LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL: Noah Taylor guides Sherman Oaks 12-under all-stars to another Section 2 title

Pitcher doesn't allow a hit and strikes out nine in 8-0 victory over Burbank, securing berth in Southern California tournament.

Noah Taylor pitched a no-hitter with nine strikeouts and Sherman Oaks hit three home runs in the fourth inning to defeat Burbank 8-0 and win the Little League 12-under baseball all-stars Section 2 championship Tuesday night at Montrose Park.

Taylor struck out the first six batters he faced and came within one out of a complete game before reaching his 85-pitch limit.

"I was very tired at the end," said Taylor, who had not pitched since the clinching game of the District 40 tournament against Encino.

"I was just trying to throw strikes and find my zone. I didn't worry too much about the score."

Sherman Oaks (7-0) advances to the Southern California Sub-Division tournament and will play the Section 3 winner (either La Verne or Azusa National) at 4 p.m. Saturday at Stearns Champions Park in Long Beach. Sherman Oaks won the state championship in the 11-under division last year.

Stephen Richardson led off the bottom of the fourth with a home run to center field to break a scoreless tie. Jake Greenberg then doubled down the left-field line and Nick Green homered to left to give Sherman Oaks a 3-0 lead. After Ryan Dollard singled, Wyatt Kleinberg homered to right to make it 5-0 and that was more than enough of a cushion for Taylor against Burbank (4-2), the District 16 champions.

In the fifth, Taylor singled and scored after three passed balls and an error led to two more runs.

After Noah Gilder drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the third, Tyler

Cox singled to right for the first hit of the game. The runners moved to second and third on a wild pitch, but Blaine Traxel struck out the next two batters.

In the top of the fourth, Traxel drew a one-out walk and took second on a wild pitch, but a strikeout and ground out kept the game scoreless.

This is the third consecutive year this group of Sherman Oaks players (now 12 years old) has won the Section 2 title.

"It's not easy to win three years in a row, so it says a lot about the chemistry these kids have," said Sherman Oaks manager Chris Dollard, who has coached this group since they were 6 or 7.

"The boys are old enough now that we have a chance to get to Williamsport (for the World Series) but we're not looking ahead. My goal is to make sure they're having fun and to prepare them for high school."

Sherman Oaks' 10-under all-star baseball team, managed by Mike Ross, also won the Section 2 title Tuesday by beating Quartz Hill 22-3.

Encino's 11-under all-star baseball team, another District 40 representative, captured the Section 2 championship Tuesday with a 12-1 victory over San Marino National.

Source: http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_23672523/little-league-baseball-noah-taylor-guides-sherman-oaks?source=rss

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