{"id":283332,"date":"2026-04-24T05:57:15","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T05:57:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/283332\/"},"modified":"2026-04-24T05:57:15","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T05:57:15","slug":"millikan-baseball-alone-in-first-place-after-win-over-long-beach-wilson-press-telegram","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/283332\/","title":{"rendered":"Millikan baseball alone in first place after win over Long Beach Wilson \u2013 Press Telegram"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Wilson<\/p>\n

Wilson catcher Cade Miller (2) cant get the stop as Millikan\u2019s Xavier Kennard (23) scores the winning run for the Rams in Long Beach, CA, on Thursday, April 23, 2026. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Millikan\u2019s<\/p>\n

Millikan\u2019s Ethan Briones (12) gets a hit as the Rams take on Wilson in Long Beach, CA, on Thursday, April 23, 2026. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Wilson\u2019s<\/p>\n

Wilson\u2019s Cade Miller (2) is tagged out by Millikan catcher Gavin Reyes (19) in Long Beach, CA, on Thursday, April 23, 2026. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Millikan\u2019s<\/p>\n

Millikan\u2019s AJ Nonato slides into home as Wilsons Cade Miller (2) tags the plate in Long Beach, CA, on Thursday, April 23, 2026. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Millikan\u2019s<\/p>\n

Millikan\u2019s Ethan Barrientos (2) looks to get the out at first as the Rams take on Wilson in Long Beach, CA, on Thursday, April 23, 2026. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Wilson<\/p>\n

Wilson catcher Cade Miller (2) tries to tag out Millikan\u2019s Shane Wally (14) who slides in safe at home in Long Beach, CA, on Thursday, April 23, 2026. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Wilson\u2019s<\/p>\n

Wilson\u2019s Cooper George (3) is safe at first as Millikans AJ Nonto (45) looses the ball in Long Beach, CA, on Thursday, April 23, 2026. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Millikan<\/p>\n

Millikan players celebrate as they take a 4-0 lead over Wilson in Long Beach, CA, on Thursday, April 23, 2026. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Millikan\u2019s<\/p>\n

Millikan\u2019s Xavier Kennard (23), AJ Nonto (45), and Maison Crommie (3) celebrate as they beat Wilson to take first in the Moore League standings in Long Beach, CA, on Thursday, April 23, 2026. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Wilson\u2019s<\/p>\n

Wilson\u2019s Shane Guy (1) reaches for the ball as Millikans AJ Nonto (45) races for first base in Long Beach, CA, on Thursday, April 23, 2026. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Wilson\u2019s<\/p>\n

Wilson\u2019s Cooper George (3) gets things started for the Bruins as they take on Millikan in Long Beach, CA, on Thursday, April 23, 2026. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Wilson\u2019s<\/p>\n

Wilson\u2019s James Mirabile (11) closes things out for the Bruins as they take on Millikan in Long Beach, CA, on Thursday, April 23, 2026. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Millikan\u2019s<\/p>\n

Millikan\u2019s Daunte Bell (5) gets things started for the Rams as they take on Wilson in Long Beach, CA, on Thursday, April 23, 2026. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Millikan\u2019s<\/p>\n

Millikan\u2019s Adrian Ramirez (17) throws to get Wilsons Cesar Castro (23) out at first in Long Beach, CA, on Thursday, April 23, 2026. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Millikans<\/p>\n

Millikans Maison Crommie (3) looks to close things out for the Rams as they take on Wilson in Long Beach, CA, on Thursday, April 23, 2026. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

Show Caption<\/p>\n

1 of 15<\/p>\n

Wilson catcher Cade Miller (2) cant get the stop as Millikan\u2019s Xavier Kennard (23) scores the winning run for the Rams in Long Beach, CA, on Thursday, April 23, 2026. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

Expand<\/a><\/p>\n

LONG BEACH \u2014 The Millikan baseball team took over sole possession of first place in the Moore League the hard way \u2014 and thanks to one of the more unlikely sources.<\/p>\n

The Rams blew a four-run lead but recovered Thursday to beat rival Long Beach Wilson, 5-4, on pinch-hitter Maison Crommie\u2019s walk-off infield single with the bases loaded.<\/p>\n

With one out and facing an 0-2 count, Crommie hit a sharp grounder to the right of diving Bruins shortstop Nico Theim against a drawn-in infield.<\/p>\n

FINAL: Millikan 5, Wilson 4<\/p>\n

PH Maison Crommie hits the grounder to SS, Xavier Kennard beats the throw home for the walk-off @BeachVarsity<\/a> @johnwdavis<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/L3KzFZlw7o<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Tracy McDannald \ud83d\udcce (@Tracy_McDannald) April 24, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI knew when I came up to the plate, the fastest guy on the team was at third,\u201d Crommie said. \u201cPut the ball in play, that\u2019s all I had to do. I knew we were going to win this game.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thiem fired a one-hopper to the first-base side of home plate, but the ball bounced away as Millikan center fielder Xavier Kennard dashed down the third-base line and slid in for the game-winning run.<\/p>\n

Millikan coach Ron Keester credited Crommie for staying ready, taking batting practice every day despite entering the game with just one at-bat on the season.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe hits every day so it wasn\u2019t a surprise for him to do that,\u201d Keester said. \u201cBut he was kind of nervous. You could see how the moment was getting big for him, but he calmed himself down and he hit the ball hard. He does that in BP and it was amazing what he just did.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kennard and first baseman AJ Nonato had three hits apiece to lead the Rams (17-6, 8-1), who now hold a one-game lead in the Moore League with three league games remaining. Millikan has won 11 of its last 12 after losing to Wilson 1-0 on March 20.<\/p>\n

Kennard finished 3 for 4 with two RBIs. He had a pair of singles and the double off Wilson relief pitcher James Mirabile to open the bottom of the seventh.<\/p>\n

\u201cI kind of saw something out of the hand, right in my wheelhouse, and was able to poke it out there and get it over (the fielder\u2019s) head for a double,\u201d Kennard said.<\/p>\n

Crommie was also the winning pitcher after starter Daunte Bell was pulled once he reached his 110-pitch limit with two outs in the seventh.<\/p>\n

Bell\u2019s last pitch was the game-tying double from Wilson cleanup hitter Russell Centanni, who smoked the offering over Kennard as he was racing to left-center field. The hit scored Bruins pitcher Cooper George, who led the team with three hits.<\/p>\n

Wilson\u2019s 2-3-4 hitters were 7 for 11 against Bell, who recorded three of his four strikeouts over the first two innings before the Bruins started to make consistent contact.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was kind of looking at my lineup card because I keep track of that stuff,\u201d Wilson coach Andy Hall said. \u201cYou kind of line (the hitters) up that way because you want them to get the most at-bats.\u201d<\/p>\n

Crommie faced just one hitter and struck out Eddie Becker looking to leave Centanni stranded at second.<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew who was at the plate,\u201d Crommie said. \u201cI was like, \u2018I got this guy. I know him.\u2019 He wasn\u2019t getting a hit off me.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Bruins (13-10, 7-2) fell into a four-run hole through four innings thanks in large part to a pair of errors and a hit batter that contributed to two unearned runs out of the three Millikan scored.<\/p>\n

Kennard\u2019s chop single up the middle scored two runs to open the 4-0 lead.<\/p>\n

Thiem\u2019s second hit of the game, an RBI single, ignited Wilson\u2019s three-run inning in the fifth to start the comeback attempt.<\/p>\n

Bell stranded the tying run at third and the go-ahead run at second, escaping the inning after a flyout to right.<\/p>\n

The Bruins also failed to capitalize on run-scoring opportunities after the first two hitters reached in the third.<\/p>\n

With one out and runners in scoring position, George hit a high chopper that Rams third baseman Ethan Barrientos fielded cleanly and fired home to cut down Cade Miller trying to score from third.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were a base hit away here, a base hit away there,\u201d Hall said. \u201cA better defensive effort in certain spots of the game, we handed them four runs for the most part. It\u2019s hard to come back from that, especially Daunte Bell and the Millikan Rams.\u201d<\/p>\n

MID 3: Millikan 1, Wilson 0<\/p>\n

The Rams\u2019 defense makes a play on a chopper to third to cut down the runner heading to the plate for the second out @BeachVarsity<\/a> <\/p>\n

Daunte Bell then gets out of the inning with a fly to RF.<\/p>\n

Bruins squandered a first-and-second chance w\/ 0 out. pic.twitter.com\/n3Pov538mG<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Tracy McDannald \ud83d\udcce (@Tracy_McDannald) April 23, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

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