Garden Grove players and coaches meet after Saturday’s victory. (Photos Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone).
Garden Grove’s 12-and-under Pony Bronco all-stars gave their many fans plenty to cheer about Saturday.
To see the slide show, please click on the first photo
The all-stars defeated St. Hedwig 8-4 in the second round of the Pony Regional Tourney at Hicks Canyon Park and advanced into the championship game Sunday at 1 p.m. vs, Cypress while also extending their season.
“The winner of this (Saturday’s game) advances to super regional, so tomorrow is the championship game,” said Coach Johnny Hernandez. “I’m very proud of these guys.”
Garden Grove, which has won two in a row in the regional, moves on to play in Whittier next week.
“The team was looking good and playing good in the heat, I can’t be more proud.” Hernandez said. “We picked up where we left off (Friday). There are some good teams here. It just makes everybody better, more and more competition to make these boys better.”
Hernandez said the program is looking to help the players in the future.
“The main plan is to get these guys ready for high school,” he said. “Build that foundation right now. I’m just impressed with the competition, the tournament and the cities we’ve been playing, the best of the best. It gets us to the next round, that’s the plan.”
St. Hedwig took an early lead with a run in the first inning. Shane Wally reached on an error, stole second and later came home on a wild pitch.
But in the bottom of the first, Garden Grove countered with two runs, much to the delight of the Garden Grove fans who packed the first base side. Mikey Flores and Kevin Reyes singled, Anthony Diaz walked and Ivan Correra drove in two runs with a double.
Garden Grove scored three more runs in the fourth inning. Omar Contreras scored on a wild pitch and Stevie Franco and Reyes drove home two of the runs on groundouts.
In the fifth inning, Correra walked, went to second on an error and scored on a single by Contreras to give Garden Grove a 6-1 lead.
St. Hedwig scored a run in the sixth inning. Collin Creason doubled and scored on a single by Jackson Gomes to cut the lead to 6-2.
However in the sixth inning, Hector Perez belted a two-run single to make it 8-2.
St. Hedwig responded with two runs in the top of the seventh on RBI singles by Hudson Binder and Jackson Gomes but Mikey Flores got the next batter to pop out to end the game.
Eric Ordaz started and pitched the first six innings before giving way to Macias in the secenth.
“The guy is our ace,” Hernandez said of Ordaz. “I know what he can do, he’s done it four or five seasons in a row.”
But Hernandez said everyone stepped up.
“It was a great group effort from everybody, from parents to kids, the coaches, it’s family,” Hernandez said. “When you’re with thexse guys more than your other family, they become your family.”
St. Hedwig stayed alive later on Saturday with a 9-5 victory over La Mirada and will face Newport Harbor Sunday at 10:30 a.m.
Newport Harbor advanced with a 23-0 victory over Irvine.
RELATED: Photos, story of Garden Grove’s opening victory
-Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com
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