Finding a way to victory

A year ago, Robinwood Little League cruised through the Little League All-Star tournament en route to winning the District 62 championship. This year, with seven returning members from last year's squad suiting up again, Robinwood figured to be in the thick of the race for another district banner. It was and although it wasn't as overpowering, this team always seemed to find a way to win.

Tied up at 2-2 entering the sixth inning of Tuesday night's second game of the division's best-of-three championship series against Costa Mesa National, Robinwood came up with three runs in its last at-bat and made them stand in a title-clinching, 5-2 victory on its home field.

On Monday, Robinwood began the series with a 6-2 victory.

Robinwood has now won the last three district tournaments.

On the same night, Robinwood's Junior League team defeated host Westminster, 4-0, to also win a district title.

"These guys just keep battling," Robinwood Manager Scott Wagers said. "I told them beforehand, that this was a close-out game. A win gives us the district title.

"Costa Mesa came up with that big home run to tie the game but our guys came right back to win it in the sixth. They just find a way to win."

After Costa Mesa National's Tyler Rios tied the score with a two-run homer to centerfield in the bottom of the fifth, Robinwood scored the go-ahead run with one out in the top of the sixth when lead-off hitter Sage Sorochman took a 1-2 pitch for a sharp single up the middle. The ball sped past Tyler Wood, Costa Mesa National's third pitcher of the game, skipped into the outfield and then ricocheted off centerfielder Jeff Carlysle allowing a charging Keegan Reeser to score from second base. The play gave Robinwood the lead for good.

"I was just hoping to make contact and hit it hard," Sorochman said of his game-winning hit. "Once I knew the run scored, I was happy."

Pinch runner Dustin Wagers and Sorochman later would score in the inning to pad the lead to 5-2.

When Robinwood starter Nick Varelas reached his pitch limit after recording a strikeout to begin the bottom of the sixth, reliever Austin Sojka gave up a hit before striking out the final two batters he faced to secure the district banner.

Varelas gave up six hits, walked two and struck out seven in recording the win.