Tustin PONY Baseball Association

The Dodgers came ready to play this past Saturday as they shut down a very good Red Sox team to go 2-0-1 in division play.

The team started quick and stayed hot throughout the game. Chris got his first start of the season, and pitched two scorless innings. Ryan followed with two more solid innings, and Daniel closed out the game with his first pitching appearance of the season.

The offense was just as effective as whole team was able to reach base safely throughout the game. 

The Dodgers faced a tough three game inter-league schedule against the top Saddleback Valley teams over the past teo weeks.

In the first game the the team was roughed up by GH1. The team was hampered by the limited play of Chris Moe due to a pinched nerve in his back, but saw Justin Owens return from an arm injury. Daniel Gurrerra also suffered an eye injury, when he was struck by a ball on a bad hop at second base. The final score of 12-2 didn't reflect the overall play of the team. A larger than average field, and a very good GH1 team kept the team on it's heels all night.

The second of the two games was against the Thunder. This was a truly forgettable game, as the team was not ready to play against this powerhouse. The final score, (which is to embarrassinging to print) showed the team what they need to do to reach the next level of competition. The postgame speech challenged the team to work hard and focus, both individually and as a team for the rest of the season.

The team finished up last night at home with a 7-3 loss against Bad Company. Though the team lost, they rebounded well from the beating they took just a few nights earlier. A few missed offensive opportunities, and some fielding mistakes were the difference in this game. Strong pitching from Matthew, Chris, Ryan, and Jose kept Bad Company in check for the night. This game also saw a shake-up in the defensive alignment, as Coach John, moved everyone around each inning. The team responded well with a number of solid fielding plays.

The team finished up with two wins against three losses against the Saddleback Valley teams. They'll look for a better showing the next time they face those teams.

Next up is the Red Sox, the team will try to get back on the winning track against a very good team, which they tied earlier in the season.

The Dodgers faced a tough Redsox team Saturday afternoon and played to a 4-4 tie.

In a game that didn't have a lot of highlights for the team, a bright spot was James Rott coming in to pitch a solid 1 1/3 innings, including 3 K's, in relief of Ryan.

This game was definately a character builder for the team. Hopefully we will get untracked as we face Saddleback Valley in our next two outings.

The boys played their first non-divisional game Thursday when they traveled to Lake Forest to play the Saddleback Valley Trojans.

The Dodgers got off to a quick start by scoring a run in the first, and never looked back en route to an 8-3 victory.

It was the  first time this year the boys have faced pitchers with curveballs. Though it was a talented Trojans pitching staff, the team brought out the bats, and had run scoring opportunities in every inning but one.

Ryan set the tone by shutting down the Trojan hitters in the first four innings. Matthew John continued the effort with a good fifth inning, and Jose Ayala came in the sixth to close out the game.

The team got off to a great start Saturday by beating the Angels in Division game. The Angels a pre-season favorite in the division, played a good game, but the Dodgers prevailed.

Strong pitching performances by Ryan Carlton-Staley, Chris Moe, and Jose Ayala highlighted the game. The pitching staff limited the Angels to one run, and recorded fifteen strikeouts in recording their first victory.

Timely hitting and strong team play was a major role in the final outcome.

Go Dodgers!!