Play ball! Claremont Little League opens 2024 season
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The farm division Blue Rocks take the field during Saturday’s Claremont Little League opening day ceremony. Courier photo/Andrew Alonzo
Claremont Little League’s 65th spring season got underway at 8 a.m. Saturday with three games at College Park and one at Griffith Park.
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Emiliano De La Cruz is mobbed by his major league Angels team after belting an extra innings grand slam that them up 5-1 over the Mariners. The Angels won, 5-3. Courier photo/Andrew Alonzo
In the majors division opener at College Park the Angels rode an Emiliano De La Cruz extra innings grand slam to a 5-3 win against the Mariners, the JV division Twins topped the Pirates, 12-10, and the farm division Rockhounds and Bulls tied, 4-4. The Dodgers beat the Brewers, 14-7, at Griffith Park to begin the juniors’ season.
Thirty-seven teams throughout T-ball, farm, minor, majors, JV, junior, and intermediate division are competing this year, with about 480 players and 111 coaches.
CLL President Jenny Ballesteros began the opening day ceremony at 10:30 a.m. She introduced members of Claremont City Council and the city manager in attendance and honored the 2023 state champion 11-and-under all-star team and its coaches with plaques. The day also included a raffle, and the announcement that CLL families had raised about $15,000 to construct batting cages. Ballesteros recognized Brian Dorman as the CLL volunteer of the decade before he threw out the ceremonial first pitch of the season.
Play continued with T-ball at noon at Blaisdell, a minor league matchup at 1 p.m. at College Park, and a 2:30 p.m. game at Griffith Park.
More info is at claremontlittleleague.org.
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Members of the minor league Cardinals during Saturday’s opening day ceremony. Courier photo/Andrew Alonzo
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Mattias Arredondo of the major league Angels slides into home Saturday during his team’s 5-3 victory over the Mariners. Courier photo/Andrew Alonzo
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Donovan Schmelebeck of the JV Marlins during Claremont Little League’s opening ceremony on Saturday. Courier photo/Andrew Alonzo
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The major league Mariners’ Noah Torres. Courier photo/Andrew Alonzo
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Rockhounds coach Jim Boerkoel adjusts Marcus Centeno’s swing during a Claremont Little League farm league game Saturday. Courier photo/Andrew Alonzo
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