Josh Feldhaus strokes the walk-off game-winning hit in the bottom of the eighth inning, giving Goleta Valley South a come-from-behind 3-2 win against Dos Pueblos Little League. (Photo by Vince Agapito).
Josh Feldhaus hit a walk-off double in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift the Goleta Valley South Little League 12-Under All-Stars to a dramatic 3-2 victory over previously undefeated Dos Pueblos in the first championship game of the District 63 Tournament on Tuesday at Girsh Park.
The result forces a one-final game for the District 63 title on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.
Feldhaus drove in Kyle Ownsby for the game-winning run on Tuesday. Ownsby reached base on a fielder’s choice, went to second on a Thomas Hantgin walk and scored when Feldhaus drove a 1-1 pitch to the right-center field gap.
Goleta Valley South pitcher Carson Vom Steeg came on in relief and pitched GVS to a extra-inning win.
Goleta Valley South forced extra innings by tying the score at 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Ownsby singled and Hantgin folllowed with a double to right to score pinch-runner Sam Roberts. Hantgin went to third on the throw home but he was stranded as DP pitcher Chris Noggle got the next two batters to end the inning.
DP pressured early, as Noggle and Austin Bull, the No. 3 and 4 hitters, hit two-out singles in the first inning. But Goleta Valley South starting pitcher DJ Sharpe got the next batter to end the threat.
Goleta Valley South responded with a run in the bottom of the first. Carson Vom Steeg singled, was sacrificed to second by Trey Klopstein and scored on a single to right by Blake Katsev.
In the second inning, Vom Steeg singled to center with runners and first and second. Feldhaus was waved home but a bullet throw by Bull in center field nailed him at the plate.
Dos Pueblos broke through in the fifth. Back to back singles by Jack Landis and Zach Steinberger chased Sharpe. Vom Steeg came in to pitch and he got the first out before intentionally walking Noggle to load the bases. Bull followed with a line-drive single to right to score Landis and Steinberger for a 2-1 lead.
DP reloaded the bases on a fielder’s choice, but Vom Steeg struck out the next two batters to keep the score close.
He pitched out of another jam in the eighth to earn the win. Second baseman Kyle Gonzalez and Klopsten and shortstop made big defensive plays to prevent DP from taking the lead.
“This was a well played game by both teams,” GVS manager Dan Feldhaus said. “Dos Pueblos Little League is a very strong and well-coached team. We have a lot of respect for those guys over there. Our team kept the pressure on and fought back in the bottom of the sixth and the bottom of the eighth to force the Wednesday game. We had a couple of clutch hits from Thomas and Josh today. I am very proud of these boys. “
Vom Steeg pitched 3 2/3 shutout innings, allowing two hits and no walks, while striking out four. At the plate, he went 2-for-4 with a run scored.
Feldhaus went 2-for-3, including the game-winning double.
For DP, Bull and Jake Yamasaki each went 2-for-4, and Bull drove in two runs. On the mound, Noggle started and struck out five, allowed two runs, five hits and one walk.
