LONG BEACH –– The Millikan baseball team defeated Long Beach Poly 7-0 in a Moore League game Friday behind a dominant pitching performance by Daunte Bell.
Bell tossed a shutout, allowed only two hits and no walks and struck out 10.
Millikan also benefitted from its discipline at the plate, as it drew nine walks.
Adrian Ramirez went 2 for 2 with two singles, a walk and an RBI. Ethan Barrientos drew two walks and added an RBI. Xavier Kennard, Bell and Ethan Briones each had a hit and an RBI for the Rams.
Bell said he started working up and down in the strike zone against Poly rather than the inside and outside corners.
“I’ve always been a guy who’s comfortable working on the outside corner and I’m never afraid to go inside,” Bell said. “That was the game plan, but it obviously changed and it felt like money for me really.”
Millikan starting pitcher Daunte Bell tossed a shutout, allowed two hits and struck out 10 in a victory against Long Beach Poly, 7-0, in the Moore League on Friday, March 27, 2026. (Photo by Anthony Ciardelli)
With Millikan’s win and a Wilson loss, 3-2, to Lakewood on Friday, Millikan moves into a four-way tie with Poly, Lakewood and Wilson atop the Moore League.
Millikan was opportunistic to open the scoring in the second inning. With Bell on first, Briones hit a ground ball to short but the throw to second skipped into the outfield, allowing Bell to advance to third. He later scored on a fielder’s choice to make it 1-0.
The Rams took advantage of Poly’s pitching struggles in the third inning. An RBI single by Ramirez and a perfectly executed bunt single by Kennard drove in another run and staked Millikan to a 3-0 lead.
Millikan scored its next three runs on two, bases-loaded walks and a wild pitch to take a 6-0 lead into the fourth.
The Rams scored again in the fourth inning when Briones drove home Alan Machado with an RBI single for a 7-0 lead. That was plenty for Bell, who faced the minimum after surrendering a first-inning single to Poly’s Braylen Reyes.
Reyes and Caleb Safotu had the lone hits for Poly, both singles.
Poly starting pitcher Ryan King pitched 2 2/3 innings and suffered the loss. He gave up four hits, six walks and six runs (five earned). Malakai Pruitt relieved King in the third inning, going 3 1/3 innings. He allowed an earned run on two hits and three walks and struck out one batter.
Poly coach Soloman Williams credited Millikan’s plate discipline.
“Ryan King hasn’t thrown for us in a while,” Williams said. “We just wanted them to go out there, keep battling, keep us in the game. They did their best. They have a good, disciplined lineup over there and made it tough on our guys to get them out.”