Rollins, Guedenet lock up in Pony pitchers' duel

By Dick Sparrer

It was a game neither pitcher deserved to lose.

Alex Rollins and Nick Guedenet were locked in a classic pitchers' duel when the Braves and Marlins collided in a Los Gatos Pony League game last week.

Rollins was mowing down the Marlins, striking out 18 for the Braves. And Guedenet was mowing down the Braves, stringing together five perfect innings in the middle of the game.

Neither pitcher deserved to lose, but one of them had to. And Rollins made sure it wasn't him.

With his club down 1-0, Rollins opened the seventh inning with a single, the second hit allowed by Guedenet. Rollins stole second and third, then scored the tying run on a balk. Weston Piper kept the rally alive with a walk, and scored the go-ahead run on a single by Jesse Fetke.

Rollins retired the side in the bottom of the seventh to nail down the win. He struck out two of the batters he faced to finish with 18 for the day.

Michael Robards singled in the first for the Braves, but was left stranded. He would figure as his club's only baserunner until Rollins reached in the seventh.

Casey Furtado singled in the first, and Danny Politi singled in the third for the Marlins, but both were left stranded.

James Gentry singled, stole a couple of bases and scored on a wild pitch to account for the Marlins' only run.

In other Pony action last week, the Yankees fought back from a 1-0 deficit with a run in the fifth and two in the sixth to pull out a 3-1 win over the Phillies.

The Yanks snapped a 1-1 tie with the two runs in the sixth. Dave Holtzman doubled and raced home on a single by Dan Dressman to break the tie. Dressman added an insurance run when he stole third and scored on a balk.

The Phils took the early lead with a run in the first. Patrick McDonald singled but was forced at second by David Towson. Bryan Schiefelbein ultimately knocked in Towson with an infield roller.

Holtzman and Dressman combined to toss a four-hitter for the win. Dressman picked up the win with two innings of hitless relief. Holtzman fanned nine in five innings of work, and he also had two hits.

Schiefelbein tossed three perfect innings for the Phils, striking out four. Towson doubled, and Schiefelbein, McDonald and Andy Betzina each singled.

The Yanks had beaten the Devil Rays 10-7 earlier in the week. Holtzman singled, doubled and tripled twice to lead the Yankees to the victory. Dressman had a pair of singles, and Nick Kay blasted a run-scoring double.

Kay might have had two doubles, had it not been for a fine catch at the fence by Devil Rays outfielder Lucas Harnell.

Luke Alioto also doubled in the win, and Nick Tom singled.

Adam Crane doubled and singled twice, and Harnell had two doubles for the Rays. Patrick Murphy, Ryan Presley, Brian Ceglio and J.P. Grist also had hits in the game.

The Giants, meanwhile, held on to a share of first place in the division by beating the Phillies 11-2 and the Marlins 10-2.

Kyle Schafer doubled and ripped a two-run single, and Jason Livingstone blasted a solo homer in the fifth to lead the Giants to the win over the Phils.

Matt Hirakawa had two hits for the Giants, and Brett Cavanaugh, Drew Bothman, Greg Bridges, Danny Bates, Travis Howell and Nick Perrone also had singles.

Schiefelbein doubled and singled twice for the Phillies. McDonald doubled, and Russell Laubach singled.

Livingstone and Howell combined to throw the five-hitter for the win for the Giants.

The two teamed up again to toss an eight-hitter in the 10-2 win over the Marlins.

Cavanaugh ripped four hits, and Livingstone, Hirakawa and Howell slapped two each to lead the Giants to the win. Bothman and Schafer also had hits.

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Los Gatos Pony League standings (as of May 5): Giants 9-2, Yankees 9-2, Devil Rays 6-5, Braves 5-6, Marlins 2-8, Phillies 2-8.

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