The Malibu Times Athletes of the Week

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Liam Kilroy, left, and Luke Mincer, Malibu Little League. Photos by Dick Dornan / TMT

Liam Kilroy and Luke Mincer, Malibu Little League

By Dick Dornan / Special to The Malibu Times

Sometimes in sports everyone goes home a winner, despite what the scoreboard says. Such was the case on June 2, in perhaps the most dramatic finish ever to a Malibu Little League “Middles” hardball season.

The game was a tense, low-scoring affair all the way through, with the Giants and the Dodgers deadlocked at one apiece in the bottom of the sixth inning and one out. That’s when Liam Kilroy, eight, approached home plate to face Dodgers’ ace Luke Mincer.

Kilroy had spent the week prior to the game at home with a case of pink eye. He was unable to practice for the season’s biggest game. What’s more, he came into the game with two hits on the season.

Standing 46 feet away on the mound was Mincer, who had already struck out 14 batters in a pitching masterclass.

After working the count to one and two, Kilroy connected on a single to right field to drive in teammate Ryan Johnson for the game-winning run.

“It was my first good hit of the season and I felt really good about it,” Kilroy said of his hit that will go down in MLL lore. “I will not ever forget it.”

Kilroy was carried off the field by his coach, Mario Miranda, as Giant players and parents celebrated a thrilling and memorable 2-1 victory.

“I have had the opportunity to win a college national championship, play professionally and coach many players, and the hit by Liam ranks as one of my proudest moments in baseball,” said Miranda, who won a NCAA championship with Cal State Fullerton in 1995 and played minor league baseball for the Kansas City Royals organization.

While Kilroy’s hit ensured the Giants were champions for 2012, on this particular day, two champions were born.

Mincer spent the better part of this season working on the craft of pitching. The year before he pitched one inning the entire season and had a total of four hits all year long. This season, he blossomed into one of the division’s best pitchers while also leading the Dodgers with a batting average above .500.

“A pitcher is a very important position,” Mincer said. “You have to throw accurate and a speed that you can make it over the plate.”

He was at his best throughout the game as he struck out one Giant after another. Then in the blink of an eye, the game was over as Kilroy defied the odds. Mincer was left standing on the mound in stunned silence.

“After the championship game loss, there were no tears,” Dodgers Manager Steve Ciniglio said. “You won’t see too many better pitched games. Luke knew he had done well and accepted defeat with dignity and good sportsmanship, leading our team onto the field to shake the Giants players’ hands.”

Handling himself with class and integrity, Mincer, 11, spoke about the at bat against Kilroy and the subsequent loss.

“It was very difficult. I can’t say a word how difficult it was,” Mincer explained. “I would love to be in that position again. It will make me a stronger person because it gave me hope. I believe one day I will be a champion.”

No need to wait. The two boys are champions. Whether it’s a game-winning hit or being gracious in defeat, their exemplary character is what Malibu Little League is all about.