defensive play to propel the team to victory. Every game has featured strong hitting performances and key defensive plays by different players. In this game, the Stars hit the ball hard all day, but ran up against some hard luck as many shots were hit right at the Westchester defensive players who made great plays every inning. But with the experienced and talented Kellie Wesser in the pitcher’s circle and the steady Rachel Humphrey behind the plate, 7 runs sparked by Nikki’s bases loaded triple, proved to be enough to gain the victory in a game in which the MB Stars never trailed. The MB Stars finished the 4 team tournament with a 3-0 record, averaging 10 runs a game against strong all star pitching. Congratulations to the Section 4 Champions, and the team’s manager Bill von Behren and coaches Jeff Lambert, Larry Humphrey, Craig Wesser and Rob Lucenti. The MB Stars now advance to the North Sub-Division III tournament with a game on Wednesday, July 18 at 5:30 p.m. in Alhambra. ____________________________________________________________________________________ Manhattan Beach, California, July 13, 2007: The Manhattan Major Softball All Star team continued its torrid hitting to defeat a strong Westchester All Star squad 13-11 to advance to the Section 4 championship game out of the winners’ bracket. Balanced hitting behind solid pitching, with a few spectacular defensive gems thrown in, propelled the team to victory. Montana Morgan contributed a huge, 2 out, 3 run double in a 6 run 4th inning to catapult the Manhattan Stars to a big lead. Meghan von Behren had 2 hits, a sacrifice fly, 2 RBIs and scored two runs to spark the offense. Brooke Winterhalder, Rachel Humphrey, Kellie Wesser, Breanna Kelly and Sarah Lucenti also had two hits a piece to contribute to the well balanced attack that featured 7 MB players with multiple hits in the game. Breanna Kelly and Sarah Lucenti combined to pitch a strong game against the Westchester Stars who demonstrated a lot of character and “a never say die attitude”. Kelly kept them at bay for 3 plus innings, and Lucenti came in to snuff out a 4th inning rally to earn a save and preserve the win for Kelly. Stellar defensive plays by Nikki Gialketsis in the 5th inning, and Kellie Wesser and Meghan von Behren in the bottom of the 6th sealed this impressive victory for the Manhattan Stars. The Manhattan Stars will now play in the Section 4 Championship game on Sunday, July 15 at 1:30 p.m. at the Marine Sports Complex – West Field. ___________________________________________________________________________________ July 12: After a shaky beginning, the MLL Major Softball Stars overcame their early game jitters and stormed back from a 5-1 deficit after one inning to win 10-6 against the always formidable West Torrance Stars on Thursday night in the opening game of the Section 4 Little League All Star Tournament in Manhattan Beach. Kellie Wesser pitched a complete game, and was one of the hitting stars going two for four with a triple. Sarah Lucenti and Brooke Winterhalder also had big nights with the bats, both contributing 2 timely hits and driving in key runs in the Stars big rallies in the top of the second and fourth innings. The defense settled down after the first, and made some big plays to help the Major Stars advance in the winner's bracket. The Major Stars next game is Friday, July 13 at 7:30 p.m. at Marine West.