MVLL: What a week! Kid pitches perfect game

Special to Marinscope

It was a big week for Mill Valley’s 13s and 9s All-Stars, both of whom won District 3 championships, bringing home two more coveted title banners for the Boyle Park and Alto Field walls. 

The 9s championship win was special. Or, one might say, perfect. 

Also, the 10s, 11s and 12s started pool play, meaning there will be a game every day this week at Boyle Park and games all over the county involving Mill Valley LL through at least July 6. All game schedules are at the District 3 website.

To the action:

9s ALL STARS

Mill Valley 8, Novato South 0 — Davis Marshall authored a perfect game to lead Mill Valley to the District 3 title at Hamann Field in Novato.

Marshall was sensational, striking out 14 and never seeing a ball leave the infield. In retiring 18 consecutive hitters, Marshall threw 59 pitches — 49 for strikes.

MV’s offense delivered early, as Brodie Williams, Charlie Davies, Marshall, and Levi Weber each singled to start the top of the 1st, followed by a Rory Murphy RBI ground ball, another hit from Oscar Karlen and an RBI knock from Chance Donahue. Mill Valley led, 4-0, before the fans had even settled in their seats at Hamman on the 100-degree day.

Weber, who caught three innings of Marshall’s historic gem, went 3-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored, while Williams, who caught the rest of the game, had two hits and two runs scored. Marshall drove in two and scored two runs.

All that was left was to celebrate Marshall’s perfection when he struck out the final batter — which Mill Valley did, all smiles.

There is no Section play for 9-year-olds, so it’s off to summertime for the rising fourth graders

13s INTERMEDIATE (50/70) ALL STARS 

Mill Valley 11, Novato South 7 — In a District 3 championship game at Alto Field that broke Mill Valley’s way early, then got taut at the climax, MV lefty Scott Olinger fanned the final hitter with the bases loaded to lift Mill Valley to the title.

Olinger’s two innings of relief made a winner of starter Colt Crum Usich, who had a big day. Crum Usich threw four shutout innings to help Mill Valley build an 8-0 lead, aided by Crum Usich’s three hits, and three RBIs. The fifth inning got rocky when Novato South’s Luke Martin crushed a grand slam, but lefty reliever Eddie Kideckel came in and threw a hitless inning of relief to calm things down.

Ultimately, Mill Valley’s offense did the job, racking up 10 hits, including a two-run double from Grayson Roberts. Lucas DiPippa, Devin Curtis and Luca Younger each scored two runs, Declan Murphy chipped in with two hits, and Mill Valley stole 10 bases as a team.

MV now heads off to Section 1 play starting on July 1 against the District 3 champion. Section 1 play is at the Mark West Elementary School 50/70 Field in Santa Rosa.

12s ALL STARS 

San Rafael 10, Mill Valley 0 — Mill Valley scraped out four hits, but took a mercy-rule loss to open pool play at Glenwood Field on June 26.

11s ALL STARS

Mill Valley 16, Gallinas Valley 4 —Terje Steele doubled, tripled and drove in five to lead a romp at Gallinas Field to open pool play on June 26. Mill Valley’s 14-hit attack included three knocks from Alex Radics, and two-hit days from Henry Edwards and Dylan Murphy, each of whom hit a double.

Bradley Marshall took care of business on the mound, throwing 4 and 2/3 innings of three-run ball, throwing 46 strikes in 65 pitches. Radics closed it out with 1 and 1/3 of one-run ball.

10s ALL STARS 

Twin Cities 10, Mill Valley 9 — In a spirited comeback that almost reached the mountaintop, the 10s climbed back from an 9-1 deficit but fell just short at Joe Wagner Field in Game 2 of pool play on June 27.

Adam Mortimer led the way with a 3-for-3 day, including a double, driving in four runs to pace the comeback. Mortimer also held Twin Cities down with two innings of one-run relief late in the game.

Others helped the comeback: Trip Goldmacher smacked a two-out, two-run single; Niki Welter doubled and went 2-for-4; Ethan Cann had two hits and a key RBI; and Jacob DiPippa had two hits to aid the cause. 

Ross Valley 6, Mill Valley 3 — Niki Welter struck out six in 2 and 1/3 innings, and Noah Schick threw 1 and 2/3 innings of shutout ball, but MV came up short at Bacich Field to open pool play on June 26.