Nationals in a perfect position, 3-0

Bryce Alderton

With sunglasses on and a smile on his face, Brandon Maurer

remained relatively calm considering what he had just done.

Maurer was marvelous Tuesday at TeWinkle School, throwing a

perfect game, the first of his Little League career, striking out 13

Costa Mesa American League batters as Costa Mesa National won the

first game of the sixth annual Mayor’s Cup, 3-0, in the best-of-three

series.

“That’s the best he’s ever thrown,” said Costa Mesa National

Manager Bill Redding, who coached Maurer in the regular season with

the Diamondbacks. “He throws a slider, fastball and a knuckle-curve.”

Maurer, who said he has thrown a no-hitter before, said he used

the fastball as his main pitch Tuesday, but he had all the pitches

working throughout the six-inning game.

Twice Maurer struck out the side, in both the second and sixth

innings, and of his 13 strikeouts, six came on called third strikes

as Maurer often used a curve that started up in the strike zone and

quickly tailed toward the outside corner, freezing the batter.

Maurer teetered with three-ball counts to five batters in his

64-pitch effort, but came back to strike out all five batters.

“Brandon pitched an awesome game,” said Costa Mesa American Coach

Jerry Dawson, who along with Ted Spoulos, coached the American team

Tuesday in place of Manager Scott Willson, who is recovering from a

broken wrist he suffered last week.

Willson is expected to be back managing today, according to

Dawson.

“(Maurer) came with the fastball on the first pitch and he got

ahead in the count the whole game so that made it tough on our

hitters. If anything, we should have lost this game, 1-0, because we

had a couple of errors in the field, but one run would have beat us

today.”

Two errors in the third inning led to an unearned Costa Mesa

National run, as Justin Long reached base when the Costa Mesa

American shortstop couldn’t get the ball out of his glove in time to

throw out Long.

Long took second on a passed ball and scored after the next

batter, Brandon Grimmett’s bouncer was bobbled by the second baseman

who threw wildly past the first baseman, allowing Long to come across

the plate with Costa Mesa’s third and final run.

Costa Mesa National scored two runs in the second as first baseman

Garrick Williams hit a ground ball that hit the left side of the

mound but stayed on a fairly straight path and hit the second-base

bag. The ball caromed into center field for a single that scored

Grimmett, who had reached on a looping single to right two batters

earlier.

After Costa Mesa American pitcher Andrew Niles struck out the next

batter, Bradley Fisher hit a pop fly that dropped in front of

charging center fielder Sam Edmonds and right fielder Phil Weber,

allowing Williams to score the second run of the inning.

Costa Mesa American showed some strong defense in the third, as

Costa Mesa National batter Anthony Secrest reached to pull an 0-0

pitch into right field for a bloop single that Weber fielded and

threw home to catcher Cody Spoulos.

The alert Spoulos, seeing that Grimmett had started toward home,

quickly fired to third baseman Luke Boulger, who made the tag on a

sliding Grimmett.

Costa Mesa American made two sound defensive plays in the third as

first baseman Andy Dawson made a backhand snare of a sharply-hit

ground ball by Maurer and touched first for the first out.

Costa Mesa American third baseman Boulger charged a grounder hit

by the next batter, Bryan Bennett, who walked in the game, and threw

in the dirt but Dawson scooped up the ball for the out.

Jerry Dawson believes the defense can improve for today’s game.

“I would expect a better defensive game (today),” Dawson said.

Niles struck out three, walked one and allowed five hits, four

singles and a double.

“(Niles) had a good offspeed pitch,” Redding said. “We just

manufactured some runs and were a little lucky.”

Maurer ripped a one-out double to left field in the first and

finished 1 for 3 while Grimmett went 1 for 2 with a run scored and

one RBI. Long scored a run as Williams went 1 for 2 with a run scored

and RBI and Fisher went 1 for 2 with an RBI. Secrest went 1 for 2.

Costa Mesa Mayor Linda Dixon appeared between the first and second

innings with a wish for the teams.

“Thank you for inviting me to see the best of the best Costa Mesa

Little League has to offer,” Dixon said. “I want to thank the parents

and coaches for supporting your kids. Good luck.”

The scene now shifts to Costa Mesa High today at 5 p.m. for Game 2

of the series.

Costa Mesa American won the opening game last year before the

National came back to take the next two games to win the Mayor’s Cup

in the first Mayor’s Cup to go to three games.

Redding said nothing has been won yet.

“I’m not taking this thing for granted,” he said.