There is a reason that the playoffs are called the second season.
In the four major-division meetings between the Northgate Little League the Orioles went undefeated against the Dodgers, who reversed the trend Saturday with a thrilling 8-7 semifinal playoff win for the Dodgers at Gillen Field.
Trailing 7-6 with two out in the sixth, Kyle Vanarsdell walked and then errors off the bats of Noah Calmes (double, RBI, four runs) and Zach Grabowski (home run, three RBI) plated Vanarsdell (three runs) and Calmes for and 8-7 Dodgers lead. Calmes toed the rubber in the bottom half of the inning, inducing a groundout followed by two strikeouts to end the game.
The two teams exchanged three-run home runs with Grant Sonke of the Orioles (3 for 3, three RBI, home run, double, three runs) launching one out of the yard in the bottom of the fourth to plate Quinn Martinez (2 for 3, two runs) and Collins Schluer for a 6-3 lead. In the top of the fifth Grabowski responded, scoring Vanarsdell and Calmes to knot the score at 6-6.
Junior Rosas reached on an error for the Orioles in the bottom of the fifth, taking third on a single by Robert Salas and coming home on Davion Conrad’s groundout to give the Orioles a 7-6 lead.
Drew Guzman was 2 for 3 for the Orioles, knocking in Sonke in the first inning for a 2-0 lead.
The Dodgers took a 3-1 lead in the third. Trailing 2-1, Vanarsdell led off the fram with a walk and scored on a double by Calmes. Greg Adams (2 for 4, RBI) singled in Calmes to put the Dodgers ahead 3-2.