Corning minor boys finish second in District 1

The Corning Little League Minor Boys All-Star team lost a three-game showdown with West Redding for the District 1 championship after winning the opener, going 3-2 to finish second place in the tournament.

Corning 6, Cottonwood 4

Wyatt Spencer’s leadoff home run in the fifth inning kicked off Corning’s go-ahead rally in the 6-4 victory against Cottonwood.

Cottonwood had broken a 2-2 tie with two runs in the top of the inning, but the solo shot by Spencer cut Corning’s deficit in half, 4-3. Austin Manning drew a base on balls to represent the tying run, Drew Fissori also walked and Quinton Jones was hit by a pitch. Manning scored on a wild pitch, Fissori was caught stealing for the second out, and Cody McFall tripled home the go-ahead run. McFall also scored on a base hit by Alex Davila.

Chance Nelson worked a complete game on the mound, allowing four runs on seven hits with one walk and six strikeouts.

Nelson and Manning also doubled and scored runs, helping Corning take a 2-1 advantage in the third inning.

Corning 11, Red Bluff 3

Nelson and Davila smacked back-to-back home runs to highlight Corning’s eight-run rally in the fourth inning of their 11-3 win over Red Bluff. Two swings of the bat generated a five-run turnaround of a 2-1 ballgame, as Nelson’s round-tripper came with the bases loaded.

Nelson went 3-for-4 with four runs batted in and two scored and Fissori drilled a double and finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Joseph Aguirre went 2-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI, and teammates Dean Yingst and Davila also collected two hits apiece.

Manning dealt five dominant innings for the win on the mound, allowing one run on two hits with 10 strikeouts. Devon Hiller slammed the door in the sixth.

Corning 7, West Redding 6

In the semifinals, Corning rallied for five runs in the fourth to overtake West Redding, 7-6.

The game was tied 2-2 going into the inning, and West Redding paraded for four runs in the top half before Corning took its turn at bat.

Aguirre’s pinch-hit single initiated Corning’s comeback with one out. Yingst and McFall walked to load the bases and Wyatt Haydon drew a two-out walk to force home Aguirre. Manning followed with a two-run double, Davila walked, and Fissori scorched another two-run double to plate the tying and go-ahead runs.

Davila earned the victory in relief, shutting down West Redding in the fifth and sixth innings. He pitched 2 1/3 shutout innings, giving up only one hit. Yingst started on the hill and lasted 3 2/3 innings, allowing six runs on 10 hits.

Nelson collected three hits out of the leadoff spot to lead Corning’s offense.

West Redding 13, Corning 3

West Redding, facing elimination, battled back through the loser’s bracket to challenge Corning again in the championship round. Corning lost 13-3 to force a final showdown in the double-elimination tourney.

Corning’s runs came in the fourth inning, starting with a double by Manning. Davila and Fissori walked and Jones drove in Manning with a fielder’s choice. Hiller, who came in for McFall during the previous inning, swatted a two-run triple. Corning’s final stand ended with the bases loaded, as Mathew Arriaga and Nelson walked with Hiller stranded at third base.

Nelson took the loss on the mound with 2 2/3 innings of work.

West Redding 6, Corning 5

Corning went out with its boots on in the finale, scoring a run in the top of the sixth and ending with the go-ahead run in scoring position in a 6-5 defeat.

Eric Spencer and Arriaga walked to open Corning’s final at-bat and Manning hit a two-out RBI single. Arriaga, representing the tying run, moved to third when Fissori drew a base on balls, but a flyout ended the game.

Corning scored four runs in the third on a hit by Yingst and a series of walks drawn by Arriaga, Manning, Fissori, Jones and Davila.

Manning suffered the loss on the mound, pitching only one inning. He gave up four runs (two earned) on one hit and three walks in the first. He struck out two batters.

Yingst pitched the rest of the way for Corning, allowing two earned runs on five hits with a walk and three strikeouts.