The562’s coverage of Millikan Athletics for the 2025-26 school year is sponsored by Brian Ramsey and TLD Law.
The562’s coverage of Long Beach Poly Athletics for the 2025-26 school year is sponsored by Former Jackrabbits Wendell “WoWo” Moe, Jr. & Tyson Ruffins.
With an efficient and surgical performance on Friday afternoon, the Millikan Rams (8-5, 3-1) cruised to a 7-0 victory on their home field against their visitors from Long Beach Poly (11-5, 3-1).
The Rams not only relied on senior ace Daunte Bell, who tossed a two-hit shutout on the mound, but the Millikan lineup was patient at the plate and executed the small details well on their way to a comfortable Moore League win.
“Today was an example of how we want to be,” said Millikan head coach Ron Keester. “We were able to grind the at-bats out, 8, 9, 10, 11-pitch at bats, and then still work the walk. This is the best we’ve been one through nine in a game as far as grinding at-bats out. If we can do that, then we’ll be good. And to get contributions from the bottom of the lineup like they did today was huge.”
Millikan’s offense put a baserunner on in all six innings, putting the leadoff man on in each of the first four, and held a 7-0 lead after four frames. The Rams drew nine walks compared to just five hits, with only one of those going for extra bases.
Sophomore shortstop Alan Machado did a little bit of everything out of the two hole: dropping a sac bunt down in the first, doubling and scoring as part of a five-run rally in the third, and drawing a walk to lead off the fourth before scoring Millikan’s final run of the day.
“It’s a huge thank you to my teammates, because even if you make an error in the field, they’re still on you. They keep your confidence up,” said Machado, who’s found himself in a key role as a 10th grader. “So I just thank my teammates. And as the game goes along, it’s just fun. I just have fun with it. Every time I step on the field, just thank God and have fun.”
Millikan was certainly having fun watching Bell pitch, as he racked up a pair of K’s in each of the first two innings and was commanding his arsenal all over the strike zone. The senior faced just one batter over the minimum, giving up just two singles and no free passes in an efficient complete game shutout.
Bell needed just 81 pitches (59 strikes) to collect all 21 outs, and racked up an impressive 10 strikeouts in the process.
“We knew the team we were playing, and we knew that if you give them some runners on, give them some action, it’s getting noisy, it’s going to get loud, it’s going to get competitive,” said Bell of facing the Jackrabbits. “So I just told myself, I don’t want to give them any chances at all, no walks, no hanging stuff over the plate. I just wanted to execute every pitch perfectly, and I thought I did a really good job of that.”
Bell was also in the lineup, scoring the opening run for the Rams in the second inning after beating out an infield single to start the rally. He said he’s embraced his role as a two-way player this year hitting in the heart of the order, and it gives him an extra opportunity to stay engaged with the action, not just when he’s on the mound.
“I just see it as an extra opportunity for me to collaborate for my team, so I take it as a way to play an extra percent harder,” Bell explained. “I just want to almost be a dog out there, be gritty, just try to fight. And I just love (being) that two-way (player), that’s just hype. And I just feel like I can help my team to the best of my ability.”
In his start against Wilson last Friday, Bell allowed an early run just three batters into the game before shutting the door on the Bruins. This time around, he was even more clinical from the jump, and the early run support was key for him to settle in and attack the zone.
“I thought he was phenomenal last week. I thought he was phenomenal today. I thought the difference was we scored a run early,” said Keester of Bell’s outing. “The fact that we got one early, I think that kind of settled his mind. But yeah, I thought he was great today, and I thought he was just as good last week.”
Adrian Ramirez led the way with a pair of hits for Millikan, including an RBI single in their 5-run third inning. Xavier Kennard added an RBI on a perfect squeeze bunt in the next at-bat, and Ethan Briones, AJ Nonato and Ethan Barrientos each drew RBI walks later in that rally.
Millikan will be back in action on Tuesday when they visit Cabrillo, while Long Beach Poly will host Compton at Cabrillo right afterwards.
