A flurry of runs in the bottom of the first inning and the arm of pitching stud Russell Kish was enough to lead the Malibu Little League (MLL) Braves to their second consecutive MLL baseball championship.
The Braves defeated the Dodgers 4-1 in the championship game of the major division at Bluffs Field on May 30.
Braves head coach Steve Prudholme said the six-inning victory felt amazing, especially after the team had a mid-season lull where they lost numerous games.
“Our kids have been in this position before, so we knew how to act when it became playoff time,” he said. “They were ready to play good baseball.”
The Braves — whose division is composed of four teams — were one of three championship winners on the final day of MLL’s play. The Red Sox won the AAA division and the AA division titlists were the Indians.
All of the titlists were awarded trophies during a special presentation at the end of the day.
Last season, the Braves were the AAA champs. Prudholme and the Braves’ coaching staff have won four MLL titles in the last five years. On Saturday, the Braves will compete in the District 25 Tournament of Champions, which will pit them against other major division winners from little leagues in the Los Angeles area.
The Braves finished the MLL season with a 14-7 record after starting the season 7-2.
The Braves’ win over the Dodgers team was guided by Kish. The pitcher had seven strikeouts and threw pitches the Dodgers struggled to get a handle on throughout the game.
Prudholme said Kish is the “poster kid” for the MLL.
“He didn’t pitch too much for us this season because we wanted to save him for the playoffs,” he said. “He won two of our three playoff games for us. He was unhittable today.”
Kish struck out two out of four Dodger batters in the first inning. Then, when the Braves stepped up to the plate, the scoring started. Braves’ lead-off hitter George Roth hit the first ball Dodger pitcher Nathaniel Mulder threw his way for a double. Elijah Clayton then hit a double for the Braves thanks to a dropped popped fly.
Kish, the third Braves batter up, hit a ground ball down the third base line to drive in Roth and Clayton for scores. Royce Clayton Jr. then hit a double to drive Kish in for a run. Sophia Prudholme advanced Clayton Jr. to third base on a ground out. Clayton Jr. scored the Braves fourth run thanks to a hit by Reef Graham.
Prudholme said he told his squad to be aggressive against Mulder, who is one of the best pitchers in the MLL.
“They went up there ready to hit,” he said. “I wanted them to keep attacking, and that is what they did. We didn’t look back.”
Good pitching and defensive efforts from both teams controlled the rest of the contest. The Dodgers got on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth inning.
Prudholme said a key to the Braves’ season was just to have fun on the diamond.
“We just tried to keep it light, even when we were struggling,” he said. “That changed the whole season for us.”