A's off to hot start in 2001, at least in LG Little League

By Dick Sparrer

The defending Western Division champion Oakland A's may not be off to a great start this season, but the same cannot be said of their namesake in the major division of the Los Gatos Little League.

Because the local A's are not only off to a great start in the 2001 season, they're off to a perfect start.

The A's posted three wins last week to push their season record to a league-leading 9-0. The leaders topped the Giants 8-1 and two-timed the Cubs 8-1 and 5-1.

Matt Ellis and Kyle Blair combined to pitch the A's to the back-to-back wins over the Cubs last week.

Blair flipped three innings of three-hit baseball to get the win and Ellis finished up with three innings of scoreless relief in the 5-1 win over the Cubbies. Blair struck out six in his stint.

Ellis had two hits in the A's win, including a two-run double in the second that gave his club the early lead. John Gallien also had two hits for the A's.

Tim Sweeney, K.C. Silva and Michael Farb had three hits each for the Cubs in the loss.

Blair and Ellis went three innings apiece in the 8-1 win over the Cubs a few days later. Blair struck out six and allowed just two hits on his way to picking up the win, and Ellis fanned five and gave up no runs and no hits.

Both Blair and Ellis were 3-for-3 to lead the offensive attack. Blair scored four runs and drove in four more. Jackson Dallas doubled in the win.

The A's had opened the week with an 8-1 win over the Giants. Ellis tossed three scoreless inning to get the pitching win. He struck out five and walked just two.

Blair doubled and singled twice in the win and Gallien had two hits. Kyle Weiss ripped a bases-loaded single to key a six-run rally in the second inning for the A's

Alex Zanotto had two hits for the Giants.

Bricklin Foley and Stephen Krach combined to toss a two-hit shutout for the Yankees in an 11-0 win over the Red Sox.

Foley went the first three innings to get the win, blanked the Sox on just two hits while striking out five. Krach finished up by whirling three perfect innings, fanning seven of the nine batters he faced.

Krach had four hits, including a double, to drive in four runs in the win. Jake Jensen doubled for the Yankees and Nick Smith walked three times and scored three runs.

Krach and Foley teamed up to toss the Yanks to a 5-2 win over the Red Sox last Saturday. Foley allowed just a run on two hits over the first three innings, and Krach finished up to pick up the win in relief.

Krach tripled and scored a run in the third to tie the game 1-1, then the Yankees broke it open with four runs in the fourth.

Kevin Fitzhenry and Garrett Blackwell had two hits each for the Red Sox.

Nick Schradle went the distance to toss a seven-hitter and lead the Cardinals to a 5-2 win over the Tigers on Saturday.

The Cards staked their hurler to an early lead with four runs in the first. Niki Chow doubled and Sean Wasserman and Woody Wilkerson each singled to open the game. A two-run single by Schradle broke things open for the Cardinals.

Blake Morrison had two hits, including a two-run single in the second, and Bradley Tomy doubled for the Tigers.

Earlier in the week, Wasserman and Wilkerson had pitched the Cardinals to a 7-1 win over the Tigers. Wasserman blanked the Tigers on four hits over the first three innings to get the win, and Wilkerson finished up with three innings of no-hit relief, striking out six.

Chow had two hits and scored three runs, Wasserman singled and doubled and Patrick Brogan doubled in the win.

A sacrifice fly by Will Kapp in the bottom of the sixth helped the Giants pull out a thrilling 10-9 win over the Indians on Saturday.

The Indians had tied the game with a four-run rally in the top of the sixth, but Ryan Black and Zanotto each walked to open the home half of the sixth for the Giants. The runners moved to second and third on a wild pitch, and Kapp plated Black with the game winner when he ripped his sac fly.

Evan Bolton pounded a two-run double in the third for the Giants.

Lucas deMilo, whose bases-loaded triple in the sixth tied the game, had three hits for the Indians. Jeremy Cleveland and David Martini each singled and doubled.

A bases-loaded double by Nick Elias sparked a six-run rally in the first inning and the Braves went on from there to nail a 17-7 win over the Marlins.

Chad Manning had three hits, including a double, and scored four runs and Eric McDonald was 3-for-5 with a double to lead the offensive attack for the Braves. Dan Norvelle singled, doubled and walked twice on his way to a four-run game, and David Cardinale had two hits.

Colby Moore singled, doubled and tripled for the Marlins. Nate DeSilva singled and tripled and Brian Comstock doubled.

Los Gatos Little League major division standings (as of April 28)-- A's 9-0, Cardinals 6-4, Indians 6-4, Yankees 6-4, Braves 5-4, Marlins 4-5, Tigers 4-6, Giants 3-6, Red Sox 3-7, Cubs 2-8.

Home run leaders-- Riley Curran (Indians) 3, Kyle Blair (A's) 2, Nick Kalpin (A's) 2.

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