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Schafer's curve sparks Mets to back-to-back Pony wins
By Dick Sparrer
Justin Schafer's big-breaking curveball is pretty tough to catch.
And the teams of the Los Gatos Pony Baseball League are finding out that it's even tougher to hit.
Mets catchers are finding the big breaker tough to handle, and so are opposing hitters. Schafer came on in relief to strike out nine last week in a 7-6 extra-inning win over the Cubs; then he went the distance to toss a two-hitter and strike out 12 in a 5-2 win over the previously unbeaten Indians on Friday night.
Schafer and Woody Wilkerson were matched up in a real pitchers' duel on Friday when the Mets challenged the first-place Indians.
Schafer gave up just a pair of hits--both to Matt Cisowski--and two runs--both the result of pitches that got away from the catcher--in the win over the Indians.
Wilkerson started on the hill for the Tribe. He walked the first batter of the game, but promptly picked him off. Then the big hurler struck out seven of the next eight batters he faced.
He left after three with a 2-0 lead, and that's when the Mets started to battle back. They tied it in the fourth with two runs on three errors, then won it with three runs in the sixth, the big hit a run-scoring ground rule double by Schafer.
The Mets had opened the week with the thrilling come-from-behind win over the Cubs.
The Cubbies went into the last of the seventh with a 5-3 lead, but Reese Behrens reached on an error and John Gallien singled. Jake Walker followed with a two-run double to tie it and send the game into extra innings.
The Cubs went in front with a run in the top of the eighth when Bricklin Foley singled and scored on three straight passed balls, but the Mets won it with two in the bottom of the eighth.
The Mets opened the eighth with three straight singles by Forrest Gallien, Eric Fredricks and Steven Krach, but Cubs left fielder Andy Zweng gunned out Gallien at the plate with a strong throw.
Behrens tied it with a sacrifice fly, though; then Riley Curran won it with his second single of the night.
F. Gallien singled and tripled in the win, Colby Moore tripled and Walker had the big double.
Foley doubled and singled twice for the Cubs in the game, and Marty Mullins doubled.
The Indians, still leading the pack with a 6-1 record, sandwiched two wins around the loss to the Mets.
Carlos Alonzo struck out seven in four innings and Danny Frey flipped two innings of no-hit relief to lead the Indians to an 8-4 win over the White Sox.
Wilkerson ripped a two-run homer to dead center for the Indians, and Frey and Cisowski each doubled.
Thomas Bess doubled twice for the Sox.
The Indians came back with a tight 4-3 win over the Cubs on Saturday. Wilkerson struck out eight and allowed just one hit in five shutout innings to get the win, and Alonso retired the side one-two-three in the seventh to pick up the save.
Cisowski doubled and singled twice in the win, Andrew Clark had two hits and Ben Hintz ripped a two-run triple in the third.
Foley cracked a two-run single in the three-run sixth for the Cubs. Robbie Roesser and Zweng also singled in the rally.
In other action on Saturday, Robbie Perry and Eric McDonald combined to flip a two-hit shutout to lead the White Sox to a 2-0 win over the Red Sox. Perry went five innings to get the win, and McDonald nailed the save with two innings of relief.
McDonald knocked in John Brennan for a run in the third and Wesley Howell singled to drive home Nathan deSilva in the sixth to account for the two runs for the White Sox.
Matt Ellis struck out seven and allowed just one hit over four innings, and Zach Wicht fanned two in three solid innings of relief. Ellis and Brett Havens each singled in the loss.
The Orioles pounded the Cardinals 12-2 to win on the 10-run rule on Saturday. Grant Kehrig singled and tripled, David Pavicich doubled twice to drive in three runs, Andrew Pierson singled and doubled and Bradley Tomy ripped a two-run double in the win. Richard Salazar fanned eight in four-plus innings of hitless relief to get the win.
Steven Rodas led off the game with a single for the Cards, but it was their only hit of the day.
The O's had opened the week with an 8-3 win over the Braves. Pavicich and Steven Genetti ripped back-to-back triples in the first. Pavicich ended up with two hits and three runs scored, and Genetti was the winning pitcher. Dylan Burke tossed the final two frames in the win.
David Martini singled and doubled and Kevin Wyllie had two hits for the Braves.
Rusty Wall walked and ended up scoring on an error in the last of the seventh to lift the Giants to a 6-5 win over the Braves. Kyle Blair and Jeremy Cleveland had two hits apiece, and Zach Sylvester and Tim Sweeney each doubled.
Will Kapp had two hits for the Braves, and Brian Roby and Justin Gladfelter each doubled.
Danny Sullivan tossed three innings to get the win, Kyle Jury struck out four of the last five hitters to get the save in the Cardinals' 6-4 win over the Red Sox.
Ellis tripled and Austin Steasy doubled for the Sox.
Los Gatos Pony League standings (as of April 27): Indians 6-1, Mets 3-1, Orioles 3-2, Cardinals 3-3, Braves 2-3, Giants 2-3, White Sox 2-3, Cubs 2-4, Red Sox 1-4.
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
