Logan Pouelsen was pitcher-perfect Tuesday.
The Ocean View pitcher faced 18 Huntington Valley batters in a second-round Area 1 Minor A Division game at the Little League District 62 Tournament of Champions and in each instance, he recorded a strikeout.
His phenomenal performance set the tone for the Bats, who blanked the A’s, 10-0, in a battle between teams that had won their respective tournament openers on Saturday.
“I just tried to pitch hard,” Pouelsen said. “I was just trying to find the strike zone and everything went right through.”
Catcher Hagen Danne had a hand in the performance, and Pouelsen praised his battery mate.
“Nothing got past him,” he said.
Pouelsen, who hadn’t thrown a no-hitter before, needed 72 pitches to subdue the A’s.
The Bats, who improved to 22-2 overall, were led offensively by Michael Green and Corey Hawk both of whom hit a two-run home run.
Ocean View, which began the tournament Saturday with an 11-2 win over Costa Mesa National’s second-place team, will play today in one of two Minor A Division semifinal games.
The Bats will face the winner of Wednesday’s second-round game between Robinwood No. 1 and Westminster No. 2 at 5:30 p.m. at the Ocean View fields.
A win today would send Ocean View into the Minor A title game at 10 a.m. Saturday, also at Ocean View.
Huntington Valley had advanced to Tuesday’s second-round by defeating Fountain Valley No. 1, 7-4, Saturday, but Tuesday’s loss eliminated the A’s from district title contention.
In another Minor A Division game Tuesday, Westminster No. 1 outlasted Costa Mesa National No. 1, 11-10, in Area 2 play at Seaview Little League.
Westminster No. 1 will face either Robinwood No. 2 or Ocean View No. 2 in a semifinal game at 5:30 p.m. today at Seaview.
Majors Division
Ocean View 6, Costa Mesa National 0: Ben Drolet threw a no-hitter for three innings, Tristan Chester gave up one hit in 2 2/3 innings’ work and Brandon Ezell needed just one pitch to complete Ocean View’s victory Tuesday in a second-round game.
The host Mets, who won the Majors Division title at Ocean View, will play a 5:30 p.m. division semifinal game today at Ocean View. They’ll face the winner of Wednesday’s second-round game between Seaview No. 2 and Fountain Valley No. 1, with the winner of today’s game moving on to Saturday’s division final at 10 a.m.
