Errors Doom Loma Linda in Tournament Opener

Mistakes in any sport are known to come back and haunt a team.

This holds especially true in baseball.

It was a lesson learned Monday night by the Loma Linda Little League 9- and 10-year-old division all-star team as it lost in its opening game of the District 21 tournament, 19-8 to Rialto Eastern Little League at Loma Linda Baseball Field Park.

“It was a lot of errors,” said Loma Linda manager Paul Gianni. “Our middle infielders were a little bit nervous. It was our first game and their second game, and they made every big play. And they were just really solid team defensively and we weren’t. The better team won.”

In all, Loma Linda committed nine errors, compared to only three by Rialto Eastern, which had won its opening game Sunday, beating Ken Hubbs Little League 5-3.

The two teams were locked in a tight game through three innings, with Rialto Eastern holding on to a 5-4 lead when the wheels came off for Loma Linda. Rialto Eastern sent 10 players to the plate, scoring five runs on four hits and three walks. They tacked on seven runs in the sixth inning, again sending 10 players to the plate.

“We took advantage of some of the mistakes they made,” said Rialto Eastern manager Richard Ortega.

Loma Linda’s Jacob Wear led his team’s attack with a pair of booming triples to the fence, scoring three runs and knocking in three more. Tyler Gianni was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and a run batted in. He would have had a perfect night at the plate if not for a sliding catch by Rialto Eastern right fielder Isiah Reese.

Elias Ramirez and Camden Possinger also added two hits for Loma Linda, which had 11 total.

Rialto Eastern had a total of 13 hits, with leadoff batter Nick Ochoa going 4-for-6 – including reaching on an error -- with a double and three runs scored. Cleanup hitter Aaron Arias scored four times on a 1-for-3 night, walking twice and reaching on an error. And catcher Alex Donce was 3-for-5 with four RBI.

Loma Linda moves into the tournament’s loser’s bracket, and will have a day off to recharge, and get an extra day of practice after Monday’s long night – the scheduled 8 p.m. game started almost an hour late, and it was after 11 p.m. when it finished. They will play the winner of tonight’s game between Grand Terrace and North Rialto on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.

Rialto Eastern remains in the winner’s bracket, and will face Rialto Park Little League on Wednesday with a scheduled start of 8 p.m.