Baseball All-Stars Advance in District Tournament

There may be no stopping West Los Angeles in the 10 & 11-year-old division of the Little League All-Stars District 25 Tournament.

In its first two games West LA has outscored the opposition 49-1 and manager Vinnie Malcolm's squad is hitting on all cylinders.

After trouncing University 28-0 in Sunday's opener, West LA pounded 16 hits in a 21-1 rout of North Venice on Tuesday night in a game that was halted prematurely because sprinklers went on in the infield while West LA was batting in the bottom of the third inning at the Ladera Little League complex.

Umpires convened and declared that the game would be concluded Wednesday, but North Venice manager Fernando Ramos had seen enough and conceded the loss.

"It was pointless to continue the game at that juncture," Ramos said. "We'll mark this one down in the 'L' column and get ready [for our next game] Thursday." 

After plating four runs in the first inning, West LA batters kept right on swinging--and connecting--in the second. Joji Baratelli's RBI double just inside the third base line increased the margin to 4-0, Andrew Coles hit a solo home run to center field and the rout was on.

In the third, Jordan Pardo singled up the middle for a 10-1 lead, Vince Malcolm followed with an RBI single and Coles singled to put runners on second and third and another run scored on an error to give West LA a 12-1 lead. 

Baratelli drew a bases-loaded walk, Will Smith and Pardo scored on a screaming bouncer to third that could not be handled and Malcolm belted a bases-clearing double that rolled to the wall in left field to make it 18-1.

Coles may have broken some records--and some car windows in the parking lot--had the game continued. He finished 3-for-4 with two home runs and four RBIs. His second homer, a towering three-run shot to right field, made the score 21-1 with two outs in the third inning.

Malcolm was cruising on the mound for West LA. He had six strikeouts over the first three innings and struck out the side in the top of the third.

"I'm glad we don't have to come back tomorrow because that would've messed up our pitching for Friday's game," West LA manager Vinnie Malcolm said. "I think it was a sportsmanlike move by their manager. It was the right thing for both teams in that situation."

West LA has advanced to the semifinals of the winner's bracket and will play the winner of Wednesday's game between host Ladera and Santa Monica West on Friday at 8 p.m. in Ladera Heights.