Millikan baseball team wins Moore League title in extra iings

LONG BEACH >> It took 10 iings and three hours on Wednesday night at Blair Field, but Millikan High School finally took got the lead and held off Lakewood for a 3-1 win that gives the Rams their first outright Moore League title since the 2009 season.

Millikan (21-6, 11-1) got an efficient performance from its ace, Mike Killeen, while fellow seniors Aaron Greenfield, Eddie Cervantes and Trevor Steer sparked the offense. Senior Spencer Steer came in to pitch 2 2/3 iings to get the win. Killeen pitched 7 1/3 iings and stranded eight ruers on base.

“Feels better than I ever imagined,” Millikan coach Ron Keester said. “My mind is still racing after that game. We have a lot of respect for Lakewood and to do it like that against them makes it even better.”

Lakewood (20-10, 8-4) had a chance to win the game in the bottom of the eighth iing when two singles and a walk loaded the bases with one out. With Steer on the mound, the Lancers elected to attempt a suicide bunt. It failed. Catcher Cervantes made the tag and Steer got a strikeout to end the iing.

The Rams scored the game-wiing runs in the top of the 10th iing on a string of strange plays. Trevor Steer reached base on a fielder’s choice, Cervantes drew a walk and Greenfield singled and an error scored Steer. Lakewood left fielder Christian Valdez made a spectacular catch on the next play and Cervantes tagged to score, but Greenfield was doubled up at second.

Steer came back out and stranded two ruers on base in the 10th to clinch the league.

“Coming into the season we thought we could outscore teams,” Spencer Steer said. “But halfway thorough we found our identity and it was good pitching and good defense. Defense wins championships.”

Easily stolen bases set up the first two runs scored for both teams. Lakewood took a 1-0 lead in the second iing when Valdez led off with a single to left field. He stole second and took third on a fielder’s choice. Mason Mota drove him home with another single to left. Mota had two hits on the night.

Millikan tied the score the hard way in the third iing. With two on and no outs, Greenfield sent a shot down the third-base line that Lakewood’s Chris Ga smothered and tued into a double play. However, Greenfield stole second a few pitches later and a Lakewood error on a hard hit ball from Diego Alarcon allowed the senior center fielder to score the tying run.

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