SELMA — Not even two home runs from Jesse Hayes could lift the Westshore Little League 50-70 All-Stars to a win Saturday night against the Mark West All-Stars in the opening round of the state tournament at Selma.
Mark West pounded out 15 hits en route to a 21-7 victory. Westshore, the Section 2 winner, plays Grass Valley on Monday evening in do-or-die consolation-round game.
Mark West’s Donnie Rinkor (4-for-4, 7 RBIs) clubbed a three-run home run during a four-run top of the first inning to put his team on top to stay, and Westshore was forced to play catch-up the rest of the evening. Westshore closed to 4-2 in the bottom half of the first as Hayes (2-for-3, 4 RBIs) hit the first of his two home runs, but Mark West answered with six runs in the top of the second for a 10-2 lead.
Both teams scored twice in the third inning to make it 12-4. Mark West then put the game away with a six-run fourth inning.
Westshore did score three times in the fifth, including another home run from Hayes, but it wasn’t enough.
Adrian Rosiles went 5-for-5 for Mark West.
Sawyer Smith, the first of five Westshore pitchers, took the loss. He struck out two in his one inning on the mound.
Westshore’s opponent Monday in the consolation round, Grass Valley, is the Section 4 champion. A total of seven sections are represented at the tournament.
