Rays devil first-place Giants for Pony win

By Dick Sparrer

The Devil Rays had a great opportunity to jump right into the thick of the title race in the Los Gatos Pony League last week.

The Rays were battling the leaders, the Giants and Yankees, in back-to-back games last week. And a couple of wins would have pushed the Rays to within a game of first place in the standings.

They didn't get a couple of wins, but they did tighten things up considerably in the Pony circuit with an impressive 13-6 win over the Giants.

The loss was just the second of the year for the league-leading Giants, who have now slipped back into a first-place tie with the Yankees (both clubs at 7-2). The Devil Rays rest in third place at 5-4.

Adam Crane ripped a two-run homer in the first inning, and Ryan Daily came through with a three-run blast in the fifth to lead the Devil Rays to the win over the Giants.

The Rays struck early when Patrick Murphy tripled and scored ahead of Crane on his homer to give the home team a 2-0 lead in the first.

The Devil Rays made it 6-0 with a four-run rally in the third.

Daily walked and raced home on a double by Ryan Presley. Jeff Oleson and J.P. Grist followed with run-scoring singles, and Grist ended up scoring on an error.

The Giants hit the scoreboard with three in the fourth. Travis Howell reached on an error before Jason Livingston ripped a two-run homer. Drew Bothman walked and ended up scoring on an error.

But the Rays answered with two in the home half of the inning. Crane doubled and scored on a single by Daily. Oleson singled home Daily.

The Giants cut the Rays' lead to 8-6 with three in the fifth. Brett Cavanaugh singled and worked his way around to score before Kyle Schafer doubled. Howell singled before Bothman tripled home two runs.

But once again the Rays answered back, this time for five runs. Lucas Harnell walked and Brian Ceglio and P. Murphy each singled to load the bases. Two runs scored when Crane reached on an error, and Daily followed with a three-run homer.

Harnell doubled, and Jared Murphy singled for the only other hits for the Rays.

Cavanaugh had two hits, and Matt Rose singled for the Giants.

The Devil Rays lost 10-1 to the Yankees later in the week. David Holtzman and Nick Kay combined to toss a 2-hitter for the Yanks. Holtzman fanned six in four innings, and Kay struck out five in two innings of no-hit relief.

The Yanks rallied for three runs in the second to take the early lead. Kay doubled, swiped third and scored on a squeeze bunt by Matt Martini. Nick Tom doubled home a run, and Mark Helleboid singled in another to cap the rally.

A five-run Yankee outburst in the fourth broke the game open. Martini and Luke Alioto each singled, and Tom reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases. Eric Rude and Helleboid each bunted home runs and, after Dan Dressman walked, Kay singled home two runs.

The Yankees closed out the scoring with two runs in the seventh. Martini and Alioto each singled and scored on a double by Tom.

Presley tripled and Crane singled for the only two hits for the Rays.

The Yanks had beaten the Braves earlier in the week behind the performance of Dressman, who was the winning pitcher and also ripped a two-run homer in the first inning.

Holtzman, Martini, Brett Millen and Andrew O'Gorman also had hits in the win for the Yankees.

Brent Kapser doubled and Sean Fetke singled for the Braves.

The Giants rebounded from the loss to the Rays with a 10-7 win over the Phillies in nine innings.

The Phils had taken a 5-4 lead with a run in the eighth on a single by Brandon Burks and a doubled by Bryan Schiefelbein, but the Giants tied it in the home half of the eighth on a triple by Schafer and a run-scoring single by Howell.

The Phils went up again with two in the ninth. Russell Laubach walked, Scott Shand singled, and Burks walked to load the bases. Adam Hudson followed with a clutch two-run single.

Once again, though, the Giants fought back. Hirakawa doubled, and Cavanaugh and Danny Bates each walked to load the bases. Schafer ripped a two-run single to tie it 7-7, then Howell broke the tie with a three-run, game-winning homer.

Cavanaugh had three hits in the win, and Howell singled and blasted the home run. Schafer and Hirakawa had two hits apiece and Matt Rose added a hit.

David Towson ripped a solo homer in the first and also singled for the Phils, and Burks and Patrick McDonald had two hits each. Andy Betzina.

The Marlins came through with their first two wins of the season, beating the Braves 11-6 and the Phillies 12-4.

James Gentry was four-for-five with a couple of doubles to drive in five runs for the Marlins against the Braves. Casey Furtado was four-for-five with two triples to knock in three runs. Furtado also tossed four innings of 1-hit baseball to get the mound win. Dan Politi had two hits, Darien Hirotsu doubled, and Fletcher Anderson and Will Biderman each singled for the Marlins.

Alex Rollin doubled and ripped a two-run homer for the Braves. Carter Wallace, Kasper and Jared Kasper each singled for the Braves.

Furtado fanned 10 in six innings of work to get the mound win in the 12-4 victory over the Phillies. Furtado singled and doubled, and Gentry ripped a two-run double in the win.

Biderman and Politi had two hits apiece, and Drew Hoffman doubled. Rishi Satia also singled for the Marlins.

Laubach ripped two doubles in the loss, and Towson and Hudson had two hits apiece. Patrick McDonald doubled, and Shand singled.

---

Los Gatos Pony League standings (as of April 30): Giants 7-2, Yankees 7-2, Devil Rays 5-4, Braves 4-5, Marlins 2-7, Phillies 2-7.

---

LGHS freshman admits bringing gun to school

Editorial: Creative approach needed to maintain Town's charm and character

LGHS Winterguard places eighth at World Championships

Obituaries: Alma Sieber, Peter Kraai, Stanley Johnson

Picture From the Past: Los Gatos railroads

Sports Briefs

Los Gatos boys win swim meet

Los Gatos hosts league track finals

Wildcats win two in baseball

Cats Hills Criterium Cycling Classic

Giants, Yankees tied for first in Pony League