Long Beach PONY Baseball 2007

LONG BEACH AT THE 2007 WORLD SERIES

KEY WORLD SERIES LINKS

DAILY WORLD SERIES RECAP

LISTEN TO ALL OUR GAMES LIVE ON WJPA WEBCASTS

WJPA World Series Page
The main update site for games, and the place to hear the games on the webcast

PonyWorldSeries.com
The main site for all Pony World Series info

World Series Bracket
World Series Tournament Bracket

RELATED GAME LINKS

Game 1 - Long Beach vs. Kingwood, TX (Sun, 8/12)
Observer-Reporter - Hubbard uses bat to beat Kingwood
LB Press-Telegram - Long Beach wins in Pony League action
WJPA Radio call of Long Beach vs. Kingwood, TX

Game 2 - Long Beach vs. Washington, PA (Tue. 8/14)
Observer-Reporter - Miscues doom Washington against LB
WJPA Radio call of Long Beach vs. Washington, PA

Game 3 - Long Beach vs. Kingwood, TX (Thu. 8/16)
Observer-Reporter - Long Beach comes out swinging, wins big
LB Press-Telegram - Streaking L.B. in title game
WJPA Radio call of Long Beach vs. Kingwood, TX

Game 4 - Long Beach vs. Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico (Sat. 8/18)
Observer-Reporter - Trujillo Alto, Long Beach finally meet
WJPA Radio call of Long Beach vs. Trujillo Alto, PR
Observer-Reporter - Trujillo Alto overcomes mistakes to win title
LB Press-Telegram - Long Beach falls short in title game

The Long Beach PONY All-Stars wish to thank
the following supporters of our World Series run. We could not have done it without them:

Steve Hyde - 2008 Long Beach PONY President Elect
Claudia & Larry Buckle - Team Mom / Coach / Fan Support
Julie Sparks - Team Laundry / Hotel Team Mom
Athena Troutman - Team Laundry / Travel Coord.
Laura & Chris Romo - Fan Support / Coach
Denise Bunney - PONY Region Director
Walter Schmidt (SoCal Sportswear) - Uniforms, Shirts, Jackets
Chris & David Ahumada - Special Projects / Fan Support in PA
Cecily & Bob Seabourne - Scorekeeping / Fan Support in PA
Lori & Rob Miladinovich - Gift Procurement / Fan Support in PA
Pam & Dave Allred - Fan Support in PA
Joan & Jim Hubbard - Fan Support in PA
Matt Treece & Tracy Lopez - Fan Support in PA
Gina Tucker - Fan Support in PA
Jane Cordero - Fan Support in PA
Alisa & Gary Getz - Team Mom / Fan Support in PA
Erickson Family - Fan Support in PA
John & Cora Merola - Fan Support in PA
Denise & Daniel DeWolf - Local Webcast Listening Parties
Diane & Harry Thomas - Fan Support in PA

There are many, many, more people we could list here....and we apologize for any ommissions from this list. You are all very much appreciated and a big part of this great journey.

THE JOURNEY BEFORE THE WORLD SERIES....AN EPIC ADVENTURE BY ITSELF

PONY SECTION TOURNAMENT – NORWALK, CA.

Game 1: 7/14 - Long Beach 5, Norwalk 3
Sat, July 14 - The Long Beach 14 year old ALL STARS started play in the section tournament against the host team on Saturday morning. Norwalk (which won the PONY World Series in 2002) fielded a talented team and had the home field advantage from the beginning, starting out with the coin toss for home team.

Things got off well for the Beach in the first inning, as runners were positioned at 2nd and 3rd with 1 out. However, they were left stranded, as the next two hitters were retired easily. Long Beach sent Chris Hubbard to the mound, where he took command early and retired the side in order on only 9 pitches. The next inning started with a Taylor Sparks single to left, but he would be erased on the bases in the first of several running breakdowns that would occur. After another scoreless offensive inning, Hubbard went back out and retired the side in order again, this time on an economic 13 pitches.

Things got started quickly in the 3rd inning as leadoff man Sean Buckle singled to right, and then moved to third on a textbook hit-and-run single by Spencer Troutman. After a walk to Hubbard, a wild pitch plated Buckle with the first run of the game, moving the runners to 2nd and 3rd. With one out, Dylan Romo drove a sac fly to left scoring Troutman, but Hubbard was caught off second base for the final out of the inning. With the lead, Hubbard confidently went out and struck out the side. After 3 innings the scoreboard showed Long Beach 2, Norwalk 0.

With momentum on their side, the Beach kept the pressure on as Sparks led off the inning with a monster HR drive over the left field fence. With one out, Preston Allred earned a walk and was bunted over by Matt Treece, bringing up Buckle. On the first pitch, Sean drove a base hit through the left side driving in Allred. He would then score on a fly to right by Troutman that was dropped for an error, before the inning would end with a score of 5-0. Out to the mound strode Hubbard, where he retired the first two hitters before issuing a walk to break the string of 11 consecutive batters retired at the start of the game. He then struck out the clean-up hitter to retire the side.

The fifth inning saw Romo and Sparks both reach base after being hit by the pitch, and they advanced to 2nd and 3rd with 1 out...only to be stranded again. The momentum was shifting as Hubbard began the inning with a walk to the lead-off hitter. That runner was forced at second on a nice play by Allred and Treece, before another walk put runners at 1st and 2nd with one out. With a 3-1 count, the Norwalk batter got a pitch to handle, and recorded their first hit of the game, driving in a run. Norwalk would steal the second run of the inning on a botched pick-off attempt, before Hubbard struck out the #9 hitter in the order for the second out. That brought up the top of the order where the lead-off man drew another walk from Hubbard. A pitching change was made, as Walker Getz came in and struck the next batter out to end the threat and keep Hubbard in line for the win.

There were still 2 innings left to play, and the LB offense was unable to produce runs in the 6th. Fortunately, Walker Getz was able to hold Norwalk down in the 6th with little trouble, after a great throw by catcher Romo nailed the base runner trying to steal. On to the seventh where, after a walk to Romo and Sparks third hit of the night, the Beach threatened again. But that rally ended when Romo was thrown out at the plate on a fly ball to left field, ending the inning.

Long Beach turned to Spencer Troutman to close this one out. He started out nervously, by walking the first batter he faced before he found his zone. He struck out the next hitter on three pitches, but made a mistake to the #9 batter who knocked a double into left center field. Surprisingly, the relay from the outfield caught the runner in a pickle between 3rd and home for the out. With two outs, Troutman got ahead 0-2, but left the next pitch over the plate where it was hit for a single, scoring a run. No problem for Troutman, as he induced a comebacker from the next batter to end the game. Final score: Long Beach 5, Norwalk 3.

Key players for this game were Chris Hubbard for his solid pitching (W, 5 IP, 1 H, 9 K, 2 ER), Taylor Sparks and his great hitting (3-3, HR, HBP), Spencer Troutman (3-4, Save), and Sean Buckle at the top of the order (2-4, 2 Runs scored). This was a very tough first round game between teams that will be around at the end of this event. Long Beach will play again on Monday evening at 5:00 PM vs. Lynwood. Thanks to all the fans for their support!

Game 2: 7/16 - Long Beach 3, Lynwood 0
Mon, July 16 - The next round of play featured a game against Lynwood to reach the winners bracket finals. To start this important game, Long Beach sent Dylan Romo out to the mound. He would not disappoint anyone as he established command of his pitches early, while retiring the side in order to open the game. On offense, things got started when Spencer Troutman singled up the middle and scored on a 2-out single by Alex Campbell. The second inning featured more solid Beach pitching as a lead off runner was left stranded at second base. Taylor Sparks led off the bottom of the inning with a solid single to left, and he moved to third on a nice hit and run single by Stefan Miladinovich. The next batter was Preston Allred, who executed a perfect squeeze bunt to score Sparks with the second run of the game. The inning ended with Long Beach up 2-0.

Romo came out firing in the third and after two quick outs, issued the first walk of the game. The runner was quickly erased by an excellent throw and tag by Troutman to Matt Treece for the final out. After one out, Chris Hubbard roped a solid single to left, and was balked to second. Unfortunately, Hubbard would be out stealing on a 'batter's interference' call. Campbell would walk, but was put out on a force play to stop the threat. In the 4th Romo used a total of 4 pitches to retire the side, while after one out the Beach put runners on 2nd and 3rd after a walk to Miladinovich and a single by Allred. Walker Getz was brought in to pinch hit, but his grounder to short was thrown home where the runner was out trying to score. The inning ended as Getz was caught in a rundown before the runner could score from third. The score remained 2-0, Long Beach.

Rolling right along, Romo retired the side in order in both the 5th and 6th innings, while on offense the Beach scored one more run on a long Chris Hubbard HR to centerfield. As the seventh inning arrived, Troutman was summoned to close the door. After an easy pop-up out, two walks were issued, before Troutman got the hitter to send a bouncer to Campbell at third, who touched the bag and threw to first to end the game.
Long Beach will play Heartwell on Wednesday evening at 7:30 PM. Thanks to all the fans for their support!

Game 3: 7/18 - Long Beach 1, Heartwell 5
Wed, July 18 - The highly anticipated matchup between Heartwell and Long Beach started off well as Chris Hubbard took the mound and struck out the side to start the game. Sean Buckle worked a lead-off walk to get the crowd going, but a double play grounder and a strike out ended the inning. Hubbard would continue his sharp pitching in the second as he recorded 3 more K's while stranding runners at 2nd and 3rd. The Beach got rolling to start the 2nd with an Alex Campbell single that fell untouched in short left field. Pat Merola pinch ran, and scored the first run of the game on a ground out by Dylan Romo. Stefan Miladinovich singled, but was thrown out trying to steal to end the inning with the Beach up 1-0.

Things turned ugly in the third. After striking out the first batter of the inning, Hubbard would experience some control issues. An errant pitch hit the next batter in the back sending him to first base. Fortunately, catcher Spencer Troutman rifled a strong pick-off throw to nail the runner for the second out. But the next three batters would all get free passes to load the bases. Again, Walker Getz was asked to come into a tight jam in a crucial moment. Assuming a 2-0 count, Getz induced the batter to hit a little bouncer up the line, which was not fielded cleanly, allowing a run to score. Sure enough, the very next pitch was lined into left driving in two more runs before the next batter was retired on strikes. The momentum had clearly swung to the other side and the Beach needed to pick up their offense.

On the other side of the field, Heartwell's Tyler Maxwell was getting stronger and throwing strikes as Long Beach struggled to mount a challenge. The result was an easy 1-2-3 third inning. So going to the 4th inning we had a score of Heartwell 3, Long Beach 1. With Getz taking the hill again, the control problems continued to plague the Beach. Two consecutive walks brought on another pitching change as Miladinovich came in and pitched well. Only a 2-strike bloop single over the infield marred his performance, allowing the 4th run to score.
The 5th inning saw Taylor Sparks hit a rocket ground rule double, but that was all for the Beach. Miladinovich threw a perfect 1-2-3 fifth inning, and led off the bottom with a solid line drive to center field, but it was right at the outfielder for the out. Matt Treece's second walk of the game, and Buckle's perfect 2-out bunt single brought the tying run to the plate in Troutman, but his fly was caught to end the threat.

Taking the mound for LB in the sixth was Tyler Erickson. The first batter he faced reach base on a little infield chopper, but Tyler erased him moments later with a great pick-off move to Hubbard for the out. A walk and a fielder’s choice resulted in 2 outs and a runner at 2nd, when another 2-strike blooper landed in the exact same spot to drive home another run. The bottom of the 6th started off with a walk to Hubbard, which forced a Heartwell pitching change. A fly out to left by Campbell and a line out to right field that turned into a double play ended the inning.

The final frame went quickly enough as Erickson pitched a solid 1-2-3 inning, but the Beach could only muster up a solid double by Drew Ahumada, before the final out was recorded giving Heartwell the Tournament Championship.
Long Beach will play on Thursday (7/19) evening at 5:00 PM vs. Lynwood for the final spot in the Regional tournament. Thanks to all the fans for their support!

Game 4: 7/19 - Long Beach 7, Lynwood 0
Thu, July 19 - In a do-or-die situation against Lynwood, the Beach turned to Taylor Sparks to lead the way, and he delivered in a big way. Playing for the final spot in the Regional tournament, Long Beach wanted to get out to a quick start. And for the third game in a row, the Beach won the coin toss for home team, and took the field in front of an estimated crowd of 110 people.

Sparks was eager to show his stuff in his first appearance on the hill this tournament, and started strong with a K before walking the next batter. Staying calm, Sparks got ahead on the next hitter, and on a steal attempt Spencer Troutman threw out the base runner at second. One pitch later, the inning was over as the batter swung and missed at strike three. On offense, the Beach got a nice single by Troutman and Chris Hubbard was hit by the pitch, to put two runners on, but Alex Campbell grounded into a double play ending the threat.

The second inning featured two more Sparks strike outs, but Long Beach went down 1-2-3 on offense. Sparks would go on to retire Lynwood in order to start the 3rd, as Long Beach came up to bat in the bottom of the inning. Starting with a single by Preston Allred and an infield grounder by Matt Treece, the Beach had 2 runners on base with 1 out, as Troutman came up to bat again. His single would drive home Allred with the first run of the game. The next batter was Sparks, who patiently sat back on a curve and crushed a long 3-run home run to deep centerfield. The inning would end with Long Beach up 4-0 over Lynwood.

With the lead and a lot of confidence, Sparks returned to the mound and retired the side in order again. Leading off the 4th inning, Dylan Romo drove a blast to centerfield that cleared the fence, for a solo HR, but that would be all as the inning would end with a 5-0 score. Romo then took the mound in relief of Sparks, and recorded two quick outs, before three consecutive singles loaded the bases. The lead-off hitter came up and, after working the count full, hit a line drive off the knee of Romo. The stunned pitcher managed to grab the loose ball and threw the batter out before collapsing on the field and needing assistance. Thankfully, the inning was over and Romo would come out and get some ice treatments.

The sixth inning saw Hubbard return to the mound in relief of Romo. He would face 3 batters, getting them all out on only 10 pitches. The last Long Beach at bats came in the 6th, and two quick outs were recorded. But Drew Ahumada's hard single started a rally, and Troutman would follow with his 4th hit of the game to keep it going. Up strode Sparks who drilled an RBI single to left. Walker Getz worked a walk, and Hubbard came up with bases loaded. He swung mightily on the first pitch, and drove a hard single through the 5-6 hole to score Troutman with the final tally of the night. Hubbard worked an eventful 7th, but ended the game by getting the last two outs while leaving the bases loaded.

The final score was 7-0, and resulted in the Beach advancing to the Regional Tournament starting July 28, in Glendora. Long Beach will play on Saturday (7/28) evening at 7:30 PM vs. Glendora. Thanks to all the fans for their support!

PONY REGION TOURNAMENT – GLENDORA, CA.

Game 5: 7/28 - Long Beach 10, Glendora 0
Sat, July 28 - LONG BEACH WINS OPENING GAME AT REGIONAL TOURNEY - Our 14 All-stars came out strong to open the Glendora Regional tournament late Saturday night against the Host team. Chris Hubbard threw a complete game 10-0 shutout victory, and added the key hit of the game (a bases loaded double over the CF's head in the first inning). With the victory, Long Beach advances to play Azusa.

The park is about a 30 minute drive from LB, and is a great facility to watch our boys continue their run through the PONY tournament. We would love to have our fans out there in big numbers. See you at the game.

Game 6: 7/29 - Long Beach 7, Azusa 0
Sun, July 29 - TROUTMAN PITCHES GEM AGAINST AZUSA AS 14'S ADVANCE TO WINNERS FINAL - The Long Beach players, coaches and fans waited until 9:15 to actually start the game, but it was well worth the wait, as Spencer Troutman put on a great display of pitching command in the Beach's 7-0 win over Azusa.

The win moves Long Beach into the winner’s bracket final against West Hills, a 10-8 winner over Camarillo, on Tuesday evening at 7:30 PM. This one should get off on time, so come on out and support the guys as they continue to play solid Long Beach baseball.

Game 7: 7/31 - Long Beach 1, West Hills 0
Tue, July 31 - HUBBARD LEADS LONG BEACH INTO CHAMPIONSHIP GAME WITH HIS ARM AND HIS BAT, DEFEATING WEST HILLS - For the third game in a row, Long Beach received a tremendous pitching performance to defeat a tough team at the Regional’s in Glendora. Again the Beach turned to Chris Hubbard in a big game, and he delivered a dominant complete game shutout, allowing only one hit while walking two, and finishing up with 15 strike outs. On the other end of the field was a solid pitcher keeping pace throughout.....but one mistake to Hubbard in the bottom of the 4th proved to be one too many, as Hubbard launched a towering drive over the right field fence for a home run, and the only run of the game.

Long Beach would hold on and defeat West Hills, 1-0 in a great game. Sean Buckle had the only other hits for the Beach, stroking a double and triple in the game. We now play on Thursday evening at 5:00 PM, against the winner of Wednesday's game between West Hills and Glendora. Come on out as we try to earn the berth to the Zone Championships in Fullerton.

Game 8: 8/2 - Long Beach 10 West Hills 3
Thu, August 2 - LONG BEACH WINS REGION CHAMPIONSHIPS AND ADVANCES TO PLAY HAWAII ON SATURDAY AT ZONE IN FULLERTON - Completing the task at hand was the focus as Long Beach sent Dylan Romo to the mound to close out the Region Tournament championship against a familiar West Hills team. After a scoreless first inning, Chris Hubbard put the Beach in front with another solo blast over the fence in right field, starting a rally that would see 5 runners cross the plate, the last 2 on a nice double by Spencer Troutman. Those 5 runs would hold up, even though the Long Beach defense was not as sharp as usual.

The shaky defense led to an unearned run in the third, ending the scoreless streak at 29 innings over the past 5+ games. Romo, in his first effort this tournament, was a workhorse. He recorded a complete game victory while allowing 8 hits, 1 earned run, and 8 strike outs. Romo also broke out offensively with two solid doubles, and Taylor Sparks added two shots to centerfield for hits.

Long Beach advances to the Zone tournament in Fullerton at Amerige Field. The first game of the 8 team double elimination tournament is on Saturday at 3:00 PM against the Hawaii representative. Come on out and watch this special team play their hearts out to reach the final level.

PONY ZONE TOURNAMENT – FULLERTON, CA.

Game 9: 8/4 - Long Beach 2, Windward, HI 1
Sat, August 4 - BENCH TIES GAME IN BOTTOM OF SEVENTH, TROUTMAN'S 4TH HIT WINS BATTLE AGAINST HAWAII IN ZONE OPENER - The PONY Zone tournament in Fullerton features the final 8 teams out of over 600 teams in the West Zone. Long Beach drew the toughest first round match-up against Windward PONY, the Hawaii State Champion. The game showcased two strong pitchers, as the Beach sent Chris Hubbard after another tournament win. However, both teams were unable to push any runs across through 6 complete innings.

Hawaii mounted a threat as they moved a runner to 2nd with one out. A high chopping ground ball over the third baseman scored the run, and put Hawaii up 1-0. Spencer Troutman would come in to relieve Hubbard, and stop the opponents from scoring any additional runs. In the bottom of the 7th, Stefan Miladinovich roped a lead-off pinch hit single and Matt Treece bunted him over to second. Coach Rick Romo insterted Drew Ahumada in for Pat Merola, and Drew delivered a base hit down the third base line to tie the game. Merola would run for Drew, and advance to second with two outs. Up stepped Troutman, who smacked a walk-off single to bring home Merola with the game winner.

This was a terrific ball game, and a great character builder for this special team. We play South Sound of Washington at 5:30 PM on Sunday.

Game 10: 8/5 - Long Beach 3, South Sound, WA 1
Sun, August 5 - COMPLETE TEAM VICTORY OVER SOUTH SOUND, WASHINGTON - FEATURING PITCHING, DEFENSE, AND TIMELY HITTING IN 3-1 WIN - The Long Beach All-stars treated their fans to an exciting display of team baseball this evening in a thrilling 3-1 win over South Sound, WA. The Beach sent Taylor Sparks to the mound, and he kept the opposing bats quiet in the first inning. In the bottom of the first, Chris Hubbard got LB on the board with a solo homerun, and Sparks followed with a single to drive home Alex Campbell and stake them to a 2-0 early.

The Washington team mounted a threat in the 2nd, scoring an unearned run on a throwing error, and was threatening again in the third. Coach Jakemer brought in Dylan Romo to shut down the threat, and the inning ended on a tremendous diving stop and throw out by Preston Allred. The Beach bats fell silent for several innings as the pitchers for Washington kept getting solid plays from their defense on hard hit balls. Romo would also hold the opponents from scoring over the next three innings. In the bottom of the sixth, Spencer Troutman led of with a sharp single, and stole second base to get into scoring position for Alex Campbell, who drilled an RBI single through the infield scoring Troutman. Campbell would then steal second base but was unable to score, as the Beach headed to the 7th with a 3-1 lead.

Closing the game for the Beach was Spencer Troutman, who issued a lead-off walk...then picked the runner off of first, before striking out the final two hitters to seal the victory. With the win, Long Beach advances to the winner's bracket final against Anaheim on Tuesday at 5:00 PM! We need a lot of support, especially since Anaheim is very close, and will be fully represented!

Lastly, the Beach bids a very fond farewell to coach Chris Romo, who leaves tomorrow for Texas. He has shaped this team into the disciplined and cohesive unit you have seen playing great baseball the past few weeks, and he will be missed by all of the players and coaches. His influence will not be leaving us, and we will continue to follow his example of dedication and commitment to the goal of playing great baseball. Good luck Chris! We thank you for all of your time and expertise.

Game 11: 8/7 - Long Beach 5, Anaheim 3
Tue, August 7 - LONG BEACH'S 5-3 VICTORY OVER ANAHEIM PUTS THEM ONE VICTORY FROM WORLD SERIES BERTH - In the West Coast Zone winner's bracket final, Long Beach faced a very strong and confident Anaheim team. The Beach players were loose and easy going before the game, which was in stark contrast to everyone else involved with the team from coaches to fans to families. The game started ominously enough as the Anaheim lead-off man greeted Spencer Troutman's second pitch of the game for a sharp double down the line. One out later, the 3rd hitter doubled off the fence in center to give his team the early lead. Troutman would stay focused and strike out the next two hitters to stop the remaining threat. Long Beach needed to answer, and Sean Buckle led off with a walk, followed by Troutman's single to right. A couple of passed balls and a wild pitch brought both runners around to score, before the side was retired, with the Beach up 2-1.

Troutman worked a solid 2nd, and the Beach went right back to work as Dylan Romo led off with a single. But a fielder’s choice, and a back pick at 2nd on a missed bunt emptied the bases with 2 outs, when Preston Allred was hit by the pitch. Up stepped Matt (He's a Beast) Treece, who doubled into the left centerfield gap to score Allred, bringing up Buckle and the top of the order. Buckle sent the second pitch screaming down the 3rd base line doubling home Treece, and LB was up 4-1. The inning ended on a smash liner by Troutman that was spreared by the diving first baseman.

Troutman found his groove in the third and struck out the 2, 4 and 5 hitters, while the LB offense would be derailed, after getting 2 singles with 1 out, by a double play grounder to third. The 4th inning saw Anaheim mount their biggest challenge yet as they loaded the bases with 2 outs, before Troutman struck out the batter ending the inning. A 1-2-3 inning for the Beach's offense, led to the top of the 5th, where the meat of the order loomed. A tiring Troutman gamely took the mound, and proceeded to hit the lead-off batter on a 2-2 curveball. The clean-up hitter took two great cutters for strikes before fouling off a couple fastballs, and the next cutter was up in the zone and was lined into centerfield. The call to the bullpen was answered by Chris Hubbard, who induced a quick pop foul out before three straight flairs fell for hits in the outfield. Two runs would cross the plate before the third out was made at 3B on a great throw by CF Buckle to Romo at third for the tag.

Long Beach came right back again as Buckle led off with a ground rule double to CF. A walk to Troutman and a wild pitch, put runners at 2nd and 3rd with no outs, with Hubbard at the plate. He smashed the first pitch down the third base line, where the third baseman made a tough backhanded grab, tagged Buckle, and threw to first to complete the double play. The Beach fans were down, and momentum was swinging back to Anaheim, as Alex Campbell came up with 2 outs and a man on second. Alex jumped on a 2-0 fastball and lined a hit into the LF gap, scoring Buckle with a big insurance run. Taylor Sparks followed with a sharp single, and Romo came up again and drove a liner to right centerfield, but it was snagged on a nice running catch ending the inning. With only 6 outs to go, Hubbard took over. By striking out 2 and getting an easy grounder, the Beach recorded its first 1-2-3 defensive inning of the game. The bottom of the sixth saw LB get a pinch-hit single by Pat Merola, another base running pick-off blunder, and another screaming liner to CF by Buckle that was caught to end the inning.

With the crowd on its feet, Hubbard took the mound in the 7th inning ready face the 3-4-5 hitters from Anaheim. His first pitch was popped up, and Hubbard handled it himself for 1 out. The next hitter went down swinging against Hub's nasty curve, before two flair singles out the tying runs on base. But Hubbard would not let this one slip away, and forced a little fly to second base to end the game, and send Long Beach into the Zone Championship game against Quartz Hills (who would beat Anaheim in the later game of the evening). One victory tomorrow and Long Beach will be heading to Pennsylvania for the World Series. Come on out and support this great team!

Game 12: 8/8 - Long Beach 5, Quartz Hills 3
Wed, August 8 - LONG BEACH IS HEADING TO THE WORLD SERIES AFTER WINNING WEST ZONE TITLE OVER QUARTZ HILLS - In an amazing display of pitching savvy and determination, Long Beach PONY and the left arm of Chris Hubbard defeated Quartz Hills in the championship game of the West Zone tournament at Amerige field in Fullerton. With the win, Long Beach gets on a plane in the morning to fly to Washington, Pennsylvania.

This leaves little time for preparation, so this recap will be shorter than normal until I can get the trip coordinated.
In leading the team to victory, Hubbard pitched a complete game and recorded 15 strike outs in the process. The biggest hit of the game was Spencer Troutman's 2-out, 2-run double in the 6th.

More details to come soon.....plus exciting World Series links and blogs.

THU 8/9 - The team met at Whaley at 5:30 AM this morning, and were shuttled to LAX where they boarded a flight for Atlanta. After a short layover, the team boarded another flight to Pittsburg, PA. We landed at 6:30 PM EST in the rain, and were bused to our hotel in Washington, PA.....Many of the players and coaches had little or no sleep last night, and today has been a long one. But the excitement of a new town, the pending series, and bunking with your teammates has re-energized the squad......We will be particpating in several activities on Saturday, including a morning Brunch, Opening Day ceremonies, and the Friends to Friends event.....until then, it's time to round up the guys and get them to bed.

FRI 8/10 - After breaking up all the late night impromptu team meetings, the guys finally got to sleep a little later than expected. Most of them straggled out of bed in the late morning, and the team headed over to the hot spot in town to spend some quality time....you got it, the local mall. Right away the locals started asking the players about the team, and who they would be facing on Sunday. They all seem to have personal stories of past World Series games that they were involved in. There is a real pride in the city over what they mean to PONY baseball, and vice versa.

There was a short thundershower in the early afternoon, but that cleared up quick enough, and the weather forecast for the rest of the tournament is looking great. The coaches stopped off at the new PONY headquarters and met some of the organization leaders, and also looked through their Hall of Fame artifacts section. (We will take the entire team there later in the trip.) Right next door is the brand new minor league stadium where the Independent League Washington Wildcats play. We will have to see a game there before we leave town. We then headed down to the PONY field, and took a look around our new digs for the next week. Very nice indeed! Surrounded by trees and forrest, we even saw three deer while leaving the park.

Back at the mall, Coach Vic was working his skills in negotiation, getting the entire team into the movies for free! Afterward we had a full team dinner, and returned to our hotel for some evening swimming. The most intriging part of the night came when the Chesterfield County, Virgina team started playing catch in the back of the hotel....after a bit of distant observation, our guys joined in and the two teams came together for a big game of 'flip', while they swapped stories of their home towns and the journey they took to get to the World Series. Just watching these 30+ players hanging out together and laughing and joking, reminds us of what this trip is all about. We have a very busy day tomorrow as the official festivities begin. But for now, I'm off to watch some more 'flip'.

SAT 8/11 - The official start of the 2007 PONY World Series began with the managers meeting at 8:00 AM. Rules were reviewed, new team hats were handed out, and the the coin tosses were done for all games in the tournament. Coach Ken correctly called Tails, and selected Home for the 13th time in 14 games. This was followed by the morning Brunch with almost 500 people in attendance. This was the opportunity for PONY baseball, and Washington, PA, to welcome everyone, and layout the plans for this coming week. Each team was introduced, and a coach detailed a bit about their team and the journey to reach the World Series. After the brunch, the teams headed over to Lew Hayes field for team photos. The 7th annual Friends Game featured two teams of physically or mentally challenged boys and girls, who got the opportunity to play (and win) against the World Series All-star players. Long Beach's Chris Hubbard was a key participant in the game helping out the kids on offense, and then taking a big K when he got his chance to bat. This was a very memorable experience, especially after the game as the players congratulated each participant with high fives and words of praise and encouragement.

After a couple hour break, we were back at the PONY fields for the Opening Ceremonies. Each team was introduced, and took up positions on the baselines. The national anthems from Chinese-Tiapai, Puerto Rico, and the USA were performed, and it was time for play to begin. We watched the Chinese team give up their first two runs of All-star play, but prevailed 9-2 over Chesapeake Bay, VA. In the nightcap, Puerto Rico dominated in a 11-0 win over Johnston, PA. The players spent most of this time working the crowd and meeting the locals, as the PONY princesses seemed to have found their favorite team to hang with.....the Californians. When it was over, it was back to the hotal, and a firm curfew to get ready for our big day on Sunday.

SUN 8/12 - After a good night's sleep, the team got together and headed over to the PONY practice field for our first practice since Fullerton. We got some rust out, and are looking ready to play this evening. The team is excited, as we send out our ace (Hubbard) against Kingwood, TX., at 5:30 (2:30 PST) tonight.....

Well, I hope you were listening in to tonight's classic game..a 7-6 9th inning come from behind Long Beach victory! It was never easy...but Chris Hubbard's bottom of the 7th inning 3-run HR blast tied the score at 5-5. In the 8th, Kingwood loaded the bases with 2 outs, but Spencer Troutman struck out the #3 hitter looking, to squelch the threat. In the bottom of the 8th, Matt Treece sent a long drive to deep CF, but it was caught at the base of the fence for an out. Pat Merola followed with a smash to right center that looked like it was going out, but it bounced off the fence for a double. However we could not get him home. Troutman started off the 9th inning by hitting the leadoff man in the head, and two outs later, a single drove the run home, giving Texas a 6-5 lead. But the Beach would not be denied. Troutman led off with a double (his 4th hit of the game), which was quickly followed by a single by Hubbard to tie the game. Alex Campbell drew a full count walk, and both runners advanced on a pased ball...putting runners at 2nd and 3rd with nobody out. After a sharp groundout by Taylor Sparks, Dylan Romo stepped up and after taking strike 1, Romo squared and executed a perfect suicide squeeze play, scoring Hubbard with the game winning run. The scene was amazing as the players ran out to congratulate Romo and Hubbard, and the approximately 400 fans were going wild. It was a very special moment, and one that will not be forgotten for a very long, long time. Next game is on Tuesday at 8:00 PM (5:00 PST).

MON 8/13 - The morning began with a mad dash to the newspaper stand to see the latest stories about last night's game. We were not disappointed, as the Front Page headline read 'Extra-inning enthusiasm' and featured a photo of the Long Beach fans rejoicing in the team's victory. The Sports page also had a great story (see link above) featuring Chris Hubbard. The schedule for today included a luncheon for all of the teams participating here, and then the Home Run Derby and Fastest All-Star competition. Our entires for the derby were Taylor Sparks and Chris Hubbard, while Pat Merola competed in the Fastest competition. In the first round Sparks smacked 3 HR's, while Hubbard was shut out (hopefully saving them for the real games). Sparks advanced to the final round of 4, and smacked 2 more HR's to claim the runner-up prize. Pat Merola ran a fast time, but was beaten out by a few extremely fast long-legged creatures.

With the required festivities completed for the day, we found time to take a trip up to Pittsburg to watch the Pirates play the Giants in the first game of a double-header at 5:00 PM. We chartered a bus and took 30+ players and family members to the game. It was a great experience as we saw Barry Bonds return home. A great big thank you to Larry Buckle for using his baseball connections to get us a great deal on the tickets, and to coordinate this event. We left after the first game in order to get back to the PONY field to watch the Chinese-Taipai vs. Puerto Rico game.

The international contest was a great battle of extremely talented teams, and ended with Puerto Rico winning 4-2. There was some electricity in the air in the 3rd inning, when N.Y. Mets OF Carlos Beltran arrived at the field to cheer on his home team from Puerto Rico. Once he was spotted, the throng of playeres (and coaches) rushing for photos and autograph's caused security to lock him away for his own protection. We did get a few guys down there to get photos before the iron curtain came down.

The most inspirational and heartwarming moment of the night came as Alex, an 8 year old thirdbaseman from California, Pennsylvania came up to the coaches and asked for their autograph's. After they all happily complied, Coach Ken asked if he would like the entire team to sign his program. Little Alex lit up like a x-mas tree, and shook his head in affirmation. So Ken took Alex around the field finding each player, who jumped at the opportunity to provide their first ever autographs. After a little while, all of the Long Beach players had signed the team photo in the roster, and Alex was the happiest little boy at the park. Both his father and grandfather thanked us for the extended time we took to provide him with a memory that will last a lifetime. We will now have a few new fans sitting on our side when we play again. This was exactly what this trip is about, and it was a very memorable moment for all of the coaches and players involved.

Now it is off to do a bed check, and prepare for tomorrow's game against Washington, PA at 8:00 PM (5:00 PST).

TUE 8/14 - Today we are the featured guests at the Washington Rotary Club luncheon. Long Beach was selected as the team representing the World Series participants based on our friendliness and good behavior. (We are not too shy as a group either.) After the luncheon, we will head over to the Independent League Washington Wildthings brand new stadium for batting practice before our game this evening.

The Rotary luncheon was a really nice event, where the team mingled with key business leaders in the Washington area. The Rotarians were genuinely excited to have us as their guests. Manager Rick Romo served as the guest speaker and gave a great speech about our team, the road we travelled to get here, and something about each player. The winning ways continued as Stefan Miladinovich won the club's 50-50 raffle, and took home the cash.

Back to the field for our game against the host Washington team, and the nerves were racing again...at least in the coaches heads. We had a little trouble getting warmed up before the game, and got off to a slow start as the PA team jumped out to a 2-0 lead after a long home run by the HR Contest winner. But there was a lot of game to play, and we have been playing well when behind. Sure enough, we broke things open in the 3rd inning as the team batted around and scored 5 runs. Starting pitcher Taylor Sparks was relieved by Spencer Troutman, and the defense would bend but not break as the lead grew to 6-2 Beach after 4 inning.

In the top of the 5th, Dylan Romo and Matt Treece each drew walks, and with one out, up to the plate strode lead-off hitter Sean Buckle. On a two and one count, Buckle turned on a fastball and drove a 310 ft blast over the fence in right center field for a 3-run HR. The celebration at home plate was unforgetable as Sean approached home plate with the entire team jumping up and down waiting for him. (He only suffered a slight concussion from all the head slaps). That put the game out of reach, but the team was not done yet. Tyler Erickson worked a scoreless 6th on the mound, and in the 7th, Walker Getz singled, and Stefan Miladinovich drove him home with a single. Spencer Troutman would single (his 3rd of the game, and 7th in 9 World Series plate appearances) and Chris Hubbard would drive in a run with a sac fly. The final Beach run was driven in by pitcher Tyler Erickson giveing the Beach a 13-3 lead. On to close it out was Stefan Miladinovich, who got two quick outs, and two quick strikes on the batter before a mistake was slammed out of the park to left. Not to worry, Stefan got the final out of the 13-4 victory, and the Beach is one win away from the WS finals on Saturday.

The fan support here in PA, back at home in Long Beach, and all around the country from family and friends has been unbelieveable. You guys are keeping us focused and intent on the task at hand. We couldn't do this without all of you, and we want to say THANK YOU one and all!

WED 8/15 - With a day off from any 'official' PONY activities, many of the players have requested to go to the Washington County Fair today to hang out with the locals after the big win yesterday. As one of only two teams left with 2-0 records (the other being Puerto Rico), we do not play again until Thursday. We will be heading back to the fields this evening to watch the games, and work the crowds. One other key activity for Coach Rick Romo is to get a replacement rental car, as his broke down on the way back from the field last night.

Over at Lew Hayes field, we watched as Chinese-Taipai defeated Chesterfield, VA 7-2 in the opener, and then as rain threatened, Kingwood, TX rolled over Washington, PA 12-1. This sets up a rematch with Kingwood on Thursday (weather permitting).

THU 8/16 - We awoke today as one of only 4 remaining teams in the World Series. Weather Report: there was a small shower during the night, and a strong thunderstorm is forcast for today. We will hold out hope for a break that will allow our game to be played today. If not, it will be rescheduled for Friday...and a possible double-header situation. We are anxious to get back out on the field, as we are running out of things to do to occupy the down time, while maintaining our focus and staying ready to play baseball.

The weather break we were hoping for has arrived, and the rains have not returned. The game will be played as scheduled tonight, with Chris Hubbard taking the mound in this pivotal game.

........

Can you believe it? Long Beach PONY is in the World Series Championship Game on Saturday against Puerto Rico. We came out tonight and played our best game of the tournament. Pitcher Chris Hubbard struggled again early with his control and Kingwood took an early 1-0 lead on a pair of walks, a single, and two wild pitches. The Beach did not score in their half of the inning. In the top of the second, a walk and a single put 2 runners on with one out, when Hubbard got the batter to hit a sharp grounder to Preston Allred, who flipped to Matt Treece for 1, and over to Alex Campbell for the 4-6-3 double play to end the inning. In the botoom of the 2nd, Taylor Sparks led off with a mammoth drive over the fence in left centerfield to tie the score at 1. After a Dylan Romo single opened the inning, Pat Merola came up with two outs and smacked the first pitch over the head of the centerfielder scoring Romo, before being thrown out at third trying to stretch the hit into a triple. On to the third inning with a 2-1 LB lead, where Hubbard issued a lead-off walk. After a quick trip to the mound by Coach Jakemer, Hubbard induced the next hitter to ground into a 4-6-3 double play. Hub then struck out the next hitter on three pitches ending the inning for Kingwood.

The bottom of the third started with the top of the LB order, and Sean Buckle smacked a lead-off double into the left centerfield gap. After a failed bunt attempt by Spencer Troutman, Chris Hubbard singled, Campbell walked, Sparks reached on an error, and the score was 4-1 Long Beach with runners at 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs. Preston Allred drove the second pitch he saw down the left field line for a double, scoring two more runs before the inning would end. In the 4th, Hubbard started to find his rhythm, and struck out the side. Buckle would lead off with another double to left center, Troutman reached base on an error, and a Campbell walk loaded the bases with 1 out and Sparks coming to bat. However, a back pick at first caught Campbell napping, and Sparks struck out to end the inning.

To start the 5th, Hubbard issued a walk and the next hitter attempted to move him over with a bunt, but the ball was hit in the air, and Hubbard was able to make the catch and turn the easy double play at first. The next hitter tripled to CF, but was erased when he tried to come home on a pitch that squirted a few feet away from catcher Troutman, who calmly tossed the ball to Hubbard covering home for the inning ending out. In the bottom of the inning, Dylan Romo drove a 2-0 pitch deep over the CF fence for a solo home run, and Stefan Miladinovich added single before the inning ended with Long Beach up 7-1.

Hubbard took the mound again in the sixth, and was greeted by a lead-off double. The next hitter popped the ball up behind the plate and catcher Troutman made a circus juggling catch for one out. Another walk put runners at 1st and 2nd, and the next hitter singled to left, but Miladinovich threw a perfect strike to the plate, and Troutman easily tagged out the runner trying to score from 2nd. Hubbard promptly picked the runner off at first to end the inning again with no runs scoring. The Beach started right away in the bottom of the sixth with a Troutman single, and Chris Hubbard drove his second World Series HR over the wall in CF scoring 2 more runs. The inning would end with LB up 9-1. A call to the bullpen brought Walker Getz in to close out the game, and he was brilliant, striking out two batters on 6 pitches, getting them to walk back to the dugout before the umpire even called 'strike three'. The game ended on an easy grounder to Romo at third, and Long Beach was in the finals.

We have a day off tomorrow before we face the Puerto Rico team in the finals on Saturday at 1:00 PM EST (10:00 PST). We are the best PONY Team in the USA, and on Saturday we try to add the World to that title.

The support we have received continues to amaze and humble us all. We have received countless emails, phone calls, and text messages with words of support and encouragement from friends and fans all over the city, state, and country. We could not have done this without you all! Thanks again from the entire Long Beach PONY organization.

FRI 8/17 - Today was an 'off' day for the entire tournament, as we prepare for the finals on Saturday. We started the day off with a team meal at the local Waffle House, basically taking over the place with players and several parents joining in. After a short break, we headed up to the practice field for some BP, to get prepared for the tough pitching we will be facing. Several parents took the opportunity to visit Frank Lloyd Wright's famous home (the waterfall house), while the team spent the rest of the day relaxing. A trip to the mall and a movie wrapped up the activities for the night, and then it was time to get ready for the next day's game.

SAT 8/18 - This is the day we have all been waiting for, and the culmination of many weeks of hard work put in by the players and coaches. We will take the field in a few hours as one of 2 remaining teams in the World battling for the PONY World Series title. It has been an amazing journey, and we have just one more step to take to reach the ultimate goal. We will leave it all on the field today....and may the best team win.
.......
As you likely know by now, the magic ran out today as Puerto Rico fought back from a 3-1 defecit to win the World Series title 8-3. But before it was over, the Long Beach team had the Puerto Rican team worried and in a state of confusion. Starting the game off for Long Beach, Sean Buckle singled down the left field line for a single. Spencer Troutman followed that with a hard hit ball to second, which was booted for an uncharacteristic error. After a passed ball moved the runners to 2nd and 3rd, Chris Hubbard laced a single to center scoring Buckle. Coach Rick Romo gambled and sent Troutman home too, and the throw and the runner met at the same time, with Troutman knocking the ball loose from the catcher for the second run. The PR pitcher would close out the inning with a pair of strike outs, but Long Beach held an early 2-0 lead. In the bottom of the inning, pitcher Troutman looked strong and had the opponents swinging and missing at his curves and offspeed pitches. A walk to the second batter, and a bad pick-off attempt allowed the runner to reach third, where he came home on a passed ball before the last batter was retired with the score now 2-1. Preston Allred led off the 2nd with a single, Matt Treece walked, and Pat Merola laid down a bunt single loading the bases. Sean Buckle came up and worked the count in his favor before he was hit by the pitch, driving in the third run of the game. The next batter drove a hard grounder to the second baseman who threw home for one out, and over to third to catch the runner for a double play. The next batter struck out, and our threat was over. Puerto Rico would not score in the second, and Long Beach did not score in the 3rd. In the bottom of the third, PR got their first hit of the game, and again advanced the runner to third with two outs. Once more, a passed ball alllowed the run to come in without the aid of a hit, and the gap was closed to 3-2 as the inning ended on a strike out on the next pitch. After blanking the Beach in the 4th, Puerto Rico evened the score on a long HR to centerfield.

Puerto Rico made a pitching change in the 5th and the new pitcher retired the side in order. Long Beach also made a pitching change, but the results were not as positive. A lead-off walk, and a one out double to center drove in a run, and brought out another pitching change. A ground out brought in a run from third before the final out was recorded, and Puerto Rico had a 5-3 lead. In the 6th, the Beach was retired 1-2-3 again, and the call went to Chris Hubbard to try and keep the game close. But the determined Hubbard was just what PR wanted to see, since they were not having as much success with the slower stuff. The first batter he faced smacked his second HR of the game over the fence, and took a leisurely jog/walk around the bases. On a 0-2 pitch, Hubbard drilled the PR batter, and the following batter came up and stroked a line drive to left that just cleared the 250 ft sign for another HR, and the score had ballooned to 8-3. Another Beach pitching change brought Dylan Romo to the mound, and he proceeded to silence the PR bats the rest of the inning. But the damage was done. In the 7th, the PR pitcher retired the side in order to end the game and give Puerto Rico the World Series championship. Needless to say, the team and coaches were devastated by the loss, after taking the early lead. We definitely feel we can play with them, but did not put together the complete game effort that was needed to win this one.

After the game each team was presented with World Series plaques, World Series particpant pins, World Series tournament programs, and 2007 World Series banners. The fans and families in attendance took the field and applauded the team for the fantastic run through to the series final. Photos were taken of every conceivable player/parent combination, and we slowly left the field and headed back to our hotel.

We decided to take our frustrations out at dinner, so we all pilled into Rick's rental and headed over to CiCi's All-you-can-eat Pizza place. CiCi's may never be the same. With all that pressure released, the boys decided that they wanted to head down to the mall. I guess they got over it faster than the coaches have. The final activitiy of the night was an autograph party where we signed World Series baseball for each team member, as well as the big World Series road signs that were placed all over town. These will be great souveniers for the boys, and a nice conversation piece in the future.

The group will be heading to the airport tomorrow morning at 11:30 AM EST, and are scheduled to arrive at LAX around 6:50 PM PST. The team will arrive at Whaley Park around 7:15-7:30 PM on Sunday. The will return as the 2nd best team in the world, the #1 team in the United States, and the #1 team in the hearts of their fans, families, and friends. This was an AMAZING run that will never be forgotten by all involved. Congratulations to every player and coach for the exciting summer vacation activites.

For the final time this year....GO BEACH!

CATCH ALL THE WORLD SERIES ACTION ON OUR SPECIAL WORLD SERIES PAGE

We have a special World Series page that includes everything you need to follow our team's experiences in Pennsylvania. The special page includes links to key World Series websites, Game detail links, links to the radio webcasts of each game, and a daily World Series blog by Coach Jakemer. Click on the new WORLD SERIES link on the navigation bar to see what we've got.

LONG BEACH IS THE BEST IN THE USA, REACHES WORLD SERIES FINAL VERSUS PUERTO RICO

The Long Beach PONY All-Stars won their 3rd straight World Series game, and advanced to the finals on Saturday against Puerto Rico. The team played an awesome game, featuring strong pitching, exceptional defense, and an offensive explosion that led to a thrilling 9-1 win over Kingwood, Texas. For more info, check out our World Series page.

LONG BEACH ALL-STARS WELCOMED HOME BY HUNDREDS OF FANS AT WHALEY PARK

Our team returned from Washington, Pennsylvania, and the PONY World Series on Sunday, August 19th to a most wonderful sight. Somewhere between 150 and 2,000 people packed the Whaley lot with banners, ballons, signs, fashing lights and horns. All wishing to show what these young men have meant to the city of Long Beach, and how they have felt about this incredible run through to the World Series final. The heartfelt warmth of the moment will never be forgotten by the coaches and players involved. Congratulations Long Beach! Not only are the players World Series caliber performers, our fans, families and friends are also the BEST IN THE USA!