LITTLE LEAGUE: NORTHRIDGE ADVANCES TO REGIONALS.Byline: GERRY GITTELSON Staff Writer GARDEN GROVE Garden Grove, city (1990 pop. 143,050), Orange co., S Calif., a suburb of Long Beach and Los Angeles, on the Santa Ana River; founded 1877, inc. 1956. Many of its residents work in nearby aerospace and defense installations, and there is light manufacturing. -- Facing elimination for the first time in 13 Little League games, Northridge responded Wednesday by defeating Canyon Springs of Moreno Valley Moreno Valley (mərē`nō), city (1990 pop. 118,779), Riverside co., S Calif., inc. 1984. In 1990, Moreno Valley was California's fastest-growing city, with a population increase of more than 300% between 1980 and 1990, but major reductions 11-1 to win the Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, Divisional championship at West Garden Grove Little League. The victory lifts the 11- and 12-year-olds to the Western Regionals in San Bernardino San Bernardino, city, United States San Bernardino (săn bûr'nədē`nō), city (1990 pop. 164,164), seat of San Bernardino co., S Calif., at the foot of the San Bernardino Mts.; inc. 1854. -- the last stop before the annual Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa. The game was shortened to five innings because of the 10-run mercy rule A mercy rule, also well known by the slightly less polite term slaughter rule (or, less commonly, knockout rule and skunk rule), brings a sports event to an early end when one team has a very large and presumably insurmountable lead over the other team. , ending on Payton Milone's two-run homerun. ``This is a lot of fun because now we might have a chance to go to the World Series,'' Milone said. ``We're feeling pretty happy.'' Cody Thompson (3 for 3, three RBIs), Nick Namura and Anthony Losurdo added home runs for Northridge (12-1), and right-hander Bretton Bowman gave up five singles and an unearned run with three strikeouts in a five-inning complete game. Northridge opens Western Regional competition against Utah at 3:30 p.m. Friday in the first of three games in pool play. Things didn't start so well for Northridge, which lost to Canyon Springs 7-6 earlier Wednesday in a 12-inning game continued from the previous night. That loss forced a do-or-die final in the eight-team, double-elimination tournament A double-elimination tournament is a competition in which a participant ceases to be eligible to win the tournament's championship upon having lost two games or matches. . ``I just knew we were going to come and play better in the second game,'' Northridge manager Kevin Shaw said. ``We knew it was going to take a big effort today, so the first thing I told the kids was to be ready to play a lot of innings.'' Northridge last qualified for the Western Regionals in 1994, eventually advancing to the World Series final. Granada Hills in 1963 is the only San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. program to win the World Series. Crescenta Valley stays alive: Crescenta Valley of La Crescenta's 12- under softball team scored four times in the fourth inning to break open a tie game in a 9-5 pool-play victory over Panaca, Nev., in the Western Regional Tournament in Vancouver, Wash. C.V. (8-4), which was outscored 18-0 in its first two regional games, received a double and four RBIs from Audri Pardo. Maddalena Polizzotto had three hits and scored twice for the Southern California champions, who remained in the hunt for a semifinal berth in the 10-team tournament. Delaney Gay and Megan Siepler also scored twice for C.V., which plays Butte Butte, city, United States Butte (by  t), city (1990 pop. 33,336), seat of Silver Bow co., SW Mont.; inc. 1879. It is a trade, ranching, and industrial center. (Mont.) at 6 p.m. today.
-- Erik Boal gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com (661) 257-5218 |
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