Orland junior All-Stars reach semis

The Orland Little League Junior Boys All-Stars have reached the District 47 Pool B semifinals, defeating Chico Westside in the second round, 7-3, Monday night.

Dylan Shippelhoute allowed just two hits over 6 2-3 innings for the victory, walking four with five strikeouts. He was relieved in the fourth inning for a span of three batters, but returned to the hill in the fifth to finish the game.

Andrew Shippelhoute, who gave up a two-run single during the brief relief appearance, was 1-for-4 at the plate with three runs scored, reaching twice on errors.

Levi Paschall collected two hits and two runs batted in, one of which came on a suicide-squeeze bunt during the fifth inning to snap a 3-3 deadlock.

Orland added three insurance runs in the seventh, starting with Weston Foster’s grounder to the left side.

Chico’s shortstop made an adequate throw to first but the ball wasn’t caught, enabling Foster to advance to second. Foster’s courtesy runner, Shea Shull, went to third on an infield hit by Theron Fumasi and scored on Andrew Shippelhoute’s bobbled grounder to the right side.

Fumasi and Shippelhoute scored on wild pitches, widening Orland’s lead to four runs, an obstacle that proved insurmountable for Chico Westside.

Chico’s last stand ended with a runner on second as Paschall snared a game-ending line drive at first base.

Pashcall also helped stop Chico’s rally in the fourth inning with his glove. With two outs and runners on first and second, he dove to knock down a hard-hit ground ball. The ball squirted toward second baseman Garrett Ferreira, who scooped it up and threw to Paschall just in time as he got up and scrambled back to his bag ahead of Chico pitcher Jake Price.

Fumasi and Shull laid down key sacrifice bunts that ignited Orland’s earlier rallies, fueling the small-ball brand of baseball not often seen these days at the Major-League level.

Fumasi’s bunt kickstarted Orland’s two-run second inning, putting them on the board with a 2-0 advantage, and Shull’s pinch-hit effort led to the team’s third run. With Dylan Shippelhoute stealing third, Shull faked a bunt and the catcher’s throw sailed into left field.

Shull got a pitch he could with work later in the at-bat and advanced Taylor Enck to second, though the latter got stranded at third base at the end of the inning.

Dylan Shippelhoute finished the game 2-for-3 with a run scored, and Tyler Lunceford led Chico Westside’s offense with a similar 2-for-3 effort, driving in two runs.

Price lasted five innings on the mound, taking the loss with four runs (one earned) on three hits with three walks and a pair of strikeouts. Chico committed five errors compared to only one by Orland’s defense.

By virtue of hosting the tournament, Orland was granted the bye in a five-team district event. The four Chico leagues comprise the rest of Pool B while surrounding squads from Paradise, Durham, Oroville, Gridley and Biggs/Richvale are battling for Pool A. The winners of each double-elimination pool will square off for the D47 championship and right to advance to sectionals.

Orland (1-0) plays Chico Central, an 8-2 winner over El Rancho (Chico), on Friday at Orland High School’s Bihler Field in the winner’s bracket semifinal of Pool B.